[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Barre 6-22-2009 ATM, Art. 18. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noncriminal disposition of violations — See Ch. 67.
A. 
This chapter shall be known as the "Alarm System Bylaw" and shall regulate alarms which cause a message to be transmitted to the Police or Fire Departments.
B. 
The purpose of this chapter is to encourage alarm users to maintain the operational reliability of their alarm systems, to reduce or eliminate false alarm dispatch requests, to establish a system of regulations and fees with respect to alarm systems, and to provide for penalties for violations of this chapter.
No alarm user shall operate, or cause to be operated, an alarm system without a valid permit issued in accordance with this chapter. A separate permit is required for each alarm site. There will be a one-time fee of $25 for a permit of an alarm site.
A. 
The alarm user shall maintain the alarm site and alarm system in a manner that will minimize or eliminate false alarm dispatches.
B. 
The alarm user shall make every reasonable effort to respond or cause a representative to respond within one-half hour, when notified, to deactivate a malfunctioning alarm system or to provide access to the alarm site.
C. 
The alarm user shall adjust the mechanism or cause the mechanism to be adjusted so that an alarm signal audible on the exterior of an alarm site will sound for no longer than 15 minutes after being activated.
D. 
The alarm business performing monitoring services shall attempt to verify every alarm signal, except a duress or hold-up alarm activation, before requesting a police response to an alarm signal.
E. 
An alarm system does not include an alarm installed in a vehicle or an alarm designed to alert only the inhabitants of a premises that does not have a sound device which can be heard on the exterior of the alarm site.
F. 
Automatic dialers to the Police or Fire Departments are prohibited.
G. 
The Police or Fire Departments shall not serve as alarm monitors.
A. 
Effective July 1, 2009, an alarm user shall be subject to warnings and fines depending on the number of false alarm dispatches emitted from an alarm system within the fiscal year, based on the following schedule:
Number of False Alarm Dispatches
Action Taken
Fine
1
Warning
None
2
Warning
None
3
3rd offense
$50
4
4th offense
$75
5
5th and subsequent
$100
B. 
Any persons operating an alarm system without a permit issued in accordance with this chapter shall be subject to an additional fine of $100 for each false alarm dispatch.
C. 
An alarm dispatch request caused by a criminal offense, a fire or other emergency, or an alarm resulting solely from power outages or extreme weather conditions shall not be counted as a false alarm dispatch.
D. 
All fines and fees resulting from the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter shall be collected in the form of a personal check, money order or registered check, made payable to the Town of Barre and forwarded to the Police Department.
E. 
State and municipal entities and nonprofit organizations shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.
F. 
All fines shall be paid within 21 days of receipt of a noncriminal violation notice.
A. 
Except as otherwise required by law, the information furnished and secured pursuant to this chapter shall be confidential in character and shall not be subject to public inspection.
B. 
The alarm user may appeal the decision of the alarm administrator to the Town Administrator or designee by filing a written request for a review within 10 days after receipt of a noncriminal violation notice. The Town Administrator or designee shall conduct a hearing and render a written decision within 30 days. The decision of the Town Administrator or designee shall be final.
C. 
The Chief of Police shall serve as the alarm administrator to: administer, control and review alarm applications, permits, and alarm dispatch requests, develop a procedure to accept verified cancellation of alarm dispatch requests, promulgate such regulations as may be necessary or required to implement this chapter.