[Adopted 4-14-1998 by Ord. No. 2074]
A. The following definitions apply for purposes of this article:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any device designed for the detection of an unauthorized
entry on the premises, unlawful act, fire or any emergency that alerts
a Municipal organization of its own commission or occurrence and when
activated gives a signal, either visual, audible or both, or transmits
or causes to be transmitted a signal.
APPROVED
Meeting the requirements of this article and approved by
the Municipality.
CENTRAL STATION SYSTEM
A system or group of systems, the operations of which are
signaled to, recorded in, maintained and supervised from an approved
central station, in which there are competent and experienced observers
and operators in attendance at all times whose duty it shall be, upon
receipt of a signal, to take such action as shall be required under
the rules established for their guidance. Such systems shall be controlled
and operated by a person, firm or corporation whose principal business
is the furnishing and maintaining of supervised protective signaling
service and who has no interest in the protected properties.
COMMUNICATION CENTER
That building or portion of a building used to house the
central operating part of the alarm system, usually the place where
the necessary testing, switching, receiving, retransmitting and power
supply devices are located, and is the public safety answering point
of the Municipality.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATOR
An electronic device which is interconnected to a telephone
line and is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number
and transmit a coded signal.
HOUSEHOLD WARNING SYSTEM
A system of devices that produce an audible alarm signal
in the household for the purpose of notifying the occupants of the
presence of an emergency so they may evacuate the premises.
LOCAL SYSTEM
A system that gives a signal, either visual, audible, or
both, on the interior or exterior portion of the property/business
but does not leave that structure/business by wire or radio wave to
a remote receiving location.
MEDICAL ALARM
Any device which, when activated, gives a signal, either
visual, audible, or both, or transmits or causes to be transmitted
a signal to signify the need for emergency medical services personnel.
NUISANCE ALARM
Any alarm signal that alerts a Municipal organization which
is not the result of an actual or threatened emergency requiring their
immediate response. Nuisance alarms include negligently or accidentally
activated signals; signals which are the result of faulty, malfunctioning
or improperly installed or maintained equipment; signals which are
purposely activated to summon emergency services in nonemergency situations;
and alarm signals for which the actual cause is not determined. Alarms
occurring within the first three months of initial installation of
a system due to system malfunction shall not be considered nuisance
alarms, provided that the Municipal Fire Official is presented with
sufficient evidence to verify that the causes of these alarms are
being investigated, and corrective action is being taken.
PROPRIETARY PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM
A protective signaling system under constant supervision
by competent and experienced personnel in a central supervising station
at the property protected. The system includes equipment and other
facilities required to permit the operators to test and operate the
system and, upon receipt of a signal, to take such action as shall
be required under the rules established for their guidance by the
authority having jurisdiction. The system shall be maintained and
tested by the owner, personnel or an organization satisfactory to
the authority having jurisdiction. Noncontiguous properties under
a single ownership may be considered as the property and be connected
to a single central supervising station.
PUBLIC FIRE SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
A Municipal fire alarm system, telephone facilities and Fire
Department radio facilities, all of which fulfill two principal functions:
that of receiving fire alarms or other emergency calls from the public
and that of retransmitting these alarms and emergency calls to fire
companies and other interested agencies.
PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT
A communication center that serves the consolidated incoming
and outgoing communication needs of the emergency medical service,
the fire service, the police service and other emergency services
of the Municipality.
REMOTE STATION PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM
A system of electrically supervised circuits employing a
direct circuit connection between signaling devices at the protected
premises and signal-receiving equipment in a remote station, such
as a Municipal communication center or fire alarm headquarters, or
other location acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
TAPE DIALER
An electronic device which is interconnected to a telephone
line and is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number
and transmit a prerecorded voice message of an alarm condition.
B. Definitions not defined in this article shall be as defined in NFPA
72 (1993).
The Eastern Regional Communication Center (ERCC) is hereby established
as the recognized remote station protection signaling system of the
Municipality, public fire service communication system of the Municipality
and the public safety answering point of the Municipality.
