[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Pottsville 3-12-1991
as Ord. No. 445. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
ACCIDENTAL FALSE ALARM
ALARM
ALARM DEVICE
CENTRAL RECEIVING STATION
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, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the
context:
Any false alarm which is not an intentional false alarm, as defined
herein, or when an intrusion, crime, fire or other emergency has not actually
occurred.
[1]A communication to the Police 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 Department; to
a person who is instructed to notify the Police 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 others to the existence of a crime, fire
or other emergency situation warranting police action.
The alarm or control panel installed in the Police Department for
the purpose of giving visual or audio response to direct alarm devices.
An alarm device, other than a telephone dialer alarm device, designed
to transmit an alarm directly to the Police Department.
An alarm to which the Police Department responds resulting from the
activation of an alarm device when a crime, fire or other emergency warranting
immediate action by the Police Department has not in fact occurred.
An alarm device designed to transmit an alarm to a person who is
instructed to notify the Police 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 Department has occurred or is occurring.
A person to whom the Police Department 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 to a person
who is instructed to notify the Police Department of the alarm.
B.
In this chapter, the singular shall include the plural;
the plural shall include the singular; the masculine shall include the feminine
and the neuter.
A.
It shall be unlawful for a property owner, lessee of
property or a person otherwise occupying a premises within the City of Pottsville
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 Police Department. It shall also be unlawful
for a property owner, lessee of property or a person otherwise occupying a
premises outside of the City of Pottsville to put into operation on his premises
an alarm device which terminates at the City of Pottsville's Police Department
or to allow such an alarm device to be put into operation on his premises
without first obtaining an alarm device permit from the Police Department.
B.
In order to apply for an alarm device permit, a person
must submit an application to the Police Department stating:
(1)
His name.
(2)
His home and business addresses and the telephone number
of each.
(3)
The location at which the alarm device will be installed
and operated.
(4)
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least
two (2) 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.
(5)
A general written description of the device other than
schematics.
C.
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. In addition, each
person submitting an application for an alarm device permit shall submit a
signed statement in the following form:
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"I (We), the undersigned applicant(s) for an alarm device permit, intending
to be legally bound hereby, agree with the City of Pottsville that neither
I (we), nor anyone claiming by, through or under me (us), shall make any claim
against the City of Pottsville, 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 City of Pottsville in order to answer an alarm
from said alarm device at a time when said premises are or appear to be unattended
or when in the discretion of said employees the circumstances appear to warrant
a forced entry."
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D.
The Police Department shall furnish forms which any person
wishing to apply for an alarm device permit shall submit with his application.
E.
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 City Council of the City of Pottsville.
F.
The Police Department shall, within ten (10) 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.
G.
An application for an alarm device permit may only be
denied for the following reasons:
H.
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 ninety (90) days after the effective date of this chapter, provided that said alarm device was in operation on the effective date of this chapter.
I.
The Police Department 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:
J.
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 § 82-3 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 § 82-4 of this chapter within thirty (30) days of the mailing to him of a notice of the assessment of a false alarm charge.
(3)
The occurrence of more than twelve (12) false alarms
from an alarm device during any calendar year.
(4)
The occurrence of an intentional false alarm caused by
permit holder or by an individual over the age of fifteen (15) who resides
on the premises where the alarm device is located.
K.
A person who has had his alarm device permit revoked under Subsections I and J of this section may reapply for an alarm device permit forty-five (45) days after the effective date of such revocation, provided that if false alarm charges or installation or maintenance fees, or both, have not been paid, the Police Department shall deny said application unless such charge or fee, or both, have 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 (1) year from the effective date of the second revocation.[1]
A.
If an alarm device is designed to transmit a recorded
message directly to the Police Department, the duration of such recorded message
shall not exceed sixty (60) seconds. The contents of the recorded message
shall be intelligible and in a format approved by the Police Department.
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.
A direct alarm device shall be designed to dial only
specific telephone numbers designated by the Police Department and to allow
the permit holder to abort the alarm signals.
