The purpose of this chapter is to provide for
the establishment and the maintenance of an efficient, effective and
uniform police alarm system within the City of Vineland and to provide
standards and regulations for the various alarm equipment, devices
or systems, including dialers, and local alarms designed to summon
the Vineland Police Department at police headquarters or any other
agency so as to elicit a response or action by the Vineland Police
Department. This chapter will provide penalties for false alarms and
any violations of this chapter, thereby protecting the emergency services
of the community from misuse.
The following definitions shall apply in the
interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
ALARM AGENT LICENSE
Written permission duly granted by the City of Vineland for
any person(s) who is (are) employees of any alarm business, either
directly or indirectly, whose duties include any of the following:
selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing,
moving or installing any alarm system or causing the same to be moved
or installed in or on any building, structure or facility.
ALARM EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER
Any person, firm, corporation or other entity engaged in
selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing,
moving or installing any alarm system or causing any alarm system
to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced,
moved or installed in or on any building, structure or facility.
ALARM USER PERMIT
Written permission duly granted by the Chief of Police or
his designate for the installation of a local alarm or police alarm
system or any type of device which, when activated, will alert others
of an unauthorized entry requiring urgent attention and to which the
City of Vineland Police Department is expected to respond.
ANSWERING SERVICE
A service whereby trained employees in attendance at all
times receive prerecorded voice messages or visual or audio sounds
to report an emergency at a stated location and who have the duty
to relay immediately, by live voice, any such emergency message over
a telephone line to the communications center of the Vineland Police
Department.
ARMED-ROBBERY ALARM
An alarm system signaling an armed robbery or an attempted
armed robbery by a local alarm system or police alarm system and/or
all devices, such as bells, horns, sirens, lights, buzzers and whistles,
which are designated to alert others and which will require urgent
attention and to which the City of Vineland Police Department is expected
to respond.
AUDIBLE ALARM
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building, structure or facility and emits
a warning signal audible outside the building and is designed to attract
attention, which is activated by a criminal act or other emergency,
requiring police to respond.
AUTOMATIC ALARM SHUTOFF
A timing mechanism that will disengage the audible alarm
after a maximum of 15 minutes after actuation.
AUTOMATIC DIGITAL DIALER
A device which is interconnected to the telephone lines and
is preprogrammed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit
by coded message indicating a need for emergency response by police.
AUTOMATIC VOICE TELEPHONE DIALER
A device which is interconnected to the telephone line and
is preprogrammed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit
by voice message indicating a need for emergency response by police.
CENTRAL STATION PROTECTIVE SERVICE
A protective system or groups of systems operated privately
for customers by person(s), firm(s) or corporation(s) which maintain
supervisors and accept prerecorded messages from automatic protection
devices at a central station having trained operators and guards in
attendance at all times that have a duty to take appropriate action
upon receipt of a signal or message, including the relaying of messages
by telephone line or digital display unit or any other electrical
or mechanical means to the communications center of the Vineland Police
Department.
CHIEF OF POLICE
The Chief of Police of the City of Vineland or his designate,
the Police Alarm Coordinator.
CITY
The City of Vineland.
CONTRACTOR ALARM LICENSE
Written permission duly granted by the City of Vineland to
sell, lease, maintain, service, repair, alter, replace, move or install
any alarm system or cause to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced,
repaired, altered, replaced, moved or installed any alarm system in
or on any building, structure or facility.
DESIGNATED TRUNKLINE
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the City of Vineland Police Department that is for the primary purpose
of handling emergency messages which originate from automatic digital
dialers and are transmitted directly or indirectly through an intermediary.
EMERGENCY
A police, fire or medical emergency.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal eliciting a response by the City of Vineland
Police Department when a situation requiring a response by the City
of Vineland Police Department does not in fact exist, but does not
include any alarm signal caused by violent conditions of nature or
other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to the control
by the business alarm operator or alarm user. If doubt exists as to
the cause of the false alarm, the Chief of Police or his designee
shall make a decision regarding the circumstances of the activation.
Multiple alarms received by the Police Department before the system
can be deactivated within a reasonable period of time shall be considered
a single alarm.
INTERMEDIARY
A central protective agency or answering service.
KEY
To use a telephone line or equipment for transmitting a message,
either directly or indirectly, by an automatic protection device.
LEASE BURGLAR ALARM
A wired electrical circuit leased from the telephone company
for transmitting alarm signals from protected premises to a monitoring
station and/or the communications center of the City of Vineland Police
Department.
LICENSE
See definitions of "alarm agent license" and "contractor
alarm license" of this section.
