[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Catasauqua 10-2-2006 by Ord. No. 1203. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Noise — See Ch. 185.
A.
ACCIDENTAL FALSE ALARM
ALARM
ALARM DEVICE
DIRECT ALARM DEVICE
FALSE ALARM
INDIRECT ALARM DEVICE
INTENTIONAL FALSE ALARM
PERMIT HOLDER
PERSON
TELEPHONE DIALER ALARM DEVICE
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall
have the meanings indicated:
Any false alarm which is not an intentional false alarm,
as defined herein, or not when an intrusion, crime, fire or other
emergency has actually occurred.
A communication to the Police Department or Fire Department
indicating that a crime, fire or other emergency situation warranting
immediate action by the Police Department has occurred or is occurring.
A mechanical device designed to automatically transmit an
alarm by wire, telephone, radio or other means directly to the Police
or Fire Department; to a person who is instructed to notify the Police
or Fire Department of the alarm; or to activate a bell or sounding
device to be heard outside a building which is intended to alert the
Police or Fire Department or others to the existence of a crime, fire
or other emergency situation warranting police action.
An alarm device, other than a telephone dialer alarm device,
designed to transmit an alarm directly to the Police or Fire Department.
An alarm to which the Police or Fire Department responds
resulting from the activation of an alarm device when a crime, fire
or other emergency warranting immediate action by the Police or Fire
Department has not in fact occurred.
An alarm device designed to transmit an alarm to a person
who is instructed to notify the Police or Fire Department of the alarm.
A false alarm resulting from the intentional activation of
an alarm device by an individual under circumstances where that individual
has no reasonable basis to believe that a crime, fire or other emergency
warranting immediate action by the Police or Fire Department has occurred
or is occurring.
A person to whom the Borough has issued an alarm device permit.
An individual, corporation, partnership, incorporated association
or other similar entity.
An alarm device designed to automatically transmit a recorded
message over regular telephone lines directly to the Police Department
or Fire Department or to a person who is instructed to notify the
Police or Fire Department of the alarm.
B.
In this chapter, the singular shall include the plural;
the plural shall include the singular; and the masculine shall include
the feminine and the neuter.
A.
The Council of the Borough of Catasauqua may, by resolution,
establish reasonable registration fees for installations permitted
hereafter.
B.
Each property owner or lessee utilizing any alarm
(except public institutions) shall be charged a fee for service by
the Borough of Catasauqua for the fourth, and each subsequent, false
alarm which occurs in any six-month period. Public institutions utilizing
any alarm shall be charged a fee for service for the sixth, and each
subsequent, false alarm which occurs in any consecutive six-month
period. The user fees shall be assessed as follows:
(1)
The base fee for service shall be $75.
(2)
The supplemental fee for service if a fire company
call-out results shall be $300.
(3)
If any property owner desires to appeal from the imposition
of any fee for service, the appeal shall be directed, in writing,
to the Chief of Police within 30 days of the date the fee is assessed
or imposed.
(4)
If any property owner seeks to appeal the issuance
of a citation, the appeal shall be directed to the District Justice
31-1-05.
A.
It shall be unlawful for a property owner, lessee
of property or a person otherwise occupying a premises within the
Borough to put an alarm device into operation on his premises or to
allow an alarm device to be put into operation on his premises without
first obtaining an alarm device permit from the Borough of Catasauqua.
It shall also be unlawful for a property owner, lessee of property
or a person otherwise occupying a premises outside of the Borough
to put into operation on his premises an alarm device which results
in notification to the Borough's Police or Fire Department should
this alarm be activated or to allow such an alarm device to be put
into operation on his premises without first obtaining an alarm device
permit from the Borough of Catasauqua.
B.
Application for alarm device permit.
(1)
In order to apply for an alarm device permit, a person
must submit an application to the Borough stating:
(a)
His name;
(b)
His home and business addresses and the telephone
number of each;
(c)
The location at which the alarm device will
be installed and operated;
(d)
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of
at least two individuals who have keys to the premises at which the
alarm device is located and who are authorized to enter the premises
at any time, but who do not reside at the premises at which the alarm
device is located; and
(e)
A general written description of the device
other than schematics.
