[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Haledon 5-9-1990 by Ord. No. 4-11-90A (Ch. 60 of the 1984
Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish
regulations concerning the operation and maintenance of certain alarm
devices and systems within the Borough of Haledon and to provide penalties
for the violation of any of the provisions hereof.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The control panel or panels located in police headquarters
for the purpose of receiving alarm signals and for giving alarm indications
and locations.
Any type of alarm-activating equipment which provides warning
of the intrusion fire, smoke, burglary, flood, or like peril, including
a direct alarm, dial alarm, photo alarm, flashing light, alarm bell
or smoke alarm. For the purpose of this chapter, the term alarm device
shall not include private residences with self-contained smoke detectors
with an indoor audible alarm signal.
[Amended 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 1-15-92]
The installation in one or more buildings of one or more
alarm devices.
That type of alarm device which employs an automatic dialing
system which is precoded and connected to a telephone line in police
headquarters.
An alarm device which has a direct line to an alarm console.
The activation of an alarm where an emergency does not exist,
or an alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence or an unintentional
or intentional act of someone other than an intruder, and shall include
alarms caused by malfunctioning of the alarm, device alarm system
or its related equipment. The term false alarm shall not include alarms
created by malfunctioning of the Police Department alarm console or
other Police Department equipment, or activations caused by public
utility interruptions where such interruptions have been reported
to the police or activations caused by a natural disaster or activations
caused by testing or repair of any alarm system or device, provided
that the Police Department has been notified prior to the commencement
of such tests or repairs, or an activation which is followed by a
telephone call within a minute and a half to the Police Department
from the owner or operator of the device notifying the Police Department
that the alarm signal is to be disregarded.
Any device that, when activated, causes a light to operate
in a flashing, occulting or other interrupted method.
[Added 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 1-15-92]
Any alarm device, other than a direct alarm or dial alarm
which, when activated, produces an external emergency signal.
Any natural person, partnership or corporation, limited partnership,
association, business, club or organization.
Any device designed to detect the presence of smoke and cause
an audible signal and activate a direct line to an alarm console.
[Added 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 1-15-92]
Any person that owns, operates, maintains or
has on his property any alarm device within the Borough of Haledon
shall notify the Police Department in writing and on registration
forms available at the police headquarters. Such notice shall state
the name, address and telephone number of the owner or operator of
the alarm device, the location of the device and the name, address
and telephone number of at least two persons who can be reached in
case of an emergency or malfunction in order that the device can be
shut off or temporarily disconnected.
[Added 2-12-1992 by Ord. No. 1-15-92]
A.Â
Dwellings with three families or more. All dwellings
with three or more families residing therein shall be required to
have installed smoke alarms that will activate a flashing light and
alarm bell affixed to the outside of the building that is activated
in the event of a fire.
B.Â
Stores. All stores that presently require, and that
may be required to have in the future, smoke alarm systems shall be
required to have a flashing light and alarm bell affixed to the outside
of the premises that is activated by the smoke alarm.
Any connection of direct alarms to the police
alarm console shall be of a type inspected and approved by the contractor
servicing the police alarm console at the time of the installation
of the direct alarm device. It shall be the responsibility of the
person causing the direct alarm device to be installed to make arrangements
with the approved contractor for the payment of all connection fees
and maintenance charges. The Borough of Haledon shall not be charged
for the alarm console connection fees or maintenance charges. A schedule
of connection fees and maintenance charges shall be maintained at
the Haledon police headquarters.
All dial alarms shall conform to the following
regulations:
A.Â
Dial alarms shall be coded to select a special number
or the general police emergency number assigned by the Police Department.
No such device shall dial any other telephone number on the police
switchboard.
B.Â
Prerecorded messages shall be approved by the Chief
of Police or his designee, as to content, clarity, length and the
number of the times the message is to be repeated.
C.Â
The device shall be provided with an automatic line
seizure feature in the event that the assigned telephone line is busy
with another call.
D.Â
All such devices shall be capable of being disconnected
by the owner to permit a call to the police switchboard in the event
of a false alarm.
E.Â
All components of such equipment shall be maintained
by the owner or operator in good repair.
F.Â
In addition to the registration requirements of this
chapter, the owner or operator of a dial alarm device shall pay an
annual fee to the Borough of Haledon in the amount of $25 to offset
the cost of the special telephone line or lines required by dial alarm
devices. Such annual fee shall be payable on the first day of February
for each calendar year. Fees for the installation of a dial alarm
device during the calendar year shall be prorated as such: installation
between January and April, full payment; between May and August, $16.50
and between September and December, $8.25.
G.Â
In the event that a person who owns or operates a
dial alarm device fails to comply with this section, the Chief of
Police or his designee shall issue a written notice to such person
stating the reasons why such device does not comply with this section
and demanding compliance with this section. Failure of such person
to comply with the notice and demand within 10 days of the mailing
of such written notice shall be deemed a violation of this chapter.
Noncompliance for each day after such ten-day period shall be considered
a separate violation of this chapter.
All external audible alarms shall be registered
with the Police Department in accordance with this chapter and shall
be equipped with a timing device that will automatically silence the
external audible alarm signal within 30 minutes after it is activated.
[Amended 3-20-2008 by Ord. No. 2-21-2008]
The Police Department shall cause a record to
be made of all false burglar and general alarms that occur in the
Borough. The Fire Department shall cause a record to be made of all
false fire alarms that occur in the Borough. The owner or operator
of any alarm device within the Borough shall be subject to the following
penalties for false alarms that occur during any calendar year. False
alarms shall be counted and penalties shall be imposed separately
by the Police and Fire Departments.
A.Â
For the first and second false alarm, a written warning
shall be issued to the owner or operator.
B.Â
For the third and fourth false alarms, there shall
be imposed a fine of $25 for each false alarm.
C.Â
For the fifth and sixth false alarms, there shall
be imposed a fine of $50 for each such false alarm.
D.Â
For the seventh and eighth false alarms, there shall
be imposed a fine of $75 for each such false alarm.
E.Â
For the ninth and subsequent false alarms, there shall
be imposed a fine of $100 for each such false alarm.
F.Â
In, addition, in the case of false alarms, the Police
and/or Fire Department shall conduct an investigation as to the reasons
for such continued false alarms, and, upon a finding by the Police
and/or Fire Department that there has been abuse or neglect in the
operation or maintenance of any such alarm device and a failure to
take reasonable action to remedy the cause of such false alarms, the
Chief of Police or Fire Chief or his designee may require that such
alarm device be disconnected, to the extent permitted by law, either
temporarily or permanently.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original § 60-8,
Applicability to existing systems, which immediately followed this
section, was deleted 12-27-2007 by Ord. No. 11-29-2007.
This chapter shall be enforceable in the Municipal
Court of the Borough of Haledon. Any person who is guilty of violating
any provision of this chapter, other than a provision for which a
specific penalty is indicated, shall be subject to a fine of not more
than $1,000.