[Added 4-24-1990 by Ord. No. 90-25]
LINE SECURITY
A system that detects attempts to alter the characteristics
or the integrity of the communication line between the protected premises
and the alarm-monitoring center and/or the communications center of
the City of Vineland Police Department.
NOTICE
Written notice given by personal service upon the addressee
or given by the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to
the person(s) to be notified at his last known address. Service of
such notice shall be effective upon completion of a personal service
or upon the placing of the same in the custody of the United States
Postal Service.
PERMIT
Written permission duly granted to the applicant by the City
of Vineland upon payment of the required fee.
PERMITTEE
Any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation
who or which shall be granted a permit as provided herein and his,
her or its agents and representatives.
PERSON
The natural person(s), firm, partnership, association or
corporation.
POLICE ALARM COORDINATOR
The individual(s) designated by the Chief of Police of the
City of Vineland Police Department to investigate business alarm license
applications, alarm agent licenses, alarm permits and police alarm
licenses and to investigate any violation of this chapter.
POLICE ALARM LICENSEE
The recipient or holder of such license, hereafter referred
to as the "police alarm licensee," shall have exclusive use and control
of the police alarm console, except for the use of the City of Vineland
buildings, properties and structures. The police alarm licensee shall
make, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and rules
and regulations adopted thereunder, all installations and reconnects
and pay the maintenance fees established by this chapter.
PRIMARY TRUNKLINE
A telephone line leading into the communications center of
the City of Vineland Police 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 of the New
Jersey Bell Telephone Company for Cumberland County and vicinity.
SECONDARY TRUNKLINE
A telephone line leading into the main switchboard of the
City Hall of Vineland and/or the communications center of the City
of Vineland Police Department that is for the purpose of handling
administrative and other calls on a person-to-person basis.
No person(s), individual(s), partnership, corporation
or other entity thereof will install, connect, maintain or cause to
be installed, connected or maintained any local alarm, police alarm
system, armed-robbery alarm, emergency or other alarm equipment, device
or system in or to the City of Vineland Police Department or any central
station or answering service or install or attach to any building,
structure or facility any device designed to detect an unauthorized
entry or unlawful act which will alert others and require urgent attention
and to which the City of Vineland Police Department is expected to
respond without first obtaining a burglar alarm permit.
No person(s), individual(s), partnership, corporation
or other entity thereof will sell, lease, maintain, service, repair,
alter, replace, move or install any alarm system or cause the same
to be moved or installed in or on any building, structure or facility
without first making application for an alarm contractor license and receiving clearance before engaging in any of the
above-described services or businesses in the City of Vineland.
All alarm equipment, devices and systems shall
conform to the rules and regulations made and provided herein by the
Chief of Police and the City Council.
Each alarm supplier who, after the effective
date of this chapter, sells or leases in the City of Vineland any
alarm system shall furnish operating instructions and a manual to
the buyer or leaser.
Every alarm supplier selling, leasing or furnishing
to any user or a user who privately installs an alarm system which
is located on premises within the City shall be:
A. Permitted to install only equipment that is listed
by Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., as being electrically safe and
meeting the City requirements for the alarm system. Wiring for the
alarm system must conform to all applicable City codes.
B. Required to cause each alarm system installed to be
provided with standby battery power, which shall automatically and
immediately take over in the event of a power failure.
C. Required to install equipment in such a way as to
neutralize electrical surges on the alarm system.
D. Required to deactivate any alarm system within a reasonable
period of time when multiple false alarms are received.
Any person who violates the provisions of §§
211-7 through
211-14 shall be subject to a penalty not to exceed the amount of $500.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration
of any alarm system without first notifying the Alarm Coordinator
of the City of Vineland Police Department.
The provisions of §§
211-7 through
211-14 do not include person(s) who engage in the manufacture or sale of an alarm system from a fixed location and who neither visit the location where the alarm system is to be installed nor designed the scheme for the physical location and the installation of the alarm system in a specific location.
No person(s) who is (are) employed by an alarm
business, either directly or indirectly, whose duties include any
of the following: selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing,
alerting, replacing, moving or installing any alarm system or causing
the same to be moved or installed in or on any building, structure
or facility, shall engage in any of the listed services or businesses
without first making application for an alarm agent license and receiving clearance.
There is hereby established within the City
of Vineland a police alarm license, which shall be granted and hereafter
referred to as the "police alarm license" and which will be issued
by the City of Vineland in accordance with and as provided by the
terms of this chapter.
A revoked user's permit shall be obtained from
the Chief of Police by application and shall be issued upon the payment
of a fee of $25 for the first revoked user's permit. The second revoked
user's permit shall be issued upon the payment of $50, and the third
revoked user's permit shall be issued upon the payment of $100. Any
additional revoked user's permit shall be issued only by application
to the City of Vineland. Revoked user's permits shall be for a term
of one year.