D.
A direct alarm device shall be designed so that it interfaces
with the central receiving station maintained by the Police Department.
E.
If an alarm device is designed to cause a bell, siren
or soundmaking 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 soundmaking device
after thirty (30) minutes of operation. Preexisting units must be modified
for a thirty-minute device unless said unit cannot be modified without replacement.
F.
All alarm devices shall meet the applicable standards
of the Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., 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.
G.
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.
H.
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 City of Pottsville
a charge for each and every false alarm to which the Police and/or Fire Departments
responds, in each calendar year, as follows, for alarms sounded after first
month of installation:
C.
When a false alarm occurs, the Police Department, within
ten (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 Police Department to mail notice of assessment of
a false alarm charge within ten (10) days from the occurrence of a false alarm
shall preclude the City of Pottsville 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 Police Department thirty (30) days from the date of the mailing
of the notice of assessment of the charge.
A.
A permit holder who has a direct alarm device which is
connected to a central receiving station at Police Department headquarters
shall be required to pay to the City of Pottsville a fee for the connection
of his direct alarm device to the central receiving station and a yearly fee
for the maintenance of the central receiving station.
B.
The fee for connection of a direct alarm device to a
central receiving station at Police Department headquarters shall be one hundred
dollars ($100.), plus the actual cost of interface into the central receiving
station for each such connection.
C.
In addition, a permit holder who has a direct alarm device
shall pay a yearly fee for the maintenance of the central receiving station.
This maintenance fee shall be determined by the City Council of the City of
Pottsville on an annual basis each July by prorating the maintenance costs
among the number of permit holders at that time using the central receiving
station, regardless of how long a permit holder has been connected to the
central receiving station. The Police Department shall annually notify each
permit holder who has a direct alarm device of the amount of the assessment
for maintenance of the central receiving station. Such notice shall be in
writing and mailed to the permit holder at his last known address by regular
mail, postage prepaid. The maintenance fee shall be due and payable at the
office of the Police Department thirty (30) days from the date of the notice
of assessment of the maintenance fee.
D.
The fee for connection of a direct alarm device to a
central receiving station shall be due and payable at Police Department headquarters
at the time an alarm device permit is issued to an applicant for such a permit.
The Police Department shall not issue an alarm device permit to an applicant
until such fee is paid.[1]
E.
The Police Department shall not in any way be obligated
to provide or continue to provide a central receiving station facility or
facilities for direct alarm devices, provided that if the Police Department
decides to discontinue operation of a central receiving station facility,
it shall notify all permit holders serviced by said facility.
F.
Failure of a permit holder to pay a yearly fee for the maintenance of the central receiving station to which his direct alarm device is connected within thirty (30) days of the date said payment is due shall be subject to the disconnection of his direct alarm device from the central receiving station and to the revocation of his alarm device permit under § 82-2J of this chapter.
If the location of the headquarters of the Police Department should
change at any time, the City of Pottsville shall not be responsible for any
cost incurred by permit holders or other persons because of said change in
location.
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 City
of Pottsville of any liability to maintain any equipment, to answer alarms,
nor otherwise render the City of Pottsville 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 City of Pottsville and shall include the following:
A.
Authority to accept or reject a permit application or
to 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 city
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 City of Pottsville as a result of false alarms.
C.
Authority, at reasonable times and upon written notice,
to enter upon any premises within the City of Pottsville to inspect the installation
and operation of an alarm device.
Whenever, under the provisions of this chapter, the Police Department
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 ten (10) days following the decision,
file a written appeal therefrom with the City Council of the City of Pottsville,
whereupon the City Council shall promptly conduct a hearing and affirm, modify
or reverse the decision appealed from. The decision of the City Council shall
be final.
Any person, firm or corporation who or which shall violate any provision
of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine
of not more than six hundred dollars ($600.00) and/or to imprisonment for
a term not to exceed ninety (90) days.
