[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of Hilltown 10-24-1983 by Ord. No. 83-4. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Peace and good order — See Ch. 110.
This chapter shall be known as the “Emergency
Alarm Ordinance.”
The purpose of this chapter is to promote the
health, safety and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Township.
Certain words and phrases used in this chapter
shall have the meaning ascribed as follows:
Any person, firm or corporation who sells, leases, and/or
installs automatic protection devices or audible alarms.
An electrically operated instrument composed of sensory apparatus
and related hardware which automatically transmits a prerecorded voice
alarm over regular telephone line by direct or indirect communication
to the Police Department of Hilltown Township upon receipt of a stimulus
from a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition
inherently characteristic of intrusion.
Three or more false alarms during a period of one calendar
year.
Any signal activated by an automatic protection device, any
audible alarm or other kind of direct or indirect signal given to
the Hilltown Township Police Department which is not the result of
burglary, robbery or similar emergency.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to install automatic
protection devices or audible alarms within Hilltown Township without
first securing a permit for same from Hilltown Township.
B.
All applicants for a permit shall provide Hilltown
Township the following information on a form approved by the Township:
(1)
The telephone number of the owner or lessee.
(2)
The address where the device is to be installed and
the telephone number of that address.
(3)
The name, address and telephone number of any person
other than the owner or lessee who is authorized to respond to an
emergency and gain access to the address where the device is installed.
(4)
The name and telephone number of any person, firm
or corporation who is responsible for maintenance and repair of the
automatic protection device or audible alarm.
C.
All information furnished pursuant to this requirement
shall be kept confidential and shall be for the use of the Township
Secretary and designated personnel of the Police Department only.
D.
All applicants for a permit shall pay a fee to the
Township in accordance with the appropriate resolution as adopted
by the Board of Supervisors from time to time.
A.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with an automatic
protection device or audible alarm must be adjusted to suppress false
indications of intrusion so that the device will not be activated
by impulses due to the rattling or vibrating of doors or windows,
vibrations to the premises caused by the passing of vehicles or any
other force not related to genuine alarms.
B.
All components comprising such a device must be maintained
by the owner or lessee in good repair to insure maximum reliability
of operation.
Each alarm equipment supplier shall furnish
operating instructions for each type of automatic protection device
or audible alarm and, at the time of installation, shall furnish to
any buyer or lessee using a repair service written information as
to how service may be obtained at any time, including the telephone
number of the alarm equipment supplier or agent responsible for service.
Alarm equipment suppliers shall furnish, at
or prior to the time of contracting and at their expense, a copy of
this chapter to owners, lessees or users of the equipment to be supplied.
[Amended 5-24-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-4]
A person that owns, uses or possesses an alarm
device or automatic dialing device may not, after causing or permitting
three false alarms to occur in a consecutive twelve-month period,
cause or permit a subsequent false alarm to occur in the same consecutive
twelve-month period. A person that violates this section commits a
summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a
fine of not more than $300 pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 7511.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates
any provision of this chapter and who fails to comply with requirements
of a written notice advising of such violation within five working
days of receipt of such notice shall, upon conviction in a summary
proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania
Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall
be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution.
In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding 90 days. Each day or portion thereof that
such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute
a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated
shall also constitute a separate offense.[1]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Original Article 9, Section
2, regarding penalties for false alarms, which immediately followed
this section, was deleted 5-24-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-4.
