[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Vineland 3-8-1988 by Ord. No. 88-12 (Ch. 189 of the 1990 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Police Department — See Ch. 123.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 372.
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.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person(s), business by any individuals, partnership, corporation or other entity thereof who owns, sells, leases, maintains, services, repairs, alters, replaces, moves or installs any alarm system or causes the same to be moved or installed in or on any building, structure or facility, designed to alert the public of an unlawful act requiring urgent attention and to which the City of Vineland Police Department is expected to respond. Local alarm systems with interior or exterior annunciators attached to any building, structure or facility, which, when actuated, will require a response from the City of Vineland Police Department, will also be included in this chapter.
B. 
This chapter will also govern all alarm systems which require permits; establish fees; provide for punishment of violations and establish a system of administration.
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.
DAY
A calendar day.
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.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
An emergency involving the health of a person.
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.
POLICE BUREAU
The City of Vineland Police Department.
POLICE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
The police communications room and other rooms which house auxiliary communications equipment.
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.
PROPRIETOR ALARM
An alarm which is not serviced by an alarm business.
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.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Copies of the alarm permit application are on file in the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
Burglar alarm user permits shall contain the name, address and telephone number of the applicant and the name, address and telephone number of each premises and customer or person(s) to be served by the proposed installation or connection. The applicant shall include a minimum of two persons' names who can be contacted in the event of an active alarm, other than the permittee, who can assist the City of Vineland Police Department in its response.
B. 
Burglar alarm user permits will be issued after application has been made to the City of Vineland Police Department. All applications for a burglar alarm permit required under this chapter shall be made, in writing, to the Chief of Police of the City of Vineland Police Department on a form provided therefor and shall be accompanied by an application and processing fee of $10.
C. 
Upon application for a permit, the Chief of Police of the City of Vineland Police Department shall cause an investigation and records to be made and thereafter, provided that the applicant has complied with all of the terms of this chapter and rules and regulations made, promulgated and adopted pursuant thereto, shall issue a permit. All information furnished pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential and shall be for the authorized use of the Police Department only.
D. 
Permit fees for present subscribers to the existing alarm system and who own or had installed or connected any type of system before the effective date of this chapter shall be waived.
A. 
No permit or license shall be granted except upon the following terms and conditions:
(1) 
The applicant shall furnish and complete within 30 days all information required relating to the application and the alarm equipment, device or system to be installed or connected.
(2) 
The applicant shall maintain his equipment in good condition and repair.
(3) 
No permit shall be transferred or assigned in any manner.
(4) 
The permit is accepted upon the express condition that the permittee shall indemnify and hold the City of Vineland harmless from and on account of any and all damages arising out of the activities of the permittee, its alarm contractor or alarm agent.
(5) 
Each separate building, store, premises, place or location shall require a separate permit and a separate installation to connect to the City of Vineland Police Department alarm console.
(6) 
The applicant or permittee, upon acceptance of such permit, thereby agrees to hold and save harmless the City of Vineland and its agents or employees from any liability whatsoever in connection with such alarm equipment, devices or systems, the operation and maintenance of which shall be the sole responsibility of the person(s) having the same installed or connected. Any changes in permit information will be the responsibility of the alarm owner to provide to the police within 30 days.
B. 
Any person who violates the provisions of this section of this chapter shall be subject to a penalty in the amount of $50 for each violation.
C. 
Exception. An alarm user who is over the age of 65 or is disabled and is the primary occupant of a residence, and where no business is conducted at the residence, may obtain a burglar alarm user permit from the City of Vineland without paying the above-stated fee.
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[1] and receiving clearance before engaging in any of the above-described services or businesses in the City of Vineland.
[1]
Editor's Note: Copies of the alarm license application are on file in the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
Upon the initial filing of an application for a business alarm license hereinabove referred to, the applicant shall pay unto the Chief of Police of the City of Vineland Police Department a fee of $50, exclusive of fingerprinting costs, which costs shall be billed separately at the prevailing rate charged by the New Jersey State Police, to defray the costs of investigation, inspections, maintaining records and other administrative expenses.
B. 
Each year thereafter, said alarm contractor license may be renewed upon the request of said licensee at an annual renewal fee of $15, exclusive of fingerprinting costs, which costs shall be billed separately at the prevailing rate charged by the New Jersey State Police. All alarm contractor licenses shall hereunder expire on December 31 of the year in which issued, and all licenses for renewal thereof must be submitted, in writing, to the Chief of Police on or before January 31 of the succeeding year, together with the aforesaid renewal fee.
