[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Highland Park by Ord. No. 1171 (§ 4-7 of the 1987 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards
and regulations for various types of intrusion, burglar, fire and
other emergency alarm devices activating a local alarm requiring response
thereto by the Police Department, Fire Department or other municipal
agency.
B.
This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as
the "Highland Park Emergency Alarm Ordinance."
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to
any person who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device or local
alarm designed to summon the Police, Fire Department or other local
municipal agency to any location in response to any type of alarm
signal.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1211]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any type of alarm system providing warning of intrusion,
fire, smoke, flood or other peril, but does not include interior smoke
alarms installed within an individual dwelling unit intended to alert
only the occupant of a room or dwelling. Alarm devices located in
the common areas of multifamily dwellings are specifically included
in this definition.
Any alarm device or combination of devices installed for
one or more buildings.
An officer or member of the Police or Fire Department of
the Borough of Highland Park.
The type of device using telephone lines to transmit an alarm.
Any alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional
act of someone other than an intruder and shall also include alarms
caused by malfunctioning of the alarm device or other relevant equipment,
but shall not include intentional false alarms subject to penalty
under the Disorderly Persons Law.[1]
Any alarm or device which, when activated produces a signal,
including but not limited to store burglar alarms activating bell
devices. Such alarm produces an auditory or visual signal discernible
beyond the property boundaries.
Any person owning or leasing an alarm device or a local alarm
within the scope of this chapter.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, or association.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 2A:169-1 et seq.
A.
All local alarms, alarm devices, dial alarms and installations
shall be registered with the Police Department of the Borough of Highland
Park. Any person who owns or operates an alarm device, dial alarm
or a local alarm shall make application for the continuation thereof
in writing to the Chief of Police, within 90 days of the effective
date of this chapter, which application shall contain, at minimum,
the location of the device, the owner of the device, the name of the
installer of said device, the type of device, maintenance provisions,
provisions relating to false alarms and testing procedures, a list
of persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm, and other information
as may be required by the Chief of Police.
B.
Upon issuance of a permit hereunder, the holder shall
pay the permit fee prescribed by the Borough Council.
C.
Any person presently having or proposing to install
a dial alarm system shall register with the Chief of Police and use
special emergency telephone lines for dial alarm calls, so as not
to create undue congestion on the regular police or fire telephone
lines.
A.
The Chief of Police may designate a line and number
for the use of dial alarms when sufficient lines and numbers are available.
B.
Any permittee shall by acceptance of the permit be
deemed as having consented to inspection of the premises on which
said alarm devices are installed at reasonable hours by the Chief
of Police or the Fire Chief or their designated representatives.
C.
Any person performing any work on or in a vicinity
of an alarm device and which may result in causing a false alarm shall
notify the Fire and Police Department prior to commencing such work.
The owner or occupant of the property at which such work is being
performed shall notify all workmen of the existence of an alarm.
D.
All permittees are required to maintain any alarm
device, dial alarm or local alarm which they may own or lease in good
working order and to meet all local and state fire, electrical and
building codes as they apply to alarms.
E.
All audible local alarms shall be equipped with a
time relay or battery to limit the sounding of alarms to 15 minutes
or less.
F.
All dial alarms shall be capable of being disconnected
by the owner to permit a call to the police switchboard in the event
that a false alarm occurs.
G.
The sensory mechanism of dial alarms shall be adjusted
so as to suppress false indications and not to be activated by impulses
due to pressure changes in water pipes, short, flashes of light, wind,
noise, rattling or vibration of doors or windows or other forces unrelated
to general alarms.
A.
Investigations. In the case of false (fire or intrusion)
alarms which summon the Police or Fire Department to investigate,
the Police Chief or designee shall cause an investigation to be made
and shall keep a record of such false alarms on file. Such record
shall be prima facie evidence of the contents thereof.
B.
Penalties for false alarms. In any permit year the following penalties shall apply:
(1)
For each of the first and second false alarms, a written
warning of the content of this chapter shall be given.
(2)
The third and any subsequent false alarm in the same
calendar year will constitute a disorderly persons offense.
(3)
In the event of a fourth or subsequent false alarm,
an investigation may be conducted by the Police Department. Where
the investigation of the Police Department discloses continued abusive
or negligent operation or maintenance of an alarm device and a disregard
for the taking of remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the Police
Chief or his designee may require disconnection of the device for
a limited or permanent period; provided, however, that the owner or
the user of the device shall be given notice of the intended disconnection.
(4)
In the event any person subject to the provisions
of this chapter is directed by the Chief of Police or his designee
to disconnect an alarm system or correct defect in an alarm system
and fails to comply with such directive within seven days of same,
such person shall be subject to the penalties contained herein for
each false alarm received after the expiration date of the seven-day
period until such time as the system is disconnected or the defects
are corrected.
(5)
In a residential facility, the Chief of Police or
his designee may require installation of battery detectors or a fire
watch if a danger exists upon disconnection.