(2)
If the device is to be leased or rented from, or is
to be serviced pursuant to a service agreement by, a person other
than the person making application for an alarm device permit, the
name, address and telephone number of that person must be stated in
the application.
(3)
In addition, each person submitting an application
for an alarm device permit shall submit a signed statement in the
following form, which the Borough shall furnish to any person wishing
to apply for an alarm device permit:
"I (We), the undersigned applicant(s) for an
alarm device permit, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree with
the Borough that neither I (we), nor anyone claiming by, through or
under me (us), shall make any claim against the Borough, its officials
or agents, for any damages caused to the premises at which the alarm
device, which is the subject of this application, is or will be located,
if such damage is caused by a forced entry to said premises by employees
of the Borough in order to answer an alarm from said alarm device
at a time when said premises is or appears to be unattended or when
in the discretion of said employees the circumstances appear to warrant
a forced entry."
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C.
A person applying for an alarm device permit for a
telephone dialer alarm device, local sounding device, or an indirect
alarm device shall submit the required fee along with his application.
The fee shall be fixed from time to time by resolution of the Borough.
D.
The Borough of Catasauqua shall, within 14 weekdays
from receipt of an application for an alarm device permit, either
grant an alarm device permit to the applicant or notify the applicant
in writing that his application has been denied and the reason or
reasons why it has been denied.
E.
An application for an alarm device permit may only
be denied for the following reasons:
F.
Notwithstanding the language contained in Subsection A of this section, it shall not be unlawful for a person to continue to operate an alarm device on his premises without an alarm device permit for a period of 90 days after the effective date of this chapter; provided that said alarm device was in operation on the effective date of this chapter.
G.
The Borough shall have the power to revoke an alarm
device permit. An alarm device permit shall be revoked by notifying
the permit holder in writing that his alarm device permit has been
revoked and the reason or reasons why it has been revoked. Said written
notice shall be:
H.
An alarm device permit may only be revoked for the
following reasons:
(1)
Failure of an alarm device to conform to the operational standards set forth in § 98-3 of this chapter.
(2)
Failure of a permit holder to pay a false alarm charge assessed to him by the Police Department under the provisions of § 98-4 of this chapter within 30 days of the mailing to him of a notice of the assessment of a false alarm charge.
(3)
The occurrence of more than three false alarms from
an alarm device during any twelve-month period.
(4)
The occurrence of an intentional false alarm caused
by the permit holder or by an individual over the age of 15 who resides
on the premises where the alarm device is located.
I.
A person who has had his alarm device permit revoked under Subsections G and H of this section may reapply for an alarm device permit 45 days after the effective date of such revocation; provided, however, that if a person's alarm device permit was revoked for nonpayment of a false alarm charge, the Borough of Catasauqua shall deny said application unless said charge has been paid. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a person who has had his alarm device permit twice revoked on the basis of an occurrence of an intentional false alarm may not reapply for an alarm device permit for one year from the effective date of the second revocation.
A.
If an alarm device is designed to transmit a recorded
message, the duration of such recorded message shall not exceed 30
seconds. The contents of the recorded message shall be intelligible
and in a format approved by the Borough.
B.
An alarm device need not contain a delay service which
causes a delay to occur between the time the alarm device receives
a triggering stimulus and the time the alarm device transmits an alarm.
C.
An alarm device must allow the permit holder to abort
the alarm signals.
D.
If an alarm device is designed to cause a bell, siren
or sound-making device to be activated on or near the premises on
which the alarm device is installed at the time it gives an alarm,
said alarm device shall be designed to deactivate the bell, siren
or other sound-making device after 30 minutes of operation. Preexisting
units must be modified for a 30 minute device, unless said unit cannot
be modified without replacement.
E.
