As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ANSWERING SERVICE
A service whereby trained employees, in attendance at all
times, receive prerecorded voice messages or other signals from automatic
protection devices reporting an emergency at a stated location and
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 Department or Fire Department.
AUDIBLE ALARM
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building or structure and emits a warning
signal audible outside the building or structure and is designed to
attract attention when activated by a criminal act or any other emergency
requiring the Police Department or Fire Department to respond.
AUTOMATIC PROTECTION DEVICE
An electrically operated instrument composed of sensory apparatus
and related hardware, which automatically transmits a prerecorded
voice alarm over regular telephone lines by direct or indirect connection
to the Police Department or Fire Department upon receipt of a stimulus
from a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition
inherently characteristic of a fire or intrusion.
CENTRAL STATION PROTECTIVE SYSTEM
A protective system or group of systems operated privately
for customers by a person who or which maintains supervisors and accepts
recorded messages from automatic protection devices at a central station
having trained operators and guards in attendance at all times that
have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt of a signal
or message, including the relaying of messages by direct phone line
to the police communications center located in Media, Delaware County,
Pennsylvania.
FALSE ALARM
A signal activated by an automatic protection device, an
audible alarm or any other kind of direct or indirect signal given
to the police or fire communications center to which police or firemen
respond, which signal or alarm is not the result of a burglary, fire,
robbery or similar emergency.
FIRE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
The fire communications room and other rooms which house
auxiliary communications equipment and which is located in Media,
Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
INTERMEDIARY
A central station protective system or answering service
as defined in this section.
KEY
To use a telephone line and equipment for transmitting a
message either directly or indirectly by an automatic protection device.
PERMIT
Written permission duly granted to an applicant by the Borough
upon payment of the required fee.
POLICE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
The police communications room and other rooms which house
auxiliary communications equipment and which is located in Media,
Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Audible alarms without timing mechanisms that
will disengage the audible alarm after a maximum period of 15 minutes
shall be unlawful in the Borough and must be disconnected by the owner
or lessee within 60 days from the effective date of this chapter.
When messages evidencing failure to comply with the operational requirements set forth in §
68-3 are received by the Fire Department or the Police Department and the Code Enforcement Officer concludes that the automatic protection device sending such messages should be disconnected in order to relieve the particular department of the burden of responding to false alarms, he or she is authorized to demand that the owner or lessee of the device or his or her representative disconnect the device until it is made to comply with the operational requirements set forth in §
68-3. If disconnection of the defective device is not accomplished promptly and the Code Enforcement Officer determines that the malfunctioning device is repeatedly sending false alarms without any intermittent valid alarms, he or she may then take any steps necessary to disconnect the device.
Alarm equipment suppliers must conform to the
requirements of the Electrical Code of the Borough as they pertain
to permits, licenses, inspections and tests by the Electrical Inspector
and/or the Code Enforcement Officer.
For the purpose of enforcing this chapter and
as a condition precedent to the installation and maintenance of an
automatic protection device, the owner or lessee thereof shall execute
a consent, in such form as may be prescribed by the Borough, which
will authorize the Electrical Inspector and/or the Code Enforcement
Officer to enter upon such lessee's or owner's premises within the
Borough, at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, to inspect
the installation and operation of an automatic protection device.
No person shall conduct a test or demonstration
of an automatic protection device without first obtaining permission
from the Police Department and Fire 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 Police Department
or the Fire Department.
For the purpose of defraying the costs to the Borough of responding to a false alarm, the owner or lessee of an automatic protection device, persons using the services of intermediaries, users of audible alarms and users of any other kind of direct or indirect connection with the police or fire communications centers, except persons using two-way live voice communication by telephone, shall, as a condition precedent to the installation and continued operation of such equipment or service, execute a consent, in such form as may be presented by the Borough, that such owner, lessee or user shall pay the Borough $25 for each false alarm originating from the owner's or lessee's premises. This sum shall be a civil claim by the Borough and does not affect the penalty provisions of §
68-12.
Any owner, lessee or user who fails to execute the consent described in §
68-8 within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter shall, within the ninety-day period, disconnect the alarm,
automatic protection device or any other kind of direct or indirect
connection with the police or fire communications center and shall
discontinue using the services of any intermediaries.
No person shall misuse, purposely, knowingly
or recklessly, activate falsely, or continually activate accidentally,
any automatic protection device.
The Borough shall serve a written notice of violation and order to cease, desist and correct such violation upon any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, other than §
68-10. No person shall fail to comply with the requirements of such written notice within three days of receipt thereof, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.