[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead 11-7-2001 by L.L. No.
15-2001 (Ch. 45 of the 1976 Code). Amendments noted
where applicable.]
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards and controls
for the various types of fire, intrusion, holdup and other emergency
signals from fire and police alarm services that require Fire Department
or police responses, investigation or safeguarding of property at
the location of an event reported by a signal which is transmitted
by telephone or radio to the Police or Fire Department from a central
station as hereinafter defined.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall
apply:
Any fire or police alarm device, or aggregation of fire or
police alarm devices, installed on or within a building or buildings
or area adjacently located on a common site at a specific location.
Any facility operated by a private firm that owns or leases
a system of fire or police alarm devices, which facility is manned
by operators who receive, record or validate alarm signals and relay
information about such validated signals to the appropriate Police
or Fire Departments.
Any fire or police alarm device that is a telephone device,
a telephone attachment or other electronic device, which automatically
selects a telephone or transmission line connected to a central alarm
station or Police Department and reproduces a prerecorded message
to report a criminal act or other emergency requiring the Police or
Fire Department.
Any fire or police alarm device connected directly by leased
telephone wires from a specific location to the Police or Fire Department.
Any fire or police alarm device designed to be activated
by a fire, criminal act or other emergency at a specific location
or by a victim of a holdup, robbery or other emergency or criminal
act at a specific location.
Any signal activated by an emergency alarm to which the Fire
or Police Department responds which is not the result of a fire, flame,
smoke, combustible event, holdup, robbery or other crime or emergency.
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
Buildings owned and personnel employed by the fire districts
of Riverhead, Manorville, Jamesport and Wading River and their respective
protection areas.
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
Any device which, when activated by a fire, criminal act
or other emergency requiring Police or Fire Department response, transmits
a prerecorded message or other signal by telephone, radio or other
means to a central alarm station or directly to the Police or Fire
Department or produces an audible or visible signal designed to notify
persons within audible or visible alarm range of the signal.
Any entry into an area or building equipped with one or more
fire and police alarm devices by any person or object whose entry
actuates a fire or police alarm device.
Personnel employed by the Riverhead Police Department and
enclosures housing privately or publicly owned equipment serving the
police.
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011; 4-20-2011 by L.L. No. 13-2011]
A.Â
All commercial, industrial, cooperative (commercial and residential),
condominium (commercial and residential) and apartment property owner(s)
or lessee(s) of property in the Town of Riverhead having on his/her/its
premises a fire or police alarm device, or system of fire or police
alarm devices, shall apply to the Town Police Department for a permit
to own or otherwise operate such device on his/her/its premises. The
applicant for a permit shall provide specifications relating to the
device or system of devices installed or to be installed on the premises.
No such device shall be operated or installed on the premises of the
owner or lessee after the effective date of this chapter without first
obtaining a permit under this chapter. No such device shall be modified
after the effective date of this chapter without first having obtained
an amended permit under this chapter. Such permit shall be valid for
a period of one year from issuance and must be renewed upon expiration.
B.Â
Property owners or lessees shall have 90 days from the effective
date of this chapter to obtain a permit.
Owner or lessee permit fees shall be as follows:
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
It shall be a violation of this chapter to intentionally cause
a false emergency alarm, and any person who does cause an intentional
false emergency alarm shall be subject to the penalty provisions hereof.
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
A.Â
All commercial, industrial, cooperative (commercial and residential),
condominium (commercial and residential) and apartment owner(s) or
lessee(s) of property having a fire or police alarm device or system
of fire or police alarm devices on his/her/its premises on the effective
date of this chapter shall pay to the Town a charge for each and every
false emergency alarm to which the Fire or Police Department responds,
in each calendar year, as follows:
(1)Â
First and second false emergency alarm each calendar year: no charge.
(2)Â
Third false emergency alarm each calendar year: $100 per occurrence.
(3)Â
Fourth false emergency alarm each calendar year: $200 per occurrence.
(4)Â
Fifth and each subsequent false emergency alarm each calendar year:
$300 charge per occurrence.
B.Â
The Police Department shall maintain a record of all false emergency
alarms. The Police Department shall then send an invoice by certified
mail, return receipt requested for applicable false emergency alarm
charges to the alarm permit holder of record. Upon receipt of said
invoice, the alarm permit holder shall remit a payment to the Police
Department for the charges due within 30 days. Any property owner
or lessee of property that incurs a charge for a false emergency alarm
may appeal such determination to the Town Board within 30 days of
service of the invoice for such charge(s) by filing a written request
with the Police Department setting forth the basis for the appeal.
A hearing shall be held by the Town Board or its designee.
C.Â
Hearing. In the event the property owner or lessee timely challenges
such determination, the Town Board, or its designee, shall conduct
a hearing on the merits of the determination.
D.Â
Hearing determination. In the event the Town Board, or its designee,
sustains the determination based upon substantial evidence, or in
the event the property owner or lessee fails to timely appeal the
determination, said charge shall be due and must be paid within 30
days of the written notice of the hearing determination.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Subsection E, Charge distribution,
which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 6-2-2015
by L.L. No. 7-2015.
It shall be the duty of every owner or lessee of property having
an alarm installation, device or system on such premises to maintain
the alarm installation, device or system in good working order and
condition. The owner or lessee shall be responsible for all malfunctions
of the alarm installation, device or system.
[Amended 2-1-2011 by L.L. No. 4-2011]
Any person, firm or corporation who or which does not pay any
charge or fee established in this chapter or who or which violates
any other provision of this chapter shall be subject to a fine not
in excess of $750 for each offense. A separate offense shall be deemed
committed upon each day during which a violation occurs or is committed.
