[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of
the Town of Plainville 6-6-2011 ATM by Art. 26. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Enforcement — See Ch. 277.
For the purpose of this bylaw, the following
words and their derivations shall be given the meanings contained
herein.
An assembly of equipment and devices, such as a solid state
unit that plugs directly into a 110-volt AC line, designed to signal
the presence of a hazard at the premises where installed and requiring
the immediate attention and response of public safety personnel.
The person on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
within the Town of Plainville, except for motor vehicle alarm systems.
A system that automatically sends over regular telephone
lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message
or coded signal indicating the existence of an emergency situation
that the system is designed to detect.
An office to which remote alarm and supervisory signaling
devices are connected, where operators supervise circuits or where
guards are maintained continuously to investigate signals.
The instrumentation on the alarm console at the receiving
terminal of a signal line which, through both visual and audible signals,
indicates activation of an alarm system at a particular location or
which indicates line trouble.
An alarm system which has the capability of transmitting
system signals and receiving them at the Plainville Police and Fire
Communications Center.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation or negligence of the user or of
his or her employees or agents. Excluded from this definition are
activations of alarms by power outage, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes
or malfunction of telephone lines.
To connect an alarm system to a voice grade telephone line
either directly or through a mechanical device that utilizes a standard
telephone to transmit an emergency message upon activation.
The Town of Plainville Police Department or any authorized
agent thereof.
The Chief of Police of the Town of Plainville or his designee.
Anything which annoys, injures or endangers the comfort,
repose, health or safety of any person(s) or of any community or neighborhood.
The Board of Selectmen of the Town of Plainville or any authorized
agent thereof.
The Town of Plainville, Massachusetts.
A.Â
It shall be unlawful to install an alarm system that
is keyed to or automatically activates the telephone lines controlled
by or listed to the Plainville Police Department without approval
of the Police Chief after the effective date of this bylaw.
B.Â
No person or business shall have an alarm system that
notifies the Police Department by means of a dedicated or nondedicated
telephone line, recorded device or other means without approval of
the Police Chief after the effective date of this bylaw.
No person or business shall have an alarm system
that is connected to or automatically activates the Police Department
by means of dedicated enhanced 9-1-1 line or truck.
A.Â
All alarms must be authorized by the Police Chief
prior to being connected to the Police Department and must accompany
a written alarm application furnished by the Police Department.
B.Â
In accordance with normal practices in effect within
the Town, the Police Chief shall have the authority to request bids
or proposals from alarm companies in order to furnish at no cost to
the Town an alarm communications console and the necessary telephone
lines which are compatible to the receipt of alarm signals. Each of
the bids shall set forth the annual fee which is to be paid by the
user or the alarm company that installs customer premises equipment,
such fee to be paid to the alarm company that services the alarm communications
console, except that no such fee shall be assessed to the municipality
for any alarms or connections to the console from properties owned
by the municipality. Such services shall be set forth in a contract
between the alarm user(s) and the alarm company. Any alarm user may
contract with any alarm company of their choosing for the sale, installation,
maintenance and/or servicing of the alarm system to be installed on
their premises. The alarm user or the alarm company contracting for
servicing with the alarm user's alarm system shall be responsible
for obtaining the leased telephone lines between the alarm user's
premises and the alarm-receiving equipment at the Police Department
and for furnishing the appropriate interface equipment, if required,
in order to provide an input signal which is compatible with the receiving
equipment used to operate the alarm communications console.
Within one year of the effective date of this bylaw, all automatic dialing devices or alarm systems interconnected to any telephone numbers or direct connected at the Police Department shall be disconnected therefrom. The user of each such device shall be responsible for having such device disconnected, except that the alarm system(s) may be reinstalled in accordance with §§ 204-1, 204-2, 204-3 and 204-4 above.
A.Â
Every alarm user shall submit to the Police Chief
and the alarm company who maintains the system at the Police Department
the names and telephone numbers of at least two persons who can be
reached at any time day or night and who are authorized to respond
to an emergency signal transmitted by the user's alarm system and
who can open the premises wherein the alarm system is installed. Such
names and phone numbers must be kept current by the alarm user and
the alarm company.
B.Â
All alarm systems directly connected to the police
station shall be equipped with a test device which will give a ten-second
delay, or longer, prior to alarm system activation in order to warn
the alarm user of an open alarm circuit.
C.Â
Any alarm signal emitting a continuous and uninterrupted audible signal for more than 30 minutes which cannot be shut off or curtailed due to the absence or unavailability of the user or those persons designated under Subsection A of this section and which disturbs the peace, comfort or repose of the community or neighborhood shall constitute a public nuisance. The Police Department may take appropriate measures to silence the alarm and quell the disturbance and shall bear no liability for so doing.
D.Â
A user of an alarm system within the Town who has
recorded three false alarms within a calendar year may be subject
to a fine of no more than $50 for each occurrence in excess of three.
E.Â
No alarm system designed to transmit emergency signals
or messages to the Police Department shall be worked on, tested or
demonstrated without first obtaining approval from the Police Chief
or his designee. Any such unauthorized test shall constitute a false
alarm. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the testing of any alarm
that is not directly or indirectly to the police station.
The Police Chief may promulgate such rules as
may be necessary for the implementation of this bylaw.