A. 
Upon filing an application for a license, the applicant for an alarm contractor license shall complete a form provided therefor by the Chief of Police, which shall include the name, address and telephone number of the applicant and such other information as may be required from time to time under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Chief of Police.
B. 
The Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made of the applicant for an alarm contractor license to determine the qualifications and responsibility of such applicant and the quality and reliability of equipment, devices or systems to be installed or connected by said alarm contractor licensee, as well as the liability of such alarm contractor licensee to comply with the rules and regulations to be made and promulgated by the Chief of Police.
C. 
No corporation, sole proprietor, partner, joint venture, trustee, executor, administrator, employee, fiduciary or stockholder with a five-percent or greater incorporation (except a corporation whose stock is publicly traded and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or with the State Securities Commission) applying for a license shall have been convicted of a felony or pleaded nolo contendere to a felony charge or indictment.
D. 
The applicant shall furnish an insurance certificate annually confirming that the applicant has in force general liability insurance coverage in an amount of not less than $300,000. An applicant who self-insures such coverage shall furnish evidence of financial ability.
E. 
The alarm contractor licensee hereunder shall be required to maintain complete and accurate records of each and every of such alarm equipment, device or system installed, connected, maintained, leased or serviced within the City of Vineland and shall notify the Chief of Police within 30 days of all installations, connections and maintenances on forms furnished by the Chief of Police.
F. 
The information shall include:
(1) 
The name, residence and telephone number of the owner or the user.
(2) 
The address where the device is installed and the telephone number at that address.
(3) 
The name, address and telephone number of 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 any person, firm or corporation, if any, other than the alarm supplier, who is responsible for maintenance and repair of the system.
(5) 
The type of system, i.e., holdup, burglary, fire or medical emergency.
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[1] and receiving clearance.
[1]
Editor's Note: Copies of the alarm license application are on file in the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
Upon initial filing of an application for the alarm agent license hereinabove referred to, the applicant shall pay unto the Chief of Police of the City of Vineland Police Department a fee of $50, exclusive of fingerprinting costs, which costs shall be billed separately at the prevailing rate charged by the New Jersey State Police, to defray the costs of investigation, inspections, maintaining records and other administrative expenses. Each year thereafter, said alarm agent license may be renewed upon the request of said licensee at an annual renewal fee of $15, exclusive of fingerprinting costs, which costs shall be billed separately at the prevailing rate charged by the New Jersey State Police.
B. 
All alarm agent licenses hereunder shall expire on December 31 of the year in which issued, and all applications for the renewal thereof must be submitted, in writing, to the Chief of Police on or before January 31 of the succeeding year, together with the aforesaid renewal fee.
A. 
Upon filing of an application for a license, the applicant for an alarm agent license shall complete a form provided therefor by the Chief of Police, which shall include the name, address and telephone number of the applicant and such other information as may be required from time to time under the rules and regulations promulgated by the Chief of Police.
B. 
The Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made of the applicant for an alarm agent license to determine the qualifications, responsibility and reliability of the equipment, device or system to be installed or connected by said alarm agent licensee, according to regulations to be made and promulgated by the Chief of Police.
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.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Copies of the alarm license application are on file in the office of the City Clerk.
A. 
The recipient or holder of said license, hereinafter referred to as the "police alarm licensee," shall have exclusive use and control of the police alarm console and related equipment, except for the use by the City of Vineland Police Department and police dispatchers, and shall make, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder, all installations and connections of such police, burglar, automatic, emergency or other alarm equipment, devices or systems to the police alarm console and other related equipment in the City of Vineland Police Department's headquarters building, 111 North Sixth Street, as may be inspected and approved by the Chief of Police of the City of Vineland and for which a permit shall have been issued.
B. 
The police alarm licensee shall be required to furnish, supply and provide all necessary materials, equipment and labor in accordance with plans and specifications prescribed by the Chief of Police and approved by the City Council of Vineland for completion of the installation in police headquarters of the police alarm console and related alarm equipment, which shall include facilities for present and future subscribers' installations and connections thereto, as described in the bidding specifications.
C. 
