[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the Township of Springfield 10-12-1977 by Ord. No. 667.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance repealed former
Ch. 3, Alarm Devices, adopted 5-13-1970 by Ord. No. 593, as amended.
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following
words and phrases shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the
meanings herein indicated:
Any person, firm or corporation who sells, leases or installs
automatic warning devices.
A service whereby trained employees in attendance at all
times receive prerecorded signals from automatic warning devices reporting
an emergency at a stated location and who have the duty to relay immediately
by live voice any such emergency message over a designated or direct
trunk line to the communications center of the Police or Fire Department.
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building and emits a warning signal audible
outside the building, designed to attract attention when activated,
requiring the Police or Fire Department to respond.
Any instrument composed of sensory apparatus and related
hardware which automatically transmits a prerecorded signal over regular
telephone lines, by direct or indirect connection to the communications
center, upon receipt of a stimulus from a sensory apparatus that has
detected a physical force or condition inherently characteristic of
a fire or intrusion.
A protective system operated privately for customers by a
person, firm or corporation which maintains, supervises and accepts
recorded signals from automatic warning devices at a central station
having trained operators and guards in attendance at all times who
have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt of a signal
or message, including the relaying of a message by designated or direct
trunk lines to the communications center.
A Chief of one of the Springfield Township Volunteer fire
companies.
The Chief of Springfield Township Police Department.
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the Police or Fire Department that is for the primary purpose of handling
emergency messages which originate from automatic warning devices
and are transmitted directly or indirectly through an intermediary.
A nonlisted, directly connected telephone line leading to
the communications center of the Police Department that is for the
sole purpose of signaling for emergency police service.
[Amended 2-14-1979 by Ord. No. 680[1]]
Any signal activated manually or by an automatic warning
device, any audible alarm or any other kind of direct or indirect
signal transmitted to the police or fire communications center to
which police or firemen respond which is not the result of a burglary,
fire, robbery or a similar emergency.
[Amended 9-10-1997 by Ord. No. 824]
The fire communications room and other rooms which house
auxiliary communication equipment.
Fire Departments located within the Township of Springfield.
A central station protective system or an answering service,
as herein defined.
To use a telephone line and equipment for transmitting a
message, either directly or indirectly, by an automatic warning device.
The police communications room and other rooms which house
auxiliary communication equipment.
The Springfield Township Police Department.
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the Police or Fire Department that is for the purpose of handling
emergency calls on a person-to-person basis, and which line is identified
by a specific listing among the white pages in the telephone directory
issued by the Bell Telephone Company.
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the Police or Fire Department that is for the purpose of handling
administrative and other calls on a person-to-person basis, and which
line is identified by a specific listing among the white pages in
the telephone directory issued by the Bell Telephone Company.
Any resident, person, corporation, institution or company
who has keyed an automatic warning device in the township to a designated
or direct trunk line or who has installed or caused to be installed
an audible alarm in the township, whether or not such device is keyed
to a designated or direct trunk line.
[Amended 12-14-1988 by Ord. No. 762]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided
that "The purpose of this ordinance is to amend the said alarm devices
regulations so that direct trunk lines may be used for intrusionary
alarm device connections only, and any reference to permitting fire
alarm connections by direct trunk lines to the communications center
shall be repealed."
A.
After the effective date of this chapter, all new
automatic warning devices that transmit recorded messages directly
to the Police or Fire Department, other than direct trunk line alarms,
shall be keyed to a designated trunk line.
B.
Within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter,
existing automatic warning devices not connected to direct trunk line
alarms in the township shall be disconnected from primary and secondary
trunk lines and shall be connected to a designated trunk line.
A.
Within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter,
every subscriber shall furnish to the Chief of Police a registration
of such installation, which shall include the following information:
(1)
The name, residence and telephone number of the user.
(2)
The address where the device is installed and the
telephone number of that address.
(3)
The name, address and telephone number of a central
station protective system or any other person or firm 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 the alarm equipment
supplier and of any person other than the alarm equipment supplier
who is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the automatic
warning device.
B.
All information furnished pursuant to these subsections
shall be kept confidential and shall be for the use of the Police
and Fire Departments only.
A.
Each subscriber shall file an application of operation
of an AWD with the township.
B.
Each subscriber shall enter into an agreement with
the township whereby the township would be rendered harmless for any
damage or breakage caused by the township while making a forced entry
to answer an AWD alarm, whether a false alarm or an authentic alarm.
All AWD's shall meet minimum installation and
operating standards as follows:
A.
Except as provided in Subsection A(1) and (2) of this section, after the enactment of this chapter, users must equip audible alarms with a timing mechanism that will disengage the audible alarm after a maximum period of 15 minutes. Audible alarms without such a timing mechanism shall be unlawful in the township and must be disconnected by the user within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter. The following shall be excepted from the provisions of this subsection:
B.
