It is the intent and purpose of this chapter to provide minimum standards and regulations applicable to users and installers of burglar, fire, holdup and automatic telephone dialer alarms within the Town of Woodbridge and to provide penalties for noncompliance.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Woodbridge 10-11-1983, effective 11-11-1983 (Ch. 5, Art. V, of the 1983 Code); amended 6-25-1986, effective 7-25-1986; 4-12-1995, effective 5-13-1995. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
An assembly of equipment and devices (or a single device, such as a solid state unit, which may operate from a one-hundred-ten-volt AC line) 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 alarms and automatic telephone dialer alarms, except smoke detectors which do not signal outside an alarmed premises or alarm systems on motor vehicles.
Any person, firm or corporation on whose premises any alarm system is maintained within the Town.
An alarm system which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded message indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.
The accidental or intentional 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, resulting in response by fire and/or police personnel. Alarms caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, other normally infrequent violent conditions or acts of God shall not be considered false alarms.
A.
Any person, firm or corporation installing an alarm system within the Town shall register with the Woodbridge Police Department at least 10 days prior to anticipated installation. All existing alarm systems shall be registered by the homeowner with the Woodbridge Police Department within 60 days of the effective date of this chapter.
B.
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.
C.
Alarm users having existing automatic telephone dialing devices shall comply with § 7-282b of the Connecticut General Statutes which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth in this subsection.[1]
D.
Automatic telephone dialing devices in existence as of the effective date of this chapter shall be programmed to a special telephone number, which is to be designated by the Chief of Police, within 60 days of the effective date of this chapter, the cost of which is to be paid by the user.[2]
E.
All residential 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 30 minutes in accordance with Section 22a-69-5.1 of the Administrative Regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection of the State of Connecticut.[3]
F.
False burglar alarms, holdup alarms, or automatic telephone dialer alarms. A maximum of four false burglar, holdup, or automatic telephone dialer alarms in any fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) shall be allowed from any alarm system of any person, firm or corporation without penalty. Upon receipt of a fifth false alarm and for each false alarm thereafter during a year, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with § 150-4A of this chapter.
G.
False fire alarms. A maximum of one false fire alarm in any fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) shall be allowed from any fire alarm system of any person, firm or corporation without penalty. Upon receipt of a second false fire alarm and for each false fire alarm thereafter during any year, a fine shall be imposed in accordance with § 150-4B of this chapter. In lieu of payment of a fine for a second false alarm, an inspection report by an alarm company certifying that the alarm system is functioning properly may be submitted, provided that such inspection and report were completed within 10 days of the false fire alarm.
A.
Burglar alarms, holdup alarms, or automatic telephone dialer alarms. Any person, firm or corporation found to be in violation of § 150-3F shall be fined $35 upon the receipt of the fifth through eighth false alarms and $50 for each false alarm thereafter.