The police alarm licensee shall assume all liability and agree to indemnify and save harmless the City of Vineland, its agents, servants and employees, including the City of Vineland Police Department and police dispatchers, for any acts in connection with the installation, connection, operation and maintenance of the police alarm console and other related alarm equipment and the installation and connection thereto and in conjunction therewith and shall furnish annually to the City of Vineland Clerk an insurance certificate indicating liability coverage in an amount of not less than $500,000.
D. 
The police alarm licensee shall post and keep posted during the term of the license, with the City of Vineland Clerk, a performance bond or other security satisfactory to the City of Vineland City Council and in a form satisfactory to the City of Vineland Solicitor guaranteeing performance of the obligations of the licensee and shall also furnish to the City of Vineland Clerk satisfactory evidence of insurance covering the police alarm console apparatus, equipment and materials installed and connected by the licensee during the period or term of the license.
A. 
The police alarm licensee for the police alarm console and related equipment shall be permitted to charge new subscribers thereto and a maximum connection fee and, one year after initial installation, a maximal annual maintenance fee as established by the competitive bid as awarded to the police alarm licensee. Present subscribers connected to the police alarm panel on or before the effective date of this chapter shall be continued on the system for a period of six months from the effective date of this chapter without charge to the subscriber, after which time a transfer fee specified in the competitive bid will be payable to the police alarm licensee for continued connection to the police alarm console. One year after the effective date of this chapter, the annual maintenance fee will then apply to these present subscribers and annually thereafter.
B. 
Any or all City of Vineland buildings, structures and facilities now connected to the police alarm panel or to be installed or connected in the future will pay an installation fee, but no annual maintenance fee, to the police alarm licensee.
A. 
The police alarm license shall be granted or issued by the City Council of the City of Vineland after public advertisement for bids and bidding therefor, taking into consideration the qualifications, ability, experience, financial and other references, responsibility and location of the applicant for said license, as well as the proposed services and protection offered to the City of Vineland and subscribers to the police alarm console; the amount of fees to be charged to such subscribers; and the recommendations of the Chief of Police; and selecting the bid proposal most advantageous both to the subscribers and to the City of Vineland.
B. 
Except as hereinafter provided, the police alarm license issued hereunder shall be for the term of three years from the date of approval and issuance by the City of Vineland Council and shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this chapter and rules and regulations from time to time promulgated and adopted pursuant to this chapter.
C. 
Renewal of a police alarm license or award of a new license, should the license be terminated in accordance with this chapter, shall be in accordance with the provisions and procedures hereinabove set forth in this chapter.
A. 
This section will deal with the rules and regulations pertaining to any device or system designed to signal an armed robbery or attempted armed robbery by a local alarm system or any police alarm system, automatic dialer or digital dialer. Any and all devices, such as bells, horns, sirens, buzzers and whistles, designed to alert others and to which the City of Vineland Police Department is expected to respond shall comply with this section.
B. 
Armed-robbery alarms.
(1) 
Any armed-robbery alarm connected to the police alarm panel will have a separate channel or system to advise the City of Vineland Police Department that the alarm is being activated due to an armed robbery or an attempted armed robbery and not a burglary.
(2) 
Only lending institutions must comply with the City of Vineland Police Uniform Financial Institution Alarm Response Procedure. Copies of this procedure will be supplied upon issuance of an armed-robbery alarm permit.
(3) 
All lending institutions will supply this City with a list of all employees and establish a training date with the City of Vineland Police Department for all employees and management staff on the City of Vineland Police Uniform Financial Alarm Response Procedure.
(4) 
All subscribers of armed-robbery alarms will be prohibited from using an armed-robbery alarm system or device for any other reason than to notify the City of Vineland Police Department of any other type of crime or unlawful act or for any other purpose than to alert or advise of an armed holdup, armed-robbery or an attempted armed holdup or armed robbery. Activating the system for any other purpose than those described above will be a violation of this section. Any violation of this section as the result of improper use of an armed-robbery alarm system will result in a fine for the first violation, and after more violations, § 211-24 of this chapter shall apply.
(5) 
Telephone lines will be installed if for any reason the main telephone line for any place of business or any building, structure or facility so equipped with an armed-robbery alarm is not in operation during any time that the business, building, structure or facility is closed. This will include drive-ins and cash-register areas open after closing hours.
C. 
Automatic voice telephone dialers.
(1) 
No automatic voice telephone dialers shall be permitted to be programmed to the City of Vineland Police Department communications center from the date of the passage of this chapter.
