[HISTORY: Art. I, adopted 10-15-1990 Special Town Meeting, Art. 4; Art.
II, adopted 10-2-1984 Special Town Meeting, Art. II. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
False alarms — See Ch. 171.
[Adopted 10-15-1990 STM, Art. 4]
Any building which has a fire alarm system or other fire protection
system or medical alarm, which transmits an alarm off-premises shall
be required to have the following:
1.
Permit to install or alter system.
2.
Provide a secure key box installed in a location accessible to the
Fire Department in case of emergency. The key box shall contain keys
to the door(s), fire alarm control panel and any other keys necessary
to operate or service fire protection or medical systems. The key
box shall be a type approved by the Chief of the Orleans Fire Department
and shall be located and installed as approved by the Chief.
Any building owner violating this bylaw after receiving due notice by the Fire Department shall be subject to a fine of One Hundred and 00/100 ($100.00) Dollars. All fines may be recovered by noncriminal disposition in accordance with G.L. Chapter 40 Section 21 D. Existing systems will have six (6) months after adoption of this bylaw to bring premises up to code.
[Adopted 10-2-1984 STM, Art. II]
For the purpose of this section the following terms shall have
the following meanings:
(a)
"Alarm System" - An assembly of equipment and devices or a single
device, such as a solid state unit which plugs directly into a 110
AC line, arranged to signal the presence of a hazard or emergency
requiring urgent attention and to which police, emergency medical
personnel or fire fighters are expected to respond. Fire alarm systems
and alarm systems which monitor temperature, smoke, humidity or any
other condition not directly related to the detection of an unauthorized
intrusion into a premises or an attempted break at a premises are
included.
(b)
"False Alarm"
1.
The activation of an alarm system by an Agency other than a bona
fide hazard or emergency of a type which the system is designed to
warn against. For purpose of this definition, activation of alarm
systems by acts of vandals, by acts of God, including, but not limited
to, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and similar weather or atmospheric
disturbances or power failure shall not be deemed to be a false alarm.
2.
Any signal or oral communication transmitted to the Police or Fire
Department requesting, requiring or resulting in a response on the
part of the Police or Fire Department in the absence of any bona fide
hazard or emergency.
(c)
"Users" means the owner and occupant, or his/her agents, of the premises
containing the alarm system, whether residential, commercial or otherwise.
(a)
Every user shall submit to the Police and/or Fire Chief the names
and telephone numbers of at least two (2) other persons who are authorized
to respond to an emergency signal transmitted by an alarm system and
who can open the premises wherein the alarm system is installed.
(b)
All alarm systems except fire alarm systems installed after the effective
date of this bylaw which use an audible horn or bell shall be equipped
with a device that will shut off such horn or bell within ten (1 0)
minutes after activation of the system.
(c)
Any alarms system emitting a continuous and uninterrupted signal for more than fifteen (15) minutes between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. which cannot be shut off or otherwise curtailed due to the absence or unavailability of the alarm user or those persons designated by him under paragraph (a) of this subsection, and which disturbs the peace, comfort or repose of a community, a neighborhood or a considerable number of inhabitants of the area where the alarm system is located, shall constitute a public nuisance and be subject to the penalties described in § 62-5 below. Upon receiving complaints regarding such a continuous and uninterrupted signal, the Police or Fire Chief shall endeavor to contact the alarm user, or members of the alarm user's family or those persons designated by the alarm users under paragraph (a) of this subsection in an effort to abate the nuisance. The Police and/or Fire Chief shall cause to be recorded the names and addresses of all complainants and the time each complaint was made.
(a)
Upon receipt of three (3) or more false alarms from the same system
within a calendar year, the Police or Fire Chief may, in writing,
order:
(1)
The user to discontinue the use of the alarm.
(2)
That any direct connections to the Police or Fire Department be disconnected.
(3)
That any further connection to the communications console in the
Police or Fire Station be contingent upon the user equipping an alarm
system with a device that will shut off any audible horn or bell within
ten (10) minutes after activation of the system.
(b)
The user shall be assessed a fee as established annually, by the
Board of Selectmen, the Police Chief and the Fire Chief,[1] as a false alarm service fee for each false alarm in excess
of three (3) occurring within a calendar year. All fees assessed and
collected hereunder shall be paid to the Town Treasurer for deposit
in the general fund.
(c)
Whoever violates a written order of the Police or Fire Chief as set
forth in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be punished by a fine
not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.) for each offense and each day a
violation continues shall be considered a separate offense and to
act fully thereon. By mutual request of the Police Chief and the Fire
Chief.
