This chapter shall be known as the "Emergency
Access Systems Local Law of the Town of Clifton Park."
The Town of Clifton Park has recognized the
importance of providing the Town's emergency services personnel rapid
entry into locked buildings in the case of an emergency. An emergency
access systems local law provides for the placement, in secured locked
containers, of keys to important areas within a structure and information
that may be vital and necessary to the health, safety, and welfare
of the occupants and responding emergency crews. The delay in gaining
entry can result in substantial property damage, delays in providing
lifesaving or other medical procedures, and increased danger for emergency
services personnel and the building occupants. To assist the emergency
service providers in gaining rapid entry, the Town of Clifton Park
adopts an emergency access systems local law.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTOMATIC FIRE-SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
A system or assembly of piping, valves, controls and sprinklers
which are designed and installed to comply with the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) standards, which utilize water, foam,
carbon dioxide or other gas to automatically react to and suppress
fire.
EMERGENCY ALARM
Any device designed to alert police, fire or emergency medical
personnel to an emergency condition requiring attention and to which
police, fire or emergency medical service units are expected to respond.
This definition shall include alarms that terminate at an answering
service, as well as those that emit an audible or visible signal.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal from an emergency alarm or notification by
an emergency alarm answering service which calls for an emergency
response from the Town of Clifton Park Building Department, Fire Services
or Emergency Medical Services where an emergency situation does not
in fact exist. The term "false alarm" shall not include an alarm signal
caused by testing or repairing of telephone or electrical lines or
equipment outside of the premises, providing the responding agencies
have been properly notified, an attempted illegal entry of which there
is visible evidence, violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary
circumstances not reasonably subject to control by the alarm user
or alarm supplier.
KEY BOX
A high-security key vault of UL type approved by the Town
of Clifton Park Bureau of Fire Prevention, master keyed with a Medeco
Biaxial Level 7 or equivalent lock. Locks shall be keyed to the key
configuration provided by the Town of Clifton Park. Such vaults shall
have weatherproof gaskets, shall have a covered lock opening and shall
be highly resistant to drilling or vandalism.
KEY BOX DOCUMENT VAULT
A high-security steel plate vault, a minimum of 14 inches
high by 12 inches wide by two inches deep, constructed to the same
standards as the lock box, for the storage of documents.
SUPRA MAX KEY BOX
The Supra Max lock box system is a high-security key vault
system, type approved by the Clifton Park Bureau of Fire Prevention
to provide secure access to residences within multiple-dwelling residential
structures. Lock box system can enable timely emergency access to
residential dwellings in cases where apartments, condominiums and
other multifamily residential units utilize securitized common access
areas.
[Added 2-13-2023 by L.L. No. 1-2023]
This chapter shall apply as follows:
A. All buildings located within the Town of Clifton Park
having an automatic fire alarm system or a fire sprinkler system shall
be equipped with a key box or key box document vault.
B. Any building having three or more false alarms within
a six-month period shall be equipped with a key box or key box document
vault.
One- and two-family dwellings and buildings
having a twenty-four hour, seven-day-per-week guard system shall be
specifically exempted from the requirements for a key box.
[Added 2-13-2023 by L.L. No. 1-2023]
Effective June 30, 2023, each multiple-dwelling residential
structure shall install a Supra Max lock box system, as approved by
the Bureau of Fire Prevention, to provide emergency medical services
with twenty-four-hour access to the common areas of each residential
structure to provide timely access to residential units within each
building, unless staffed on a twenty-four-hour, seven-day-per-week
basis for entry.
It shall be unlawful for any person to tamper,
meddle, deface, vandalize or interfere in any way with an emergency
access system.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention and the Town of
Clifton Park Building Department shall administer the provisions of
this chapter. The Bureau of Fire Prevention and the Town of Clifton
Park Building Department shall enforce the provisions.