No AWD may be keyed to a primary or secondary trunk
line.
C.
AWD's which transmit recorded messages directly to
the communications center must be keyed to a designated trunk line.
D.
AWD's keyed to an intermediary shall relay messages
to the communication center over a designated trunk line.
E.
The type and content of recorded messages must be
intelligible and, prior to installation, must be in a format approved
by the Police Department.
F.
No more than one call shall be made over a designated
trunk line to the communication center as a result of a single activation
of the AWD.
G.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with an AWD
must be adjusted to suppress false indications of fire or intrusion,
so that the device will not be actuated by impulses due to fleeting
pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, the rattling
or vibrating of doors and windows, vibrations to the premises caused
by the passing of vehicles or any other force not related to genuine
alarms.
H.
Any AWD which transmits to the communication center
a signal or a message (other than a recorded or live voice message)
must be relayed to an alarm receiver panel as designated by the township.
I.
All components of an AWD must be maintained in good
repair by the subscriber to assure maximum reliability of operation.
A.
All subscribers desiring to use direct trunk lines
for automatic intrusionary warning devices only shall have same connected
from the subscriber's source to the communications center by the township's
designated alarm equipment contractor.
[Amended 2-14-1979 by Ord. No. 680]
B.
Applications shall be submitted to the Chief of Police
on prescribed forms accompanied by the yearly fee of $100 prorated
on the number of months remaining in the calendar year and payable
thereafter on a calendar-year basis.
C.
The subscriber shall enter into an agreement with
the township contractor for regular maintenance of the subscriber's
monitoring equipment at police headquarters. A fee of $25 per year
is payable to the contractor for this purpose.
D.
The township shall bear no responsibility or any expense
in connection with the installation of facilities by the subscriber
necessary for the emergency alarm equipment, nor the maintenance thereof,
and particularly the rental of telephone wires and other facilities
connecting the premises of the subscriber with the township's emergency
alarm equipment.
No test or demonstration of an automatic warning
device shall be conducted in the Township of Springfield without first
obtaining permission from the Chief of Police.
The owner of an AWD shall be solely responsible
for the maintenance and service of the AWD equipment.
Each subscriber shall arrange for repair service
on a twenty-four-hour-per-day basis, to repair such device or to correct
any malfunction that may occur.
When messages failing to comply with the operational requirements set forth in §§ 3-5, 3-6 and 3-9 are received by the Police or Fire Department, the Chief is authorized to demand that the subscriber, or his representative, disconnect the device until it is made to comply with operational requirements. If disconnection of the defective device is not accomplished, the Chief then shall take those steps necessary to disconnect the defective AWD. Any expenses so incurred by the township shall be reimbursed by the registered subscriber in accordance with law.
[Amended 4-11-1979 by Ord. No. 682]
A.
False intrusionary alarms. Any person, subscriber
or alarm agent who causes a false intrusionary alarm for any reason
shall pay the township a fine for each false alarm to which the Police
Department responds in any consecutive twelve-month period as follows:
[Amended 12-11-1991 by Ord. No. 784; 1-13-1999 by Ord. No.
835]
|
Number of False Intrusionary Alarms in
Any Consecutive Twelve-Month Period
|
Fine
|
|---|---|
|
First, second and third
|
No fine
|
|
Fourth and subsequent
$300 per occurrence
|
Not more than
|
B.
False fire alarms. Any person, subscriber or alarm
agent who causes a false fire alarm for any reason shall pay the township
a fine for each false alarm to which the Fire Department responds
in any consecutive twelve-month period as follows:
[Amended 12-11-1991 by Ord. No. 784; 1-13-1999 by Ord. No.
835]
|
Number of False Alarms in Any Consecutive
Twelve- Month Period
|
Fine
|
|---|---|
|
First, second and third
|
No fine
|
|
Fourth and subsequent
|
Not more than $300 per occur- rence
|
C.
In the absence of any apparent evidence of intrusion,
illegal entry or attempted entry (in the case of an intrusionary,
alarm), or evidence of a fire (in the case of a fire alarm), or unless
obviously caused by extraordinary occurrence beyond the owner's control,
such as power failure or surge or the like, then the false alarm shall
be presumed to have been caused by the subscriber, or other person
owning or in possession of the alarm device as appropriate.
[Added 4-13-1983 by Ord. No. 715]
[Amended 7-13-1988 by Ord. No. 756]
Failure of any person, subscriber or alarm agent to comply with the requirements of written notice of a violation of any provision hereof, including failure to pay false alarm fines as provided in § 3-11 above, shall constitute an offense punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution and the delinquent false alarm fines provided in § 3-11, to be collectible before any District Justice as like fines and penalties are now by law collectible. Such notice shall continue in force and effect until full compliance with the requirements stated therein, and each failure to comply with such notice within 24 hours after the three days allowed for compliance shall constitute a separate offense and a separate fine therefor.
