The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the establishment and
maintenance of an efficient, effective and uniform police and fire alarm system
within the Township of Jefferson and to provide standards and regulations
for alarm equipment, devices or systems to be installed or connected with
or to the police panel alarm system at police headquarters in Jefferson, or
otherwise installed or connected so as to elicit a response by the Jefferson
Township Police Department or, through the Police Department, the Fire Department
or other municipal agency.
The provisions of the chapter shall apply to any person who installs,
connects, operates, maintains, services or owns any alarm equipment, device
or system, including local and central station alarms, designed to summons
the Police Department or, through the Police Department, the Fire Department
or other municipal agency to any location within the Township of Jefferson
in response to any type of call, signal, alarm or preprogrammed, prerecorded
message.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
CENTRAL STATION ALARM
Any type of equipment, device or system which is connected to a private
alarm company monitoring station which monitors alarm activations at their
subscriber locations. Upon alarm activation, and in the event that no person
can be reached at the location or the person reached fails to properly respond
with the correct code word or number, such company will contact the police
to respond to the location.
DIGITAL DIALER SYSTEM
Any type of equipment, device or system using telephone wires to
activate an audible alarm at the police communication desk and provide both
an information readout and a printout.
FALSE ALARM
Any activation of an alarm system, whether intentional or unintentional,
by failure, malfunction, accidental tripping, misoperation, misuse, inadvertence
or negligence by the subscribers, their employees or agents.
INSTALLER'S LICENSE
The license issued by the Chief of Police of Jefferson Township permitting
a person to engage in, manage, conduct or carry on the business of installing,
leasing, connecting, maintaining, servicing, repairing, arranging, adjusting,
replacing, moving and programming, in any building, place or premises in the
Township of Jefferson, any alarm, equipment or device designed to summon the
Police Department or, through the Police Department, the Fire Department or
other municipal agency.
LOCAL ALARM
Any type of equipment, device or system which, when actuated, produces
a signal or alarm not connected to the police panel alarm system such as a
store, burglar or intrusion alarm actuating a bell, horn or other sounding
device, for the purpose of summoning the Police Department or, through the
Police Department, the Fire Department or other municipal agency to the location
thereof and in response thereto.
PERSON
Includes any natural person, partnership, firm, corporation or association.
POLICE PANEL ALARM SYSTEM
That system giving a visual or audio response, or both, on the control
panel of the police console located within the confines of the Police Department
of the Township of Jefferson, monitored by the Police Department and which
includes the subscriber modules, the control modules, the control cabinets,
the energy pack and all necessary and accessory equipment, wires and connections
therein and thereto.
TAPE DIAL ALARM
Any type of equipment, device or system, preprogrammed or automatic,
using telephone wires to transmit any alarm, message, signal or report directly
through or to the Police Department switchboard for the purpose of summoning
the Police Department or other municipal agency to any location within the
Township of Jefferson in response thereto.
No permit shall be granted except upon the following terms and conditions:
A. Applicant shall furnish and complete all information
required relating to the application and the alarm, equipment, device or system
to be installed or connected and data relating to prevention of false alarms
and testing procedures.
B. No person other than applicant and his agent and employees
shall exercise the privileges under the permit.
C. Applicant shall maintain his equipment in good condition
and repair.
D. No permit shall be transferred or assigned in any manner.
E. The permit is accepted upon the express condition the
permittee shall indemnify and hold the Township of Jefferson harmless from
and on account of any and all damages arising out of the activities of the
permittee or its alarm contractor.
F. Each separate building, store, premises, place or location
shall require a separate permit and a separate installation or connection
to the police panel alarm system.
G. The applicant or permittee upon acceptance of such permit,
thereby agrees to hold and save harmless the Township of Jefferson, its agents
or employees from any liability whatsoever in connection with any such alarm,
equipment, device or system or the operation and maintenance of the same which
shall be the sole responsibility of the person having had the same installed
or connected.
All local and central station devices, alarms, equipment or systems
shall be registered with the Chief of Police, and all information required
with respect to such registration shall be provided and information kept current
by the registrant. All residents and business owners with existing local and
central station devices, alarms, equipment or systems shall have one year
from the adoption of this chapter to register said alarm system.
Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter may be suspended
or revoked by the Chief of Police or Township Fire Marshal for any violations
of or failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any rule or
regulation promulgated by the Chief of Police and approved by the Township
Council pursuant to this chapter, including the following:
A. The permittee, his agent or employee willfully failed
to and did not comply with a request by a member of the Police Department
to proceed immediately to the location of permittee's alarm and render necessary
services.
B. The permittee, his agents or employees knowingly installed
or maintained a faulty system alarm device. An inordinate number of false
alarms shall be prima facie evidence that such alarm device is knowingly a
faulty device.
C. The permittee has breached the terms and conditions of
the permit. No permit shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee
30 days' notice in writing of such action and an opportunity to show cause
before the Chief of Police why such action should not be taken. Any person
aggrieved by the action or determination of the Chief of Police in the denial
of a permit or in the suspension or revocation of any permit provided for
in this chapter may appeal to the Township Council of the Township of Jefferson.
No permit shall be issued for the installation, connection, operation,
maintenance, service or ownership of any tape dial alarm, equipment or device.
Any unauthorized equipment may be disconnected by the Chief of Police or his
designated representative for noncompliance with this section. Any person
installing or maintaining unauthorized equipment shall be prosecuted for violation
of this section, and each day the equipment is in operation shall be considered
separate violation.
All alarm systems utilizing an outside audible/signaling device shall
not be active for more than 15 minutes in duration. All such alarms shall
have an automatic silencing device that shall deactivate any outside audible/signaling
device. Any such system that does not have aforesaid silencing device shall
be deemed in violation of this chapter.
For the equipment, device and systems installed or connected within
the Township of Jefferson, the permittee shall pay whatever charges are required
by any alarm company making such installation and, in addition thereto, the
permit fee hereinbefore provided.
Any unauthorized equipment may be ordered disconnected by the Chief
of Police or his designated representative for noncompliance with this chapter,
and any person installing or maintaining unauthorized equipment shall be prosecuted
for violation of this chapter, and each and every day said equipment is in
operation shall be considered a separate violation. Any permittee shall, by
acceptance of the permit, be deemed to have consented to inspection of the
premises on which said alarm devices are installed at reasonable hours by
the Chief of Police or his designated representative.
Any person, firm or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court
of the Township of Jefferson for violation of the terms of this chapter shall
be subject to a fine of not more that $500 or imprisonment for a period not
exceeding 90 days, or both.
Members of the Police Department, Fire Chief or Township Fire Marshal
and their designees shall be empowered to enforce and/or issue summons or
warnings to enforce this chapter.