[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Meriden 7-6-1998. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide uniform
minimum standards and regulations applicable to the users of burglar,
fire, holdup, and automatic telephone dialer alarms and any other
alarm or emergency signaling device within the City of Meriden which
results in the dispatch and/or response of municipal emergency vehicles
and/or personnel and to promote the responsible use of alarm systems
in the City of Meriden.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any component incorporated into an alarm system.
An assembly of equipment and devices, or a single device,
arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention
and to which the Police Department and/or the Fire Department personnel
are expected to respond. Specifically excluded from this definition
are smoke or other battery-operated detectors which do not signal
outside the alarmed premises and alarm systems installed in motor
vehicles.
Any person, firm or corporation on whose premises an alarm
system is maintained.
An alarm system which automatically sends a prerecorded voice
message or coded signal over the telephone line which indicates the
existence of the emergency situation the alarm system is designed
to detect.
The activation of an alarm system to which the Police Department
and/or the Fire Department responds and which is not caused by a criminal
act, fire or other emergency, but does not mean the activation of
an alarm caused by circumstances which are attributed to acts of God.
A.
All existing alarm systems shall be registered with
the Meriden Police Department within 60 days of the effective date
of this chapter.
B.
Any person, firm or corporation installing an alarm
system shall register it with the Meriden Police Department at least
10 days prior to its anticipated activation.
A.
Automatic telephone dialing alarms.
(1)
No person, firm or corporation shall install an automatic
telephone dialing alarm which terminates at the Meriden Police Department
and/or Meriden Fire Department, except as hereafter provided.
(2)
Automatic telephone dialing alarms which exist on
the effective date of this chapter which terminate at the Meriden
Police Department and/or the Meriden Fire Department shall be disconnected
within 60 days from the effective date of this chapter, except as
hereafter provided.
(3)
The Meriden Police Department and/or the Meriden Fire
Department may, at its discretion, provide a telephone number to which
an automatic telephone dialing alarm may be programmed. The cost of
providing the telephone number shall be paid by the users of the automatic
telephone dialing alarm.
B.
No alarm system shall be installed which produces
an audible signal which operates for a period greater than 30 minutes.
C.
Any person, firm or corporation using the type of
alarm system known as a "holdup alarm" shall comply with any special
procedures set forth by the Police Chief or his designee.
D.
False alarms.
(1)
No fines, penalties or other charges shall be imposed
on any alarm user for the first four false alarms within any one calendar
year, but for each false alarm thereafter a fine, penalty or other
charge shall be imposed in accordance with this chapter.
(2)
Each separate premises of an alarm user, determined
by a different street address and a different deed and/or title, shall
be entitled to the same exemption of four false alarms within any
one calendar year.
(3)
An alarm user may be notified via first-class mail
after three false alarms during any one calendar year so that corrective
steps may be taken to eliminate the false alarm signals.
A.
An alarm user shall be fined by the City of Meriden,
the Police Chief or the Fire Chief $25 for a single-family home or
two-family home after four false alarms in one calendar year, for
the fifth false alarm and subsequent false alarms. Each false alarm
after four shall constitute a separate violation of the provisions
of this chapter and shall be fined separately.[1]
B.
An alarm user shall be fined by the City of Meriden,
the Police Chief or the Fire Chief $100 for three-family homes, commercial
users or industrial users after four false alarms in one calendar
year. Each false alarm after four shall constitute a separate violation
of the provisions of this chapter and shall be fined separately.
C.
An alarm user shall be fined $75 for any of the following:
D.
The fines and penalties payable under this chapter
shall be payable within 10 days after receipt of the invoice from
the City of Meriden, Meriden Police Department or Meriden Fire Department.
E.
Any penalty imposed by the provisions of this chapter
may be waived or suspended at the discretion of the issuing authority
if:
F.
The appeal of any decision made by the issuing authority
shall be made to the City Manager within 30 days of such decision.
The decision of the City Manager or his designee shall be final.
This chapter shall not apply to alarm systems
owned or controlled by the City of Meriden, the Meriden Board of Education,
the State of Connecticut, or the United States of America.
