[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Westfield 9-16-1996
by L.L. No. 8-1996. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire prevention and building construction — See Ch. 85.
An intolerable amount of Fire Department resources are being expended
in responding to alarms that have been activated other than by a fire. The
purpose of this chapter is to avoid the current waste of Fire Department resources
by reducing the number of false alarms to which the Fire Department must respond.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any type of alarm system actuating equipment which provides warning
of fire, smoke, flood or other peril.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure, malfunction,
improper installation, improper usage or the negligence of the owner or lessee
of an alarm system or through the error or negligence of employees, guests
or agents of the owner or lessee of the premises. It shall include all alarm
signal activation incidents which reveal no evidence of the existence of an
emergency condition. Those alarm signals that have been triggered by physical
damage to the protected premises as a result of hurricane, tornado, earthquake
or other violent natural phenomenon are excluded from the definition of "false
alarm." If the owner or lessee can furnish conclusive proof that an alarm
was triggered by line trouble signals via dedicated telephone lines, then
that alarm activation will not be deemed a false alarm.
That device existing in the Fire Department of the Village of Westfield
which emits audio indications, thus requiring a response thereto by the Fire
Department.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation or association or any
other legal entity.
The Village Clerk of the Village of Westfield.
A.
No person shall install, operate or maintain any type
of fire alarm system within the Village of Westfield, unless said fire alarm
system has been registered with the Fire Chief and Village Clerk of the Village
of Westfield in accordance with the requirements of this section.
B.
The owner of the premises in which the alarm system is
to be installed shall file with the Village Clerk and the Fire Chief a completed
registration form which shall include, among other information, the location
of the device, the name of the installer of said device, type of device, a
description of intended testing procedures, a list of persons to be contacted
in the event of an alarm and other data as may be required by the Village
and the Fire Chief intended to respond to any such alarm. Registration pursuant
to this section may be accomplished by a lessee of the premises upon the submission
of written permission therefor by the owner of such premises.
C.
Owners of alarm systems, upon registration, shall be
deemed to have consented to inspection of the premises in which said alarm
devices are installed at reasonable hours by the Fire Chief or his designated
representative.
D.
All systems presently in operation within the Village
shall register no later than 45 days following enactment of this chapter.
A.
The Fire Chief shall report all false alarms relayed
by all alarm systems installed within the Village and recorded pursuant to
this chapter to the Village Clerk. The Village Clerk shall keep a record of
all false alarms.
B.
In the case of a false alarm, any person having knowledge
thereof shall immediately notify the Fire Department, where applicable. Upon
such occurrence, the Fire Chief may conduct an investigation to confirm the
false alarm, if circumstances dictate that an investigation should be undertaken.
C.
Penalties in accordance with the following schedule shall
be imposed for the relay of a false alarm:
(1)
For the first five false alarms in any calendar year,
a warning shall be issued by the Village Clerk.
(2)
For the next three false alarms in the same period, a
fine of $100 shall be paid by the property owner to the Village of Westfield.
(3)
For each subsequent false alarm within a calendar year,
the property owner shall be fined a sum of $250.
D.
The Fire Chief shall notify the Village Clerk of all
false alarms. The Village Clerk shall then cause written notice of any warning
or fine imposed by this section to be mailed to the owner of the alarm system
by first-class mail. All fines imposed by this section shall be paid no later
than 30 days from the date of receipt of the aforesaid notice. Upon the failure
of any owner of property in which an alarm system has been installed to pay
a fine assessed within the time period so designated, the registration of
the system at issue shall be revoked and the system shall be disconnected
from the appropriate Village alarm system. Upon recommendation by the Fire
Chief or the Village Clerk to the Board of Trustees of the Village of Westfield,
the Village may seek to recover said fine in the Justice Court of the Village
of Westfield.
E.
Where an investigation of the Fire Department discloses
a continued history of false alarms emanating from any one alarm system, i.e.,
more than 10 false alarms within the same calendar year, or a failure to take
remedial steps to cease the issuance of false alarms, the Fire Chief shall
file a report detailing such situation with the Board of Trustees and the
Board shall then make a recommendation to the Mayor and the Board as to whether
to revoke the registration of the system and have it disconnected from the
appropriate Village alarm system.
The Fire Chief may from time to time propose rules and regulations to
the Board of Trustees in order to provide for efficient recordkeeping and
the management of the system described herein. Such proposed rules and regulations
shall become effective upon the approval of the Board of Trustees. Upon such
approval, the Village Clerk shall cause copies of such rules and regulations
to be mailed to all owners of alarm systems registered pursuant to this chapter.