Single-unit signaling equipment is exempt from the provisions
of this article.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity engaged
in selling, installing and/or maintaining any alarm system in the
Municipality of Monroeville or engaged in monitoring any non-BOCA
fire alarm system of the Municipality shall obtain an annual permit
from the Municipality of Monroeville to engage in such activity. Said
permit shall contain the identity, the principal place (address) of
business and telephone number of the permittee, the identities of
all employees doing work in the Municipality and the name of the permittee's
bonding company, if any. The annual fee for said permit shall be $250,
except that the fee may be waived in the case of those entities installing
and/or maintaining their own proprietary alarm system which is not
required by the provisions of the 1996 BOCA Building and Fire Prevention
Codes. All subject systems shall be reported to the Municipality.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity having
a listed central station and desiring to monitor any BOCA-required
fire alarm system in the Municipality of Monroeville shall apply for
an annual permit from the Municipality of Monroeville to become an
approved central station of the jurisdiction. Said permit application
shall contain the identity, the principal place (address) of business
and telephone number of the permittee, the identities of all employees
doing work arising in the Municipality and the name of the permittee's
bonding company, if any. The annual fee for said permit shall be $250.
A recognized central station of the jurisdiction shall provide at
no cost to the Municipality two separate methods of retransmitting
signals to the Public Safety Communications Center of the Municipality.
One of the retransmission means shall be supervised so that interruption
of retransmission circuit communication integrity will result in a
trouble signal at the central station. The retransmission means shall
meet the requirements of Section 4-3.4.4.2 of NFPA 72 (1993).
A. The retransmission means may be supervised but are not limited to:
(1) A supervised circuit (channel) provided with suitable voice-transmitting,
receiving and automatic recording equipment. The circuit may be a
telephone circuit that cannot be used for any other purpose, is provided
with a two-way ring-down feature for supervision between the Municipal
Public Safety Communications Center and the central station with terminal
equipment located on the premises at each end and twenty-four-hour
standby power provided.
(2) Other means may be approved when equivalency can be shown to the
Fire Official, and such means is approved by the Fire Official and
Eastern Regional Communication Center.
B. All approved central stations of the jurisdiction shall meet the
requirements of this section regardless of the number of alarm systems
within the Municipality being monitored by any recognized central
station.
C. No central station shall be eligible for approval by the Municipality
unless it is listed by an approved agency.
D. Each approved central station shall, by January 31 of each year,
reapply for approved central station status. The application shall
be in a form as prescribed by the Fire Official of Monroeville in
consultation with the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communications
Center. The annual permit fee shall be $250. Each annual renewal request
shall be accompanied by a detailed list of all clients serviced within
the Municipality and a registration fee of $25 per client. Each client
list shall contain the name, address and telephone number of each
client as well as each client's emergency contact names and phone
numbers.
E. Each approved central station terminating monitoring service of a
client, for any reason, shall notify the Monroeville Fire Official
and the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center
within 10 days of such termination. Upon termination of the monitoring
service of a fire alarm system required to be monitored by the 1996
BOCA Building Code, the Monroeville Fire Official shall also be notified
of such termination by the central station. Failure to follow this
procedure will result in withdrawal of central station approval.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity installing,
owning, possessing and/or using an operative alarm system in the Municipality
of Monroeville shall register said system with the Municipality of
Monroeville and receive a permit for said system as required by the
Fire Prevention Code and/or Monroeville Police Department. The permit
shall contain the name, principal address and telephone number of
the permittee, address where the alarm is installed, the type of alarm
system, identity and address of the signaling equipment manufacturer
and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons to contact
in an emergency. The registration permit fee shall be $100, and the
permit shall be effective for the duration of the possession and/or
use of the system by the original permittee.
