[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Bridgeport 6-14-1983 by Ord. No. 473, approved 6-14-1983 (Ch.
73 of the 1975 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known and may be cited
as an "Ordinance Regulating Police and Fire Alarm Users."
The purpose of this chapter is to provide minimum
standards and regulations applicable to police and fire alarm systems,
alarm installers and alarm users within the Borough of Bridgeport
as herein defined by this chapter.
A.Â
When not inconsistent with the context, words used
in the present tense include the future tense, words used in the singular
number include the plural number, and words used in the plural number
include the singular number. The word "shall" is always mandatory
and not directory.
B.Â
ALARM EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER
ALARM INSTALLER
ANSWERING SERVICE
AUDIBLE ALARM
AUTOMATIC PROTECTIVE DEVICE
CENTRAL STATION PROTECTIVE SYSTEM
CHIEF OF FIRE DEPARTMENT
CHIEF OF POLICE
DESIGNATED TRUNK LINE
DIRECT TRUNK LINE
FALSE ALARM
FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIRE MARSHAL
INTERMEDIARY
KEY
MISUSE or CONTINUAL ACCIDENTAL ACTIVATION
PERMIT
POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRIMARY TRUNK LINE
SECONDARY TRUNK LINE
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms,
phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings given
herein:
Any person, firm or corporation who sells, leases or installs
automatic protective devices.
Any individual who, or any business which, engages in altering,
installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling or
servicing of emergency police or fire alarm systems (automatic protective
devices).
A telephone answering service providing among its services
the service of receiving on a continuous basis through trained employees
emergency signals from alarm systems and thereafter immediately relaying
the message by live voice to the communications center of the Borough
Police or Fire Department.
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building and emits a warning signal audible
outside the building and which is designed to attract attention when
activated by criminal act or other emergency requiring Police or Fire
Department response.
An electronically operated instrument composed of sensory
apparatus and related hardware which is indirectly connected to the
Police or Fire Department and which, upon receipt of a stimulus from
a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition
inherently characteristic of an intrusion or other emergency, automatically
transmits a prerecorded voice alarm over regular telephone lines.
A protective system, or group of such systems, operated privately
for customers by a person, firm or corporation which maintains, supervises
and accepts recorded messages from automatic protective devices at
a central station having trained operators and guards in attendance
at all times that have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt
of a signal or message, including the relaying of messages by designated
or direct trunk line to the communications center of the Police or
Fire Department.
The Chief of the Bridgeport No. 1 Volunteer Fire Company
or the Good Will Volunteer Fire Company or the person in charge.
The Chief of the Borough of Bridgeport Police Department
or the person in charge.
A telephone line, leading into the communications center
of the Police or Fire Department, that is for the primary purpose
of handling emergency messages which originate from automatic protective
devices and are transmitted directly or indirectly through an intermediary.
A nonlisted, directly connected telephone line, leading from
an intermediary to the communication center of the Police or Fire
Department, that is for the primary purpose of handling emergency
messages on a person-to-person basis.
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 alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes
or other violent conditions.
The Bridgeport No. 1 Volunteer Fire Company or the Good Will
Volunteer Fire Company or any other fire company responding pursuant
to any mutual-aid agreement.
The duly appointed Fire Marshal for the Borough of Bridgeport
or his designated agent.
A central station protective system or answering service
as herein defined.
To use a telephone line an equipment for transmitting a message
either directly or indirectly by an automatic protective device.
The setting off of a false alarm, as hereinbefore defined,
on three or more occurrences.
Written permission, duly granted to an applicant by the Chief
of Police or Fire Marshal upon payment of the required fee.
The Borough of Bridgeport Police Department.
A telephone line, leading into the communications center
of the Police or Fire Department, that is for the purpose of handling
emergency calls and no other calls on a person-to-person basis and
which line is identified by a specific listing among the white pages
in the telephone directory issued by the Bell Telephone Company.
A telephone line, leading into the communications center
of the Police or Fire Department, that is for the purpose of handling
administrative and other calls on a person-to-person basis and which
line is identified by a specific listing among the white pages in
the telephone directory issued by the Bell Telephone Company.
Except as provided in Subsections A and B of
this section, after the enactment of this chapter, users must equip
audible alarms with a timing mechanism that will disengage the audible
alarm after a maximum period of 15 minutes. Audible alarms without
such a timing mechanism shall be unlawful in the Borough and must
be disconnected by the user within 60 days from the effective date
of this chapter. The following shall be excepted from the provisions
of this section:
A.Â
No automatic protective device shall be programmed
to call a primary or secondary trunk line after the effective date
of this chapter.
B.Â
Within 90 days after the effective date of this chapter,
all automatic protective devices programmed to call a primary or secondary
trunk line shall be disconnected. The owner or lessee of such device
shall be responsible for having the device disconnected within the
ninety-day time period.
B.Â
The relaying of messages by intermediate services
to the Police or Fire Department shall be over primary trunk lines.
C.Â
Automatic protective devices may also be interconnected
to one or more telephone numbers available to the owner or lessee
of the device, or his designated representative, at another location.
A.Â
Within 90 days after the effective date of this chapter,
every alarm business which has interconnected any automatic protective
device in the Borough to a telephone line serviced directly by telephone
company operators or an answering service shall maintain a current
list of such installations for inspection by the Police Chief, Fire
Chief or Fire Marshal during the course of his or their official duties
and shall include in such list the following:
(1)Â
The name, home address and telephone number of the
device's owner or lessee.
