Borough of Girard, PA Chapter 108 Alarms and Alarm Systems

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Girard as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Police Department — See Ch. 54.

Fire prevention and fire protection — See Ch. 199.

Article I False Alarms

[Adopted 11-20-1995 by Ord. No. 649 (Ch. XV, Part 6, of the 1974 Code of Ordinances)]

§ 108-1 Service charge.

If any individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or concern causes more than two false alarms to occur during a twelve-month period, then a service charge of $40 per occurrence shall be levied against the owner of said system for each and every false burglar or fire alarm occurring more than two times during the twelve-month period.

§ 108-2 Notification.

Each individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or concern will be notified in writing after the first reported false burglar or fire alarm occurrence.

§ 108-3 Definitions.

For the purpose of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

YEAR or CURRENT YEAR

The twelve-month period commencing January 1 and ending December 31.

§ 108-4 Failure to pay service charge; violations and penalties.

A. Any individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or concern who or which fails to pay said sum within 30 days following notification of the third and subsequent false alarms will be cited by the Girard Borough Police Department, and alarm connection service with the municipality may be suspended until such time as the aforesaid service charge is remitted to the Borough of Girard.

B. Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Borough before a Magisterial District Judge, pay a fine of not more than $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Borough in the enforcement of this article. No judgment shall be imposed until the date of the determination of the violation by the Magisterial District Judge. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Borough may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the Borough are hereby authorized to seek equitable relief, including injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).

§ 108-5 Purpose.

The purpose of this article is to prevent an unnecessary response by the Fire Department or the Police Department resulting from an alarm received but which has been caused either by a defect in the fire alarm system or the burglar alarm system or by the accidental or careless use or misuse of such systems.