(2) 
All burglar alarm users presently utilizing automatic voice telephone dialers which are presently programmed to call the primary trunkline of the City of Vineland Police Department communications center shall have the period of one year to change to a system compatible with the City of Vineland Police Department communications center.
D. 
Automatic digital dialers.
(1) 
Automatic digital dialers, also known as "digital communicators," shall be preprogrammed to the designated trunkline of the police alarm console located at the City of Vineland communications center and will be supplied by the police alarm licensee, with the exception of those that are preprogrammed to private central stations.
(2) 
Codes.
(a) 
Each digital dialer will be programmed using the following codes:
[1] 
Code No. 1: fire.
[2] 
Code No. 2: holdup.
[3] 
Code No. 3: burglary.
[4] 
Code No. 4: medical.
(b) 
All other codes are optional, but the number of codes shall not exceed eight per alarm.
(3) 
All equipment shall be approved and/or certified by the Federal Communications Commission for use.
A. 
Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter may be suspended or revoked by the Chief of Police for any violation of or failure to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any rules or regulations promulgated by the Chief of Police and approved by the Vineland City Council, including the following:
(1) 
The user permittee, alarm contractor licensee or alarm agent licensee willfully failed to and did not comply with a request by the Alarm Coordinator to proceed within an eight-hour period to the location of the alarm user permittee's alarm and render services.
(2) 
The user permittee, alarm contractor licensee or alarm agent licensee willfully and knowingly installed or maintained a faulty alarm device. An inordinate number of false alarms shall be prima facie evidence that such alarm device is knowingly a faulty device.
(3) 
The user permittee, alarm contractor licensee or alarm agent licensee has breached the terms and conditions of the permit.
(4) 
The user permittee abuses the purpose of his alarm or uses that alarm for any other purpose than that for which it is designed.
B. 
No permit or license shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee or licensee 15 days' notice, in writing, of such action and an opportunity to show cause before the Chief of Police or his designee why such action should not take place.
C. 
Any person aggrieved by the action or determination of the Chief of Police or his designee in the denial of a permit and/or license or the suspension or revocation of any permit or license by the Chief of Police or his designee shall not prevent prosecution in Municipal Court for violations of any provisions of this chapter.
A. 
In case of a false alarm, any person having knowledge thereof shall immediately notify the City of Vineland police in a manner prescribed by the rules and regulations herein made and provided. In addition, in the case of a false alarm, the Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made and keep records of said alarm on file. For such false alarms, the City Council prescribes the following penalties:
(1) 
For the first and second alarms in any given calendar month, a warning shall be issued.
(2) 
For the third false alarm in the same calendar month, a fine of $25 shall be paid to the City of Vineland.
(3) 
For the fourth alarm in the same calendar month, a fine of $50 shall be paid to the City of Vineland.
B. 
False alarms from any alarmed premises shall not exceed more than 10 in one month without alarm permit revocation, suspension or increased fines until such time as it can be shown by the permittee that the alarm can now function properly and without false alarms. This proof will be submitted to the Chief of Police's office or his designate.
C. 
During any suspension or revocation of any alarm permit, the police alarm licensee will disconnect any direct or indirect or any automatic device or system from the police alarm console owned by the suspended or revocated permittee.
D. 
An automatic voice telephone dialer or a local alarm system with a bell, buzzer, whistle, siren or horn or any other device designed to alert others and require urgent attention from the City of Vineland Police Department may not be responded to by the City of Vineland Police Department.
E. 
During the suspension or revocation of any alarm permit, the permittee will agree, upon receiving the alarm permit, not to hold the City responsible for any action resulting from its suspension or revocation.
F. 
Where the investigation of the City of Vineland Police Department discloses continued abuse of the privilege of connection to the police alarm console and the services of the City of Vineland Police Department in responding to alarms and disregard by the permittee in taking remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the City of Vineland reserves the right to require disconnection from the police alarm console and to refuse to respond to the alarm subscriber's location for a limited time or permanent time by the Chief of Police or his designee, provided that no such permits shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee an opportunity to show cause before the Chief of Police or his designee why such action should not take place.
G. 
On new installations, a grace period of 60 days shall be permitted prior to the imposition of any penalty to give the user the opportunity to become familiar with said alarm system.
[Added 4-26-1988 by Ord. No. 88-21]
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.