[Adopted 8-12-1985 (Ch. 8, Art. II of the 1971 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to establish standards and controls for direct fire-alarm hookups that require Fire Department action from a signal relayed to the Fire Department over leased telephone lines from owner-maintained devices.
The Council hereby declares that the legislative intent of this article is to apply its provisions to any business, firm, corporation or other commercial entity or private dwelling designed to summon the Fire Department to any location in response to such signal.
For the purpose of this article, the following definitions shall apply:
DIRECT ALARM DEVICE
Any fire-alarm device connected directly by leased telephone wires from a specific location to the fire control center with the consent of the Fire Chief and the Commissioner of Public Works.
The fee for a direct fire-alarm hookup from any establishment located within the City of Middletown, New York, shall be $150 annually, from January 1 through December 31. Any connection to the system after October 1 of any year shall be billed beginning with the following year.
A. 
The penalty for nonpayment shall commence January 31 of each year at the rate of 1% per month.
B. 
All arrears of more than 90 days are subject to disconnection as follows:
(1) 
A written notice of disconnection shall be delivered by certified mail to the last known mailing address of the establishment.
(2) 
The disconnection shall take place 15 days after receipt of the certified mail delivery.
A. 
The owner's system shall be kept in adequate repair and working condition at the owner's expense, or the Fire Department may permanently disconnect the system on 15 days' written notice.
B. 
The Fire Department reserves the right to temporarily disconnect any system due to malfunction.