Specific requirements pertaining to the connection of various
types of alarm systems to the Municipal Public Safety Communications
Center shall be as follows:
A. All fire-signaling protective annunciating devices, units or systems
as required by the 1996 BOCA Basic Building and Fire Prevention Codes
shall be connected to the recognized remote station protective signaling
system of the Municipality at the Eastern Regional Communication Center
(ERCC) by means of approved central stations only.
B. All fire-signaling protective annunciating devices, units or systems
not required by the 1996 BOCA Basic Building and Fire Prevention Codes
may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication Center by means
of an approved method.
C. All holdup alarms shall connect to the Eastern Regional Communication
Center. Holdup alarms may be connected by approved central station
only.
D. Any burglary alarm may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication
Center by means of an approved central station or other central stations.
E. Any emergency medical alarm may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication
Center by means of an approved central station or other central station.
F. In the event that one given alarm system reports more than one type
of alarm condition by means of a single connection, then only one
permit shall be required for that connection.
A. Alarm equipment shall meet standards established by the Underwriters'
Laboratory, Factory Mutual Insurance Association, Factory Insurance
Association or National Fire Protection Association. Any commercial
fire alarm installer shall certify system installation, in writing,
to the Fire Official before placing said system into service. Such
written certification shall be in the form of Figure 1-7.2.1, Fire
Alarm System Certification and Description Certificate of NFPA 72
(1993 Edition). All fire alarm systems shall be under the supervision
of a responsible, qualified person or organization satisfactory to
the Fire Official, who shall, under contractual agreement, make all
inspections, tests and repairs promptly. Said person or organization
shall comply with all applicable laws, licenses, ordinances, rules
or regulations.
B. No commercial fire alarm system shall be approved for service by
the Fire Official until he is presented with a written copy of a contractual
agreement (between system owner and qualified service provider) which
states required service maintenance and testing is to be provided
and at what scheduled time periods. Said maintenance agreement shall
be for a minimum five-year period and shall be renewable. The service
maintenance company (or person), and the fire alarm system owner shall
notify the Fire Official upon the cancellation, expiration or nonrenewal
of any fire alarm service maintenance agreement. Failure to notify
the Fire Official of any change in status of a fire alarm service
maintenance agreement/contract shall result in a fine of $25 per day,
to be assessed against the fire alarm system owner, for each day until
evidence of a new agreement/contract is presented to the Fire Official.
Upon first issuance, or renewal of any service maintenance agreement,
a copy shall be forwarded to the Fire Official.
No fire alarm may be installed contrary to the provisions of
the 1996 BOCA Basic Code, Fire Prevention Code and NFPA Standard 72
of 1993. No alarm may be installed contrary to the provisions of the
National Electrical Code NFPA 70 (1996). Further, all local alarms
shall be equipped with an automatic reset after 1/2 hour of alarm
status and have another secure means of being reset. No tape dialers
may be sold, installed or used in Monroeville which are programmed
to dial the Eastern Regional Communication Center number.
A. If there are more than two nuisance alarms per ninety-day period
from a fire alarm system, the Fire Official may assess a fine pursuant
to this section, against an alarm system owner for the third and any
subsequent nuisance alarms according to the following schedule:
(1) Third nuisance alarm: $75.
(2) Fourth nuisance alarm: $150.
(3) Fifth nuisance alarm: $300.
(4) Sixth nuisance alarm and any subsequent nuisance alarm: $600.
B. The Fire Official shall be notified, in writing, of any chargeable
nuisance alarm by the Fire Chief within three days of its occurrence.
