In this chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have
the following meanings:
ALARM ADMINISTRATOR
A person or persons designated by the Chief of Police to
administer the provisions of this chapter.
ALARM DISPATCH REQUEST
A notification to the Police Department/Fire Department or
other municipal agency that an alarm, either manual or automatic,
has been activated at a particular alarm site.
ALARM INSTALLATION COMPANY
A person in the business of selling, providing, maintaining,
servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing an
alarm system in an alarm site. This definition shall also include
individuals or firms that install and service the alarm systems that
will be used in their private or proprietary facilities. This does
not include persons doing installation or repair work where such work
is performed without compensation of any kind (i.e., do-it-yourselfers).
ALARM REGISTRATION
Authorization granted by the alarm administrator to an alarm
user to operate an alarm system. For purposes of this chapter, an
alarm is considered registered when either the Police Department or
Building Department (as part of the CCO requirements) has received
a copy of the Fair Lawn Police Department's alarm registration. This
form is to be used for the initial registration and any updates as
they occur. An alarm will be considered not registered if the registration
contact form is not up-to-date and on file with the Borough.
ALARM SITE
A location served by one or more alarm systems. In a multiunit
building or complex, each unit shall be considered a separate alarm
site if served by a separate alarm system. In a single-unit building
that houses two or more separate businesses with separate alarm systems,
each business will be considered a separate alarm site.
ALARM SYSTEM
A device or series of devices which emit or transmit an audible
or remote visual or electronic alarm signal, which is intended to
summon Police/Fire/or other municipal agency response. The term includes
hardwired systems and systems interconnected with a radio frequency
method such as cellular or private radio signals, and includes local
alarm systems, but does not include an alarm installed in a motor
vehicle, on one's person or a system which will not emit a signal
either audible or visible from the outside of the building, residence
or beyond, but is designed solely to alert the occupants of a building
or residence.
ALARM USER
Any person who has contracted for monitoring, repair, installation
or maintenance service for an alarm system from an alarm installation
company or monitoring company, or who owns or operates an alarm system
which is not monitored, maintained or repaired under agreement.
AUTOMATIC VOICE DIALER or DIGITAL ALARM
Any electronic, mechanical, or other device which, when activated,
is capable of being programmed to send a prerecorded voice or alarm
message to the Police Department/Fire and other municipal agencies
requesting a Police/Fire/EMS dispatch to an alarm site.
BURGLAR ALARM
An alarm intended to identify the presence of an intruder
in either a business or residence.
CANCELLATION
The termination of a Police/Fire/EMS response to an alarm
site after dispatch request is made but before an officer/firefighter/EMS
has arrived at the alarm site.
CONVERSION OF ALARM USER
The transaction or process by which one alarm installation
company or monitoring company begins the servicing or monitoring of
a previously unmonitored alarm system or an alarm system that was
previously serviced or monitored by another alarm company.
EMS
The Fair Lawn Ambulance Corps.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm dispatch request to the Police/Fire/EMS Department,
which results in the responding officer/firefighter finding no evidence
of a criminal offense, attempted criminal offense, water, fire, or
smoke condition after completing an investigation of the alarm site.
HOLDUP ALARM
A silent alarm signal generated by the manual activation
of a device intended to signal a robbery in progress or immediately
after it has occurred.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM
An unmonitored alarm system that annunciates an alarm only
at the alarm site.
MONITORING
The process by which a monitoring company receives signals
from an alarm system and relays an alarm dispatch request to the Police/Fire
Department.
PANIC ALARM
An alarm system signal generated by the manual activation
of a device intended to signal a life-threatening or emergency situation
requiring an officer's response.
PERSON
An individual, corporation, partnership, association, organization
or similar entity.
RESPONSIBLE PARTY
A person capable of appearing at the alarm site upon request
who has access to the alarm site, the code to the alarm system and
the authority to approve repairs to the alarm system.
SIA CONTROL PANEL STANDARD CP-01
The ANSI (American National Standard Institute)-approved
Security Industry Association (SIA) CP-01 Control Panel Standard,
as may be updated from time to time, that details recommended design
features for security system control panels and their associated arming
and disarming devices to reduce the incidence of false alarms. Control
panels built and tested to this standard by Underwriters Laboratory
(UL), or other nationally recognized testing organizations, will be
marked to state: "Design evaluated in accordance with SIA CP-01 Control
Panel Standard Features for false alarm reduction."
SUSPENSION OF RESPONSE
The termination of Police response only to alarms at a specified
alarm site as a result of false alarms or other violation of the Alarm
Ordinance. This will not apply to fire or ems alarm activations.
TAKEOVER
The transaction or process by which an alarm user takes over
control of an existing alarm system, which was previously controlled
by another alarm user.
UNREGISTERED ALARM SITE
A site that has not complied with the registration requirements
as defined in the Alarm Ordinance.
An alarm registration shall expire one year from the date of
issuance, and must be renewed annually by submitting an updated application
to the alarm administrator. It is the responsibility of the alarm
user to submit an application prior to the permit expiration date.
Failure to renew will be classified as use of a nonregistered alarm
system, and penalties shall be assessed without waiver.
In the interest of public safety, all information contained
in and gathered through the alarm permit applications, records relating
to alarm dispatch requests, and applications for appeals shall be
held in confidence by all employees or representatives of the Borough
and by any third-party administrator or employees of a third-party
administrator with access to such information.
Alarm registration is not intended to, nor will it, create a
contract, duty or obligation, either expressed or implied, of response.
Any and all liability and consequential damage resulting from the
failure to respond to a notification is hereby disclaimed and governmental
immunity as provided by law is retained. By applying for an alarm
registration, the alarm user acknowledges that the Fair Lawn Police/Fire/EMS
Department response may be influenced by factors such as the availability
of Police/Fire/EMS units, priority of calls, weather conditions, traffic
conditions, emergency conditions, staffing levels, prior response
history and administrative actions.