[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Dobbs Ferry 10-20-1992 by L.L. No. 6-1992. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Amended 1-24-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2012]
A.Â
The purpose of this chapter is to provide regulations and standards
applicable to alarm systems and devices installed, maintained and
operated in the Village of Dobbs Ferry.
B.Â
All alarm systems installed on or in structures within the Village
of Dobbs Ferry shall be registered with the Village of Dobbs Ferry.
This includes local alarms to which the Police or Fire Department
would be expected to respond. Only installers and maintenance companies
licensed by the County of Westchester or the State of New York shall
install or maintain such systems.
C.Â
If an alarm malfunctions, then the authority having jurisdiction
may order that system kept off line until proof that the system malfunction
has been corrected. Such correction may only be done by a qualified
repair agency, and the proof must be presented to the Village. All
costs for alternate protection while the system is off line shall
be borne by the owner/operator of said system. Alternate protection
requirements will be specified by the authority having jurisdiction;
example: police could specify private security for a bank or the Fire
Department could specify a fire watch for nursing homes, hospitals,
schools and all commercial properties.
The following words, terms and phrases, when
used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in
this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different
meaning:
Any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include
the selling, installing, maintaining, repairing, altering, moving,
replacing or servicing of alarm devices or systems.
Any business operated by a person for a profit and which
engages in the activity of selling, leasing, installing, maintaining,
repairing, altering, moving, replacing or servicing of alarm devices
or systems.
An assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the
presence of a condition requiring urgent attention by the Police or
Fire Department; any automatic alarm device or group of devices which
when activated signals the existence of a condition which requires
a response by Public Safety Department personnel shall be deemed to
be covered by this chapter.
Any person on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
within the Village, except for a proprietary system or an alarm system
on motor vehicles.
An agency which provides, among other things, the service
of receiving emergency signals from alarm systems through its employees
and immediately relaying the appropriate message by live voice to
the Police or Fire Department of the jurisdiction in which the alarm
signal originated.
An apparatus which automatically sends a digitally encoded
tone sequence, line polarity reversal or other electrical or electronic
signal which indicates the existence of the emergency situation that
an alarm system is designed to detect and report over the airwaves,
telephone lines or other communication cables or facilities.
An office to which remote alarms and supervisor-signaling
devices are connected to receiving equipment monitored by police officers,
private guards or other personnel and which provides persons to respond
to protected premises when an alarm is received.
The activation of the signaling portion of an alarm system
through mechanical failure, malfunction, loss of externally supplied
electrical power for less than four hours, improper installation,
improper usage or an error or negligence on the part of the owner
or lessee of the premises wherein the system is installed or through
the error or negligence of employees, guests or agents of the owner
or lessee of the premises. The term shall include all alarm signal
activation incidents in which investigation by Public Safety Department
personnel reveals no evidence of the existence of an emergency condition.
Those alarm signals which investigation reveals were triggered by
physical damage to the protected premises as a result of a hurricane,
tornado, earthquake or other violent natural phenomena and line trouble
signals received via dedicated telephone lines are excluded from the
definition of "false alarms."
An alarm signaling system which when triggered causes an
audible or visual signaling device to be activated in or on the premises
within or upon which the system is installed.
A telephone line leading directly into a designated office
of the Police or Fire Department for the purpose of handling emergency
calls on a person-to-person basis and which is identified as such
by a specific number included among the emergency numbers in the telephone
directory issued by the New York telephone company covering the service
area within the jurisdiction of the Police or Fire Department.
An alarm system which transmits its signals to a location
within the protected premises and is monitored by the proprietor of
the premises or his agents. When such a system monitors conditions
which may require a response by police or fire personnel, then it
becomes an alarm system as defined in this chapter.
An alarm signaling system which when triggered activates
a device which transmits a signal to a central location where action
is taken to respond to and investigate the cause of the signal.
A telephone line leading into a designated office of the
Police or Fire Department having the primary purpose of handling emergency
signals transmitted by automatic alarm communication devices.
A person who buys or otherwise obtains and uses an alarm
system, whether or not he thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm
business to monitor or service the system.
[Amended 3-17-1993 by L.L. No. 1-1993; 2-14-2012 by L.L. No.
3-2012]
A.Â
On January 1 each year, every alarm user shall, before operating
an alarm system, apply to the Dobbs Ferry Police Department on a form
to be furnished by the Dobbs Ferry Police Department for a permit
to operate an alarm system. The application shall be completed and
signed by the individual who owns, leases or otherwise uses the alarm
system and shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
[Amended 2-25-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014]
(1)Â
The name or names of the person or persons residing in the protected
premises or, if a business establishment, the name of that business
establishment.
(2)Â
The address of the protected premises, including apartment or other
customary identifier for multiple occupancies at an address.
(3)Â
The name and mailing address of the individual who applies for the
permit.
(4)Â
The home and business phone numbers of the permittee.
(6)Â
The name, address and business phone number, including an after-hours
emergency number of the monitoring service, if any.
(7)Â
Whether or not the system is equipped to automatically rearm itself
and, if so, after what period of time.
