[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of New Hope 3-23-1987
by Ord. No. 247 (Ch. 13, Part 1 of the 1990 Code). Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fee Schedule — See Ch. A280.
This chapter shall be known as the "Emergency Alarm Control Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to promote the health, safety and general
welfare of the inhabitants of the Borough by discouraging false alarms reported
to the Police Department, fire companies and similar emergency services; and
by controlling and regulating automatic alarm systems and installations thereof.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any business operated by a person, partnership, corporation, or other
business entity for profit which engages in the activity of altering, installing,
leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, monitoring,
or responding to burglary, holdup, fire, medical emergency, or similar emergency
alarm systems, or which causes these activities to take place.
Any electronic or mechanical device which upon receipt or detection
of a stimulus or signal characteristic of a fire, intrusion, or other emergency
situation, automatically transmits a prerecorded voice or other alarm signal
over telephone lines by direct or indirect connection; or which causes a visual
or audible signal to be generated which can be detected from outside the premises
in which it is installed and which is intended to result in the summoning
of an emergency service agency. Indirect connection includes answering services
and all other persons monitoring and relaying information to an emergency
service agency.
The New Hope Borough Police Department, volunteer fire companies
operating within New Hope Borough, rescue squads, ambulance companies, and
any other similar service or agency.
Any signal activated by an AAD, or any other kind of direct or indirect
signal given or caused to be given to an emergency service agency to which
emergency service agency personnel respond and which is not the result of
a burglary, fire, injury, robbery, or similar emergency. For the purpose of
this chapter, any alarm transmitted or activated by an AAD without physical
sign of entry, fire, or other emergency shall be considered a false alarm.
Any resident, person, corporation, partnership, institution, company,
or other entity which has installed an AAD designed or intended to alert an
emergency service agency and to elicit their response.
[Amended by 8-13-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-2; 4-13-1992
by Ord. No. 1992-2A]
A.
Within 30 days from the effective date of this chapter,
every alarm business which installs an AAD shall register such installation
with the Chief of Police on a form provided by the Police Department. Such
registration shall be accomplished by the alarm business within two weeks
from the date the installation is completed. The information to be provided
shall include the following:
(1)
The name, residence address and telephone number of the
user.
(2)
The address where the AAD is installed and the telephone
number of that address.
(3)
The names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least
two persons who are authorized to gain entry into the protected premises and
who are available to respond within 30 minutes of notification.
(4)
The name, address and telephone number of the alarm equipment
supplier and person responsible for maintenance of the AAD.
(5)
The date on which the alarm business completed the installation.
B.
All information furnished pursuant to this section shall
be kept confidential and shall be for the exclusive use of the Police Department.
C.
A fee, as established from time to time by the Borough
Council, shall be paid for each such registration.
D.
Every alarm business is required to provide each user
of an AAD with a notice summarizing the provisions of this chapter. Such notices
shall be available for the New Hope Police Department.
[Amended 8-13-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-2]
A.
The fees for false alarms are as established from time
to time by the Borough Council.
B.
For the first three false alarms within a one-year period,
the Police Department shall send a suitable notice of the false alarm to the
user of the AAD generating or causing the false alarm at his mailing address
if known, or to the address of the location at which the AAD is located. After
the third false alarm in a one-year period, the Police Department shall send
a suitable notice to the user advising him of the fee, the amount to be paid
to the Borough therefor, the time limitations for payment, the place of payment,
and that failure to pay the fee within the prescribed time is a violation
of this chapter.
C.
The fee shall be paid by the user within 10 days of notice
at the New Hope Borough building.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a grace period of 30 days shall be permitted for any new installation of an AAD, provided that a permit for such AAD has been obtained as set forth in this chapter. During the thirty-day grace period, which shall begin on the day that the installation is completed, no false alarms will be considered for purposes of determining fees for false alarms as set forth in § 90-5.
A.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with any AAD
must be designed and adjusted to suppress false indications of intrusion or
fire so that the device will not be activated by impulses due to momentary
pressure changes in water pipes, normal changes in atmospheric pressure or
humidity, flashes of light, normal rattling or vibrating of doors and windows,
the vibrations to the premises caused by passing vehicles, or any other occurrence
not related to a genuine emergency. All such devices must be maintained by
the user in good repair to insure maximum reliability of operation and minimum
occurrences of false alarms.
B.
AADs which use automatic telephone dialing mechanisms
shall transmit a message approved by the Chief of Police. Such AADs shall
not make more than two telephone calls to an emergency service agency during
any one cycle of the alarm function. The message shall be no longer than 15
seconds in duration and shall not be repeated more than twice.
C.
AADs which generate an audible alarm which can be heard
outside the premises in which the AAD is installed shall be designed to stop
generating the audible alarm after 30 minutes of operation. After 90 days
of the effective date of this chapter, all audible alarms not in compliance
with this section shall be unlawful and must be disconnected.
[Amended 8-13-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-2; 4-13-1992
by Ord. No. 1992-2A]
A.
It shall be unlawful for any alarm business to install
AADs in New Hope Borough without first obtaining a permit from the Chief of
Police. The permit shall be renewable annually at a fee to be established
from time to time by Borough Council.
B.
It shall be unlawful for any alarm business or its representatives
to represent to any customer, user or sales prospect that the New Hope Police
Department endorses, recommends or otherwise approves of the alarm business's
service or equipment. It shall be unlawful to represent that the Police Department
furnished any information concerning any customer, user or sales prospect
to the alarm business or it representatives.
C.
It shall be unlawful to conduct a test or demonstration
of any AAD without the permission of the Chief of Police or his designate.
No permission is required, however, if the alarm or signal will not cause
the response of any emergency service agency.
D.
All alarm businesses operating within New Hope Borough
shall, at the time of obtaining the annual permit, submit to the Chief of
Police a list of users which had AADs installed during the prior year, together
with the names, addresses and phone numbers of all users then currently being
serviced by the alarm business at the time of application.
[Amended 8-13-1990 by Ord. No. 1990-2]
Failure of any person, corporation, partnership, business, institution,
or other entity to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any section
thereof shall constitute an offense punishable by a fine of not more than
$600 and costs, or in default of payment thereof, shall be subject to imprisonment
for a term not to exceed 30 days. Failure to pay a false alarm fee within
the prescribed time limits shall result in a penalty in addition to the amount
of the fee assessed.