(2)Â
The address of the location where the device is installed
and the telephone number at that location.
(3)Â
The name and telephone number of at least one other
person who can be reached at any time, day or night, and who is authorized
to respond to an emergency signal transmitted by the automatic protective
device and who can open the premises wherein the device is installed.
C.Â
The information contained in the list required by
this section shall be restricted to inspection only by the Police
Chief, Chief of the Fire Department or Fire Marshal in the course
of his or their official duties. If the Police Chief, Chief of the
Fire Department or Fire Marshal or any employee of the Police Department
or Fire Department is found to have knowingly or willfully revealed
the information contained in such list to any other person for any
purpose not related to official law enforcement matters or Fire Department
matters, and without the express written consent of the alarm business
maintaining such list or lists, he shall be guilty of obstructing
the administration of law or other governmental function, a misdemeanor
of the second degree.
Automatic protective devices installed in the
Borough shall meet the following requirements:
A.Â
The type and content of recorded messages must be
intelligible and in a format approved prior to installation by the
Chief of Police.
B.Â
No more than one call shall be made as a result of
a single activation of the automatic protective device.
C.Â
The time for transmitting each recorded message shall
not exceed 15 seconds.
D.Â
Recorded messages may be repeated during one call,
but the interval between each recorded message shall be no less than
eight seconds nor more than 12 seconds.
E.Â
The sensory mechanism used in connection with an automatic
protective device must be adjusted to suppress false indications of
intrusion so that the device will not be activated by impulses due
to fleeting pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light,
rattling or vibrating of doors and windows, vibrations to the premises
caused by the passing of vehicles or any other force not related to
genuine alarms.
F.Â
All components comprising such a device must be maintained
by the user in good repair to assure maximum reliability of operation.
Each alarm equipment supplier who sells or leases
an automatic protective device in the Borough after the effective
date of this chapter shall furnish operating instructions, a circuit
diagram and a maintenance manual to the user, unless the supplier
maintains the system under a maintenance contract.
When messages evidencing the failure to comply with the operational requirements set forth in § 142-8 are received by the Police Department or Fire Department and the Chief of Police or Fire Marshal concludes that the automatic protective device sending such messages should be disconnected in order to relieve the Department of the burden of responding to false alarms, he is authorized to demand that the user of the device, or his representative, disconnect the device until it is made to comply with the operational requirements. If disconnection of the defective device is not accomplished promptly and the Police Chief, the Chief of the Fire Department or the Fire Marshal determines that the malfunctioning device is repeatedly sending false alarms without any intermittent valid alarms, he may then take any steps necessary to disconnect the defective automatic protective device. Any expenses so incurred by the Borough shall be promptly reimbursed by the owner or lessee of the defective device.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration
of an automatic protective device without first obtaining permission
from the Police and Fire Departments. Where the equipment is keyed
through an intermediary, no such permission is necessary unless the
alarm or signal is to be relayed to the Police Department or the Fire
Department.
A.Â
Any person engaging in an alarm business within the
Borough shall, within 30 day after the effective date of this chapter,
apply to the Chief of Police or Fire Marshal for a license to operate
such business within the Borough. Applications shall be made on such
forms as shall be furnished by the Chief of Police or Fire Marshal,
and the applicant shall pay such licensing fees as shall be set from
time to time by resolution.
B.Â
Applicants already doing business within the Borough
on the effective date of this chapter may continue to do business
while their license applications are being processed.
Every user shall be required to obtain a permit
and shall pay such connection and annual fees as the Borough shall
set by resolution from time to time. The Borough may set permit fees
and adopt regulations to implement this chapter from time to time.
For the purpose of enforcing this chapter and
as a condition to installing and maintaining an automatic protective
device, the owner or lessee thereof shall permit the Building Inspector,
the Chief of Police, the Chief of the Fire Department or the Fire
Marshal to enter upon the owner's or lessee's premises within the
Borough of Bridgeport and, at such reasonable times and upon reasonable
notice, to inspect the installation and operation of the automatic
protective device.
For the purpose of defraying the cost to the Borough of responding to a false alarm, the owner or lessee of an automatic protective device, persons using the services of intermediaries, users of audible alarms and users of any other kind of direct or indirect connection with the Police or Fire Departments, except persons using the two-way live-voice communication by telephone, shall, as a condition to installation and continued operation of such equipment or service, execute a consent in such form as may be prescribed by the Borough that such owner, lessee or user shall pay to the Borough the sum of $50 for each false alarm originating from the owner's premises. This sum shall be a civil claim by the Borough and does not affect the penalty provisions prescribed by § 142-16 hereof.
A.Â
Failure of any person to comply with the licensing
requirements or with the requirement of a written notice of a violation
of any provision hereof, within three days of the receipt of such
notice, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, shall constitute
an offense punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, for each
and every offense, plus costs of prosecution which are by law collectible.
Such notice shall continue in force and effect until full compliance
with the requirements stated therein, and each and every failure to
comply with such notice within 24 hours after the three days allowed
for compliance shall constitute a separate offense.
[Amended 3-14-1989 by Ord. No. 507, approved 3-14-1989]
B.Â
Any person found guilty of misuse, continual accidental
activation or false activation of an automatic protective device shall
be liable for a fine of not less than $75 nor more than $300, plus
the costs of prosecution for each and every activation, to be collectible
before any Magisterial District Judge as like fines or penalties are
now by law collectible.
[Amended 12-14-1993 by Ord. No. 521, approved 12-14-1993]