(8)Â
The cutoff time for audible signals.
(9)Â
The name, address and telephone number of the installing company
or individual.
(10)Â
The name, address and telephone number of the servicing company,
if different than the installing company.
(11)Â
The names, addresses and emergency telephone numbers of the
persons to be notified in the event of an alarm.
(12)Â
The identification of the presence on the premises of any guard
dogs or other household pets which could cause injury to human beings.
(13)Â
The identification of the presence or possession of any firearm,
shotgun or dangerous instruments.
(14)Â
An agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the Village of Dobbs
Ferry and all of its officers, agents, volunteers and individuals
who respond to the signal of the alarm system from any and all claims
and lawsuits arising of their entrance onto the alarm user's
property in the execution of their duties and responsibilities.
B.Â
Issuance; renewal; revocation.
(1)Â
The alarm user shall be responsible for notifying the Police Department,
in writing, of any changes in the above information at least 10 days
prior to the effective date of such change.
(2)Â
Permit and renewal applications will be accompanied by a nonrefundable
fee as determined from time to time by a resolution of the Board of
Trustees.[1] Renewal applications shall be submitted if there is a
change in ownership of the premises or of the alarm system.
[Amended 9-11-2012 by L.L. No. 7-2012]
(3)Â
The issuance of an alarm user permit does not create any special
relationship or obligation on the part of the Village to respond to
any alarm.
(4)Â
In addition to any penalties which may be imposed for the violation
of certain provisions of this chapter, the Police Department may deny,
suspend or revoke an alarm user permit or renewal thereof for any
of the following grounds:
(a)Â
Fraud or willful and knowing misrepresentation or false statement
made in the application for an alarm user permit or in the operation
of the licensed system.
(b)Â
Deliberate activation of a false alarm.
(c)Â
Use of an alarm system to summon Police or Fire Department personnel
for a condition other than what the system was designed to detect
and report as authorized in the permit.
(d)Â
Failure to correct any deficiencies in equipment, procedures
or operation within 30 days of receipt of notice of the same from
the Police or Fire Department or within such time as shall be determined
as reasonable by the Police or Fire Department if said deficiencies
cannot be corrected within 30 days.
All presently existing alarm systems must comply
with the provisions of this chapter by February 1, 1993.
No person shall install, lease, sell, repair,
service, replace or remove a police or fire alarm device or devices
or provide an answering service without a license issued by the County
of Westchester or required by Article XV, Section 863.291 et seq.,
of the Laws of Westchester County, as amended. All installers and
maintainers must present an identification card reflecting such license.
[Amended 2-14-2012 by L.L. No. 3-2012]
A.Â
It shall be unlawful to cause or permit the activation of a false
alarm signal. The alarm user shall be held accountable for all false
alarms originating from the alarm user's system and shall be
fully liable for all charges and penalties arising therefrom.
B.Â
The Police Department or Fire Department shall be empowered to take
whatever emergency action is reasonably necessary to prevent an activated
alarm signaling device from interfering with the Department's
ability to receive additional emergency signals or from interfering
unnecessarily with the tranquility of the surrounding community, including
the entry upon private property and premises.
C.Â
Fee; appeal.
(1)Â
Any owner or lessee of property that has an alarm device or system
of devices and any user of services or equipment furnished by a licensee
under this chapter shall pay the Village a fee as outlined in the
alarm fee schedule below.
[Amended 2-25-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014]
|
Village of Dobbs Ferry Alarm Fee Schedule
| ||
|
False Alarm Occurrence
|
Registered Users
| |
|
First
|
No charge
| |
|
Second
|
No charge
| |
|
Third
|
$100
| |
|
Fourth and fifth
|
$200
| |
|
Sixth and above
|
$500
| |
(2)Â
Any alarm owner, lessee or user charged with a false alarm fee may
appeal such charge in writing to the Police Department or Fire Department
within 15 days after the issuance of the notice of penalty. Such determination
by the Police or Fire Department of the appropriateness of the fee
is final and binding.
[Amended 2-14-2012 by L.L. No. 3-2012; 2-25-2014 by L.L. No. 1-2014]
Any person, firm or corporation who has not registered an alarm system as outlined in § 110-3, Alarm user registration, shall be subject to a fine of an amount which shall not exceed $250 for each offense, and such violation may constitute disorderly conduct, in which event such person shall be a disorderly person.
A.Â
Failure to allow inspection of equipment after a false
alarm shall be grounds for termination of an alarm user permit or
of authorization to permit an automatically initiated alarm signal
to be relayed to the facilities of the Department of Public Safety.
B.Â
If such inspection reveals any violations of the provisions
of this chapter, a written report detailing such violations shall
be promptly sent to the owner, lessee or other person responsible
for the alarm system in violation of this chapter. Such report shall
require the correction, within 30 days after receipt of the notice,
of the violation discovered and shall state that a failure to comply
may result in the revocation of the alarm user's permit in accordance
with provisions of this chapter relating to revocation of licenses
and permits. The alarm user shall be granted a reasonable extension
of time to correct such violation upon good cause shown.