All alarm devices shall meet the applicable standards
of the Underwriters Laboratories and/or the National Fire Protection
Association, and/or other recognized industry standards, and shall
be permitted under this chapter if in conformity thereto. An alarm
device which does not meet any of the above standards or for which
there is no recognized industry standard shall require the applicant
for a permit to submit evidence of the reliability or suitability
of the alarm device. Any permit issued for such an alarm device which
does not conform to the recognized standard shall be conditionally
subject to satisfactory performance of said alarm device after installation.
The applicant for a permit may be required to submit subsequent evidence
of the reliability and suitability of the alarm device.
F.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with an alarm
device must be adjusted to suppress false indications of fire or intrusion,
so that the alarm device will not be activated by impulses due to
transient pressure change in water pipes, short flashes of light,
wind noises such as the rattling or vibrating of doors or windows,
vehicular noise adjacent to the premises, or other forces unrelated
to genuine alarm situations.
G.
The alarm device must be maintained by the permit
holder in good repair to assure reliability of operation.
A.
Intentional false alarms. No permit holder or person
shall create an intentional false alarm.
B.
Accidental false alarms. Any person or permit holder
causing accidental false alarms for any reason shall pay to the Borough
of Catasauqua a charge for each and every false alarm to which the
Police and/or Fire Department responds, in each calendar year, as
follows:
C.
When a false alarm occurs, the Borough of Catasauqua,
within 10 days from the date of the false alarm, shall notify the
permit holder of the alarm device from which the false alarm emanated
or other person causing said false alarm that a false alarm charge
is due and the amount thereof. Such notice shall be in writing and
mailed to the permit holder or person causing said false alarm at
his last known address by regular mail, postage prepaid. Failure of
the Borough to mail notice of assessment of a false alarm charge within
10 days from the occurrence of a false alarm shall preclude the Borough
from assessing a false alarm charge for said false alarm.
D.
A false alarm charge shall be due and payable at the
office of the Borough of Catasauqua 30 days from the date of the mailing
of the notice of assessment of the charge.
No person shall conduct or test any alarm device
without first obtaining permission from the Police Department. Where
the equipment is keyed through an intermediary, no such permission
is necessary unless the alarm or signal is to be relayed to the central
receiving station.
The issuance of any permit shall not constitute
acceptance by the Borough of Catasauqua of any liability to maintain
any equipment, to answer alarms, nor otherwise render the Borough
of Catasauqua liable to any person for any loss or damage relating
to the alarm system or procedure.
Administration and enforcement of this chapter
shall be functions of the Borough of Catasauqua and shall include
the following:
A.
Authority to accept or reject a permit application
or revoke a permit because of a misrepresentation or false statement
contained in any application for a permit, failure to correct any
deficiencies in equipment or operation of an alarm device after receipt
of due notice from the Borough, or not meeting other conditions and
specifications of this chapter.
B.
Authority to order the disconnection of an alarm device
until such device is made to comply with operational standards set
forth herein, but only when evidence of failure to comply with said
standards imposes a burden upon the Borough as a result of false alarms.
C.
Authority, at reasonable times and upon written notice,
to enter upon any premises within the Borough to inspect the installation
and operation of an alarm device.
Whenever, under the provisions of this chapter,
the Borough of Catasauqua is empowered to make a decision with respect
to the installation, operation or maintenance of any alarm device,
or with respect to the denial or revocation of any permit relating
thereto, any applicant for a permit or permit holder aggrieved by
such decision may, within 10 days following the decision, file a written
appeal therefrom with the Code Hearing Board of the Borough of Catasauqua,
whereupon the Code Hearing Board shall promptly conduct a hearing
and affirm, modify or reverse the decision appealed from. The decision
of the Code Hearing Board may be appealed as provided under the Local
Agency Law.[1]
[1]
See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 105.
[Amended 4-1-2013 by Ord. No. 1288]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate
any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced
to pay a fine not more than $300, and/or to imprisonment for a term
not to exceed 90 days. Any person found guilty of violating an ordinance
shall be assessed court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees
incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings.
This chapter shall become effective on November
1, 2006.