[Amended 4-26-1988 by Ord. No. 88-21]
The following alarm equipment and alarm procedures
are prohibited under this section:
A. All alarm devices or systems designed to alert others
of an unlawful entry or any unlawful act by giving visual or audio
signal automatically or designed to set off any buzzer, bell, siren,
light or any other type of alerting device must be designed to have
an automatic shutoff after 15 minutes, with the exception of those
installations required to meet the Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.,
insurance rating requirements, which installations must be designed
to have an automatic shutoff after 30 minutes. Installation of any
system without an automatic shutoff is prohibited. Audible alarms
without such a timing mechanism shall be unlawful in the City of Vineland
and must be disconnected by the owner or user within 60 days from
the effective date of this chapter, with the exception of the installation
of systems with direct dialer connection to the City of Vineland Police
Department, which installations shall be limited to those installed
prior to enactment of this chapter.
B. Any testing of any alarm system or device without
following the provisions of this chapter will be prohibited.
[Amended 6-13-1989 by Ord. No. 89-32]
A. A bid solicitation for the supply, installation, operation
and maintenance of an advanced electronic alarm receiving system shall
be received at the communications center of the City of Vineland Police
Department, located at 111 North Sixth Street, Vineland, New Jersey.
B. Title and lease rights to the equipment shall remain
with the contractor at all times, and at the end of the contract term
or upon earlier termination of the contract, the contractor will cause
the equipment to be removed from the premises and the premises to
be left in the same condition as prior to the installation, ordinary
wear and tear excepted.
C. The successful bidder will be determined by the lowest
monthly charge to all persons wishing to connect to the alarm-receiving
equipment and complying with the specifications and requirements contained
herein.
D. The length of the contract solicited by this bid shall
be three years.
E. The billing of the initial hookups and monthly charges
and the collection thereof will be the exclusive responsibility of
the contractor.
F. No persons other than the contractor and the Chief
of Police, police dispatchers, Police Alarm Coordinator and the Chief
of Police's designee shall have access to the alarm-receiving equipment
located at the City of Vineland Police Department headquarters, 111
North Sixth Street, Vineland, New Jersey.
G. All existing customers connected to the Vineland Police
Department communications center alarm-receiving equipment, as well
as future customers, are guaranteed by the contractor the opportunity
to connect to the alarm-receiving equipment, provided that they are
in compliance with this chapter and all fee requirements.
H. Any increase in the monthly fee and installation fees
must be approved by the City Council of the City of Vineland.
I. An unlimited number of hookups without monthly fees
but with a charge of an installation fee will be permitted for the
City of Vineland, the purpose being for the municipal complex itself,
schools and other nonprofit community groups as the City of Vineland
Council sees fit to approve.
J. The contractor agrees to notify the Chief of Police,
Police Alarm Coordinator or designee 24 hours in advance prior to
connection of all customers in order to secure his approval based
upon compliance with this chapter. The contractor must agree to file
every quarter a complete list of installations and a complete list
of any or all disconnects during the same quarter of the year.
K. The contractor agrees to never permit the connection
or continued operation of a customer who is in violation of this chapter.
L. The police alarm console and all related equipment
shall be approved by the Federal Communications Commission as certified
police connection equipment.
M. The police alarm licensee shall be certified and listed
with Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc., as a certified contractor for
maintenance of police connections.
N. The police alarm licensee shall provide service 24
hours a day, seven days a week, to the police alarm console. When
service is required for the system, the police alarm licensee shall
acknowledge the request for service within 30 minutes and be on location
at police headquarters within four hours' time from placing the initial
call for service.
O. The police alarm licensee will be available and must
complete any request for service or new installation from any subscribers
whose installations, equipment and procedure fulfill the requirements
of this chapter within 48 hours of each request.
P. All electrical work shall conform to the requirements
of applicable building codes. Connection to the New Jersey Bell Telephone
Company lines shall be in accordance with the Federal Communications
Commission's regulations and New Jersey Bell Telephone Company's tariffs.
Q. All equipment to be installed must be able to fit
into the allotted space as provided by the City of Vineland Police
Department for use by the police alarm licensee.
R. The police alarm licensee shall provide a list of
all other New Jersey municipalities where the bidder is currently
performing a similar service and all New Jersey municipalities where
the bidder has ever performed a similar service.
S. The police alarm licensee shall provide a list of
all material and major components of the alarm system he proposed
to install under these specifications.
T. The police alarm licensee shall furnish proof of the
Underwriters' Laboratories' certificate as an approved contractor
with his bid.