STATUTORY REFERENCES
Theft of vehicles — See Vehicle
Code Section 7101 et seq.
Theft generally — See Crimes
Code Section 3901 et seq.
False alarms to agencies of public safety — See
Crimes Code Section 4905.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
This chapter shall be known as the "Alarm Systems
Ordinance of the Township" or just the "Alarm Systems Ordinance."
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
As used in this chapter:
(a)
"Alarm equipment supplier" means any person who sells,
leases and/or installs automatic protection devices or audible alarm
systems.
(b)
"Alarm user" means any person in control of a premises
having an audible alarm system or automatic protection device which
notifies the Police Department or Fire Department, either directly
or indirectly, and requires the response of the Police Department
or Fire Department or a rescue company.
(c)
"Answering service" means a service whereby trained
employees who are in attendance at all times receive pre-recorded
messages or signals from automatic protection devices reporting an
emergency at a stated location, which employees have the duty to relay
immediately, by live voice, any such emergency to the Police Department
or Fire Department or rescue company.
(d)
"Audible alarm" means any device, bell, horn or siren
which is attached to the interior or exterior of a building, which
emits a warning signal audible outside the building and which is designed
to attract attention when activated by a criminal act or other emergency
requiring police, fire-fighters or a rescue company to respond.
(e)
"Automatic protection device" means an electrically
operated instrument, composed of sensory apparatus and related hardware,
which automatically transmits a pre-recorded voice alarm over a regular
telephone line by direct or indirect connections to the Police Department
or Fire Department, a central station protective system or an answering
service, upon receipt of a stimulus from a sensory apparatus that
has detected a physical force or condition inherently characteristic
of a fire, intrusion or other hazard.
(f)
"Central station protective system" means a protective
system or group of such systems which is operated privately for customers
by a person and which maintains supervisors and accepts recorded messages
or signals from automatic protection devices at a central station
having trained operators and guards in attendance at all times that
have the duty to take appropriate action upon the receipt of a message
or signal, including the relaying of messages by a designated or direct
trunk line to the communications center of the Police Department.
(g)
"False alarm" means any signal activated by an automatic
protection device, any audible alarm or any other kind of direct or
indirect signal given to the police or fire communications center
to which police or fire-fighters or rescue companies respond, which
signal or alarm is not the result of a burglary, fire, robbery or
similar emergency.
(h)
"Fire Department" means any fire department which
responds to alarms within the Township.
(i)
"Police Department" means the Police Department of
the Township.
(j)
"Secretary" means the Secretary of the Township.
(k)
"Treasurer" means the Treasurer of the Township.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
(a)
No property owner, lessee of property or person otherwise
occupying any premises within the Township shall put an automatic
protection device or audible alarm system into operation on his or
her premises or allow an automatic protection device or audible alarm
system to be put into operation on his or her premises without first
registering the alarm system with the Township.
(b)
Within thirty days after the effective date of this
chapter (Ordinance 226, passed September 16, 1986), every alarm user
shall register with the Township each alarm system he or she operates
within the Township. This subsection does not require an alarm equipment
supplier to register under this section when such alarm equipment
supplier leases or provides services to alarm system users. If an
alarm equipment supplier does, however, use an alarm system to protect
its own premises, it shall register such system as required in this
section.
(c)
Alarm user registration procedure is as follows:
(1)
The alarm user making the registration required
in subsection (a) hereof shall complete the registration form provided
by the Township, which form shall include the alarm user's name, the
address of the residence or business in or upon which the alarm system
has or will be installed, the alarm user's telephone number, the type
of alarm system, the alarm equipment supplier selling, installing,
monitoring, inspecting, responding to and/or maintaining the alarm
system the central station protective system utilized, if any, and
the name and telephone number of at least two other persons who can
be reached at any time, who are authorized to respond to an alarm
system and who will respond and open the premises in which the system
is installed.
(2)
If the alarm system is to be leased or rented
from, or is to be serviced pursuant to a service agreement by, a person
other than the person making application for an alarm user permit,
the name, address and telephone number of that person must be stated
in the application.