Notice of citation regarding any nuisance alarm shall be given to
the system owner in writing. For the sixth and any subsequent alarm
from a particular alarm system (in any ninety-day period), the Fire
Official may assess an additional fine of $300 for each day after
the date of such nuisance alarm, until the fire system owner provides
satisfactory evidence of the suspected cause determination and attempted
repairs. Satisfactory evidence shall be in written form from a qualified
alarm service company and shall state the suspected causes and attempted
remedies. With respect to any nuisance alarm for which an alarm system
owner is cited, such owner shall have the right to appeal the decision
of the Fire Official according to the procedures established in Section
121.0 of Ordinance No. 2021 and Section F-113.0
of Ordinance No. 2022 and/or the legal procedures as established by law for
proceedings at the Pennsylvania Local District Court level. The imposition
of any such additional daily fines shall be suspended during the pendency
of any appeal proceedings. If a fire alarm system owner appeals under
Ordinance No. 2021, Ordinance No. 2022 and/or at the Pennsylvania Local District Court level,
then any fines shall be held in abeyance until final resolution of
the appeal process; if any appellant is successful in such appeal
process, no fine shall be assessed; if the appellant is unsuccessful
in such appeal process, total fines shall be calculated from the day
of the filing of the formal appeal and all days preceding the formal
appeal. There shall be a fine assessed of $50 per occurrence for the
unauthorized resetting of an alarm system from an alarm to a secure
condition. Any nuisance alarm from a non-fire system shall be subject
to the penalties established by Ordinance No. 1928 of 1995.
The Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication
Center, Monroeville Fire Official or Municipal Fire Chief may order
a test of a fire alarm system at any time; the Chief of Police or
the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center
may order a test of any non-fire alarm system at any time during normal
business hours or after a real or nuisance alarm has occurred.
In addition to other authority, with 30 days' written notice,
the Monroeville Fire Official or Executive Director of the Eastern
Regional Communication Center, after consultation and approval from
the Monroeville Fire Official, may revoke or suspend any fire alarm
system permit issued pursuant hereto upon determining that:
A. The application for the permit contains a statement of material fact
which is false;
B. The permittee has failed to comply with the provisions of this article
or other related administrative regulations, ordinances, resolutions
or statutes; or
C. An alarm system is negligently installed, used or maintained. More
than 12 nuisance alarms within any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period
shall be one measure of negligent use and/or maintenance.
In addition to other authority, with 30 days' written notice,
the Chief of Police or the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional
Communication Center, after consultation and approval from the Monroeville
Chief of Police, may revoke or suspend any non-fire permit issued
pursuant hereto upon determining that:
A. The application for the permit contains a statement of material fact
which is false;
B. The permittee has failed to comply with the provisions of this article
or other related administrative regulations, ordinances, resolutions
or statutes; or
C. An alarm system is negligently installed, used or maintained. More
than 12 nuisance alarms within any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period
shall be one measure of negligent use and/or maintenance.
Upon 30 days' notice, in writing, from the Fire Official to comply with the provisions of this article regarding fire alarm systems, any person, firm, partnership or corporation failing to meet the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine of $300 per day upon being found in violation of this article after a hearing before the Local District Justice. Upon 30 days' notice, in writing, from the Chief of Police to comply with the provisions of this article relating to non-fire alarm systems, any person, firm, partnership or corporation failing to meet the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine of $300 per day upon being found in violation of this article after a hearing before the Local District Magistrate. This section shall not apply to orders pertaining to nuisance alarms as permitted by §
151-14 of this article.
Nothing in this article shall be construed, interpreted or applied
to abrogate, nullify or abolish any law, ordinance or code adopted
by the Municipality governing the construction, alteration, addition,
repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy and maintenance
of alarms specifically provided herein when any provision of this
article is found to be in conflict with any building, zoning, safety,
health or other applicable law, ordinance or code of the Municipality
existing on the effective date of this article or hereafter adopted,
the provision of which established the higher standard for the promotion
and protection of the safety and welfare of the public shall prevail.
The effective date of this article shall be July 1, 1998, or
90 days after enactment, whichever comes last. The Monroeville Fire
Official may grant an extension not to exceed 90 days to any alarm
system failing to meet the full requirements of this article by that
date. Such requests for an extension must be made in writing and state
the reasons for the request. Such request must be approved by the
Fire Official. Failure to comply with this article in the stipulated
time period shall be subject to the penalties as set forth in this
article.