[Ord. 1987-7, 6/15/1987]
This Part shall be known as the "Emergency Alarm Control Ordinance of Doylestown Borough".
[Ord. 1987-7, 6/15/1987]
The purpose of this Part is to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Borough of Doylestown by discouraging false alarms reported to the Police Department, fire companies, and similar emergency services; and by controlling and regulating automatic alarm systems and installations thereof.
[Ord. 1987-7, 6/15/1987]
ALARM BUSINESS — Any business operated by a person, partnership, corporation, or other business entity for profit which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, monitoring or responding to burglary, holdup, fire, medical emergency, or similar emergency, alarm systems, or which causes these activities to take place.
AUTOMATIC ALARM DEVICE (HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS "AADs") Any electronic or mechanical device which upon receipt or detection of a stimulus or signal characteristic of a fire, intrusion, or other emergency situation, automatically transmits a prerecorded voice or other alarm signal over telephone lines by direct or indirect connection; or which causes a visual or audible signal to be generated which can be detected from outside the premises in which it is installed and which is intended to result in the summoning of an Emergency Service Agency. Indirect connection includes answering services and all other persons monitoring and relaying information to an Emergency Service Agency
EMERGENCY SERVICE AGENCY The Central Bucks Regional Police Department, volunteer fire companies operating within Doylestown Borough, rescue squads, ambulance companies, and any other similar service or agency.
[Amended by Ord. 2013-15, 12/16/2013]
FALSE ALARM Any signal activated by an AAD, or any other kind of direct or indirect signal given or caused to be given to an Emergency Service Agency to which Emergency Service Agency personnel respond and which is not the result of a burglary, fire, injury, robbery, or similar emergency. For the purpose of this part, any alarm transmitted or activated by an AAD without physical sign of entry, fire, or other emergency shall be considered a false alarm.
USER Any resident, person, corporation, partnership, institution, company, or other entity which has installed an AAD designed or intended to alert an Emergency Service Agency and to elicit their response.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Part, a grace period of 30 days shall be permitted for any new installation of an AAD, provided that a permit for such AAD has been obtained as set forth in this Part. During the 30 day grace period, which shall begin on the day that the installation is completed, no false alarms will be considered for purposes of determining fees for false alarms as set forth in § 505.
[Ord. 1987-7, 6/15/1987; as amended by Ord. 2013-15, 12/16/2013]
Failure of any person, corporation, partnership, business, institution, or other entity to comply with the provisions of this Part or any section thereof shall constitute an offense punishable by a fine of not more than $300, payable to the Central Bucks Regional Police Department, or 30 days' imprisonment, or both. Failure to pay a false alarm fee within the prescribed time limits shall result in a penalty in addition to the amount of the fee assessed.
[Ord. 1987-7, 6/15/1987]
It is declared to be the intention of Doylestown Borough that if a Court of competent jurisdiction declares any provision of this part to be invalid or ineffective in whole or in part, the effect of such a decision shall be limited to those provisions which are expressly stated to be invalid or ineffective, and all other provisions of this part shall continue to be separated and fully effective.