(3)
Each person submitting an application for an
alarm user permit shall submit a signed statement in the following
form: I/We, the undersigned applicant(s) for an alarm user permit,
intending to be legally bound hereby, agree with the Township of Lower
Gwynedd that neither I/we nor anyone claiming by, through or under
me/us, shall make any claim against the Township of Lower Gwynedd,
its officials or agents, for any damage caused to the premises at
which the automatic protective device or audible alarm system is located
when said system is activated and employees of the Township of Lower
Gwynedd make a forced entry at a time when said premises are or appear
to be unattended or when, in the discretion of said employees, the
circumstances appear to warrant a forced entry.
(d)
Any alarm user who installs an automatic protection
device or audible alarm system thirty days or more after the effective
date of this section (Ordinance 226, passed September 16, 1986) shall
submit with the registration a certificate of an alarm equipment supplier
stating that, in the opinion of such supplier, the automatic protection
device or audible alarm system complies with this chapter.
(e)
Any alarm user who has registered under this chapter
shall promptly notify the Township of any change in information supplied
on the alarm user permit application.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
Owners or lessees of premises equipped with
audible alarms must equip such audible alarms with a timing mechanism
that will disengage the audible alarm after a maximum period of fifteen
minutes and keep it disengaged until the alarm is serviced or reset.
Audible alarms without such a timing mechanism are unlawful in the
Township and must be deactivated by the owners or lessees of the premises
within sixty days from the effective date of this chapter.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
Owners or lessees of premises equipped with
gates, fences or other devices which are designed to prevent entry
and are electronically controlled from a location such as a residence
or other principal building, shall ensure that when an audible alarm
or automatic protection device is activated, the gate, fence or other
device will open to allow entry of the Police Department, Fire Department
or rescue company.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
In order to defray the costs to the Township of responding to false alarms, the fees provided for in § 208.01 shall be imposed against an alarm user after response to each false alarm. After an alarm user has accumulated two responded false alarms, the Police Department shall bill the alarm user. The alarm user shall promptly forward payment to the Treasurer of the Township within ten days of the date of the bill.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to
affect any suit or proceeding pending in any court, any rights acquired
or liability incurred, any permit issued or any cause of action existing
under the ordinances of the Township prior to the enactment of this
chapter.
[Ord. 226. Passed 9-16-1986]
(a)
No person shall fail to comply with the requirements
of a written notice of violation of any of the provisions of this
chapter within ten days of receipt of such notice, exclusive of Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays. Such notice shall continue in force and effect
until there is full compliance with the requirements stated therein.
(b)
No person shall misuse or falsely activate an alarm
system. Each misuse or false activation shall constitute a separate
offense.
(c)
No alarm user shall install or permit to be installed
an alarm system in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
A separate offense shall be deemed committed each day that a violation
occurs or continues after due notice has been given.
[Ord. 425. Passed 7-20-2004]
(a)
Commercial, industrial or institutional buildings
which are secured in a manner that restricts access during an emergency
shall be equipped with a key lock box at or near the main entrance
to the building or such other location designated or required by the
Fire Marshal.
(b)
All newly constructed buildings subject to this section
shall have a key lock box installed and operational prior to the issuance
of an occupancy permit. All buildings in existence on the effective
date of this section and subject to this section shall have one year
from the effective date of this section to have a key lock box installed
and operational.
(c)
The Township shall designate the type of key lock
box to be implemented within the Township and shall have the authority
to require all buildings to use the designated system. The Fire Marshal,
the fire companies designated by the Township as the Fire Department
and the Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department shall be the only
entities permitted to possess a key to the key lock box.
(d)
The owner or tenant of a building required to have
a key lock box shall, at all times, keep the following items in the
key lock box:
(1)
Keys to locked points of egress, whether on
the interior or exterior of such building.
(2)
Keys to locked mechanical equipment rooms.
(3)
Keys to locked electrical rooms.
(4)
Keys to elevator controls.
(5)
Keys to locked elevator rooms.
(6)
Keys to elevator cab doors.
(7)
Keys to any fenced or secure area, including
entrance gates.
(8)
Keys to any other area as directed by the Fire
Marshal.
(9)
Other items deemed necessary by the Fire Marshal
to function in the subject building or occupancy during an emergency,
including but not limited to building plans, operating manuals and
special instructions/information.
(e)
The Township may implement rules and regulations for
the use of the lock box system.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Section 1420.99 for general
Code penalty if no specific penalty is provided.
