[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of North Branford 8-19-1986
as Ord. No. 155, effective 9-19-1986.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide uniform standards of control
and regulations for the installation, use and maintenance of burglar, holdup,
medical and/or fire alarm systems within the Town of North Branford; to provide
penalties for noncompliance; and to encourage the installation of protective
alarm systems in all dwellings and commercial structures.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
An assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the presence
of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which Police or Fire Department
personnel are expected to respond. This includes all burglar alarms, fire
alarms, holdup and medical alarms and automatic dialer alarms.
Any person or company on whose premises any alarm system is maintained
within the Town of North Branford.
An alarm system which automatically sends, over regular telephone
lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message or coded
signal indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm
system is designed to detect. No automatic-type dialer may be installed on
any alarm system after the effective date of this chapter unless equipped
with a device which shall limit the duration of such prerecorded voice message
or coded signal to not more than five (5) minutes.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction,
improper installation or the negligence of the owner or lessee of an alarm
system or of his employees or agents. Such terminology does not include, for
example, alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods or other
normally infrequent violent conditions or acts of God. Excluded from this
chapter are false alarms that are transmitted with criminal, malicious or
mischievous intent. Such violations will be prosecuted under the applicable
General Statutes of the State of Connecticut.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation installing an alarm system
within the Town of North Branford shall register with the Town of North Branford
at least ten (10) days prior to the anticipated installation. All existing
alarm systems shall be registered with the Town of North Branford within sixty
(60) days of the effective date of this chapter.
B.
To the extent permitted by law, the information furnished
and secured pursuant to this chapter shall be confidential in character and
shall not be subject to public disclosure or inspection and shall be kept
so that the contents thereby shall not be known except to persons charged
in the administration of this chapter.
A.
No alarm system shall be installed by other than a licensed
person or other person meeting the requirements set forth in the Building
and Electrical Codes of the State of Connecticut. No alarm system shall be
installed unless an electrical permit to install an alarm system has been
obtained from the Town Building Official or his designated representative
as is required by the Building and Electrical Codes of the State of Connecticut.
B.
No person, firm or corporation shall install an automatic
telephone dialing device within the Town of North Branford terminating at
the North Branford Police Department after the effective date of this chapter
unless equipped with a device which shall limit the duration of such prerecorded
voice message or coded signal to not more than five (5) minutes.
Any nonconforming automatic-type dialer in use as of the effective date of this chapter may remain in use for more than six (6) months or until sale of the property or until such alarm system device is rendered in conformity with § 108-4B hereof, whichever occurs first.
All alarm systems, as defined in this chapter, which sound an audible
signal which may be heard outside of the protected premises shall be equipped
with a device which shall limit the duration of such audible signal to not
more than thirty (30) minutes in accordance with Sections 22a-67 and 22a-69
of the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut.
The Chief of Police may revoke the privilege of having equipment and
indicators in the communication center of North Branford Police Headquarters
if the owner or lessee and/or alarm equipment supplier fail to comply with
any requirements of this chapter where the alarm system actuates excessive
false alarms and thereby constitutes a public nuisance.
The North Branford Police Department may require removal of the equipment
within seven (7) days from receipt of written notice, exclusive of Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays, at the expense of such owner or lessee and/or alarm
equipment suppliers. Failure to remove said equipment and indicators as specified
shall result in the town doing so at the expense of the person(s) so notified.
A.
Each alarm user shall register his or her alarm system(s) with the Town of North Branford as required in § 108-3 of this chapter.
B.
Registration of alarm systems shall be accomplished by
filling out a form provided by the Town of North Branford.
C.
The fee for registration shall be five dollars ($5.)
for a residence and twenty dollars ($20.) for a commercial establishment and
shall be a one-time charge. Any town-owned buildings shall be exempt from
the registration fee.
A.
A maximum of three (3) false alarms per calendar year
shall be allowed from any alarm system of any person, firm or corporation.
Upon receipt of the second false alarm, the alarm user shall be notified,
in writing, by the Chief of Police or his designated representative that the
alarm user's systems should be inspected and repaired if necessary.
B.
Upon receipt of a fourth false alarm and for each false
alarm thereafter during the calendar year, a user fee shall be assessed by
the Town of North Branford in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.).
C.
Alarms originating from any building owned or operated
by the Town of North Branford shall be exempt from the user fee requirement.
In determining whether an alarm is a false alarm, all circumstances
shall be considered. Setting off an alarm may cause a person who was attempting
a break-in to flee. In investigating whether an alarm is false, a careful
check will be made for signs of break-in attempts.
