[Amended 12-13-1993 by Ord. No. 536]
Each and every commercial business, partnership, corporation, establishment,
entity, individual or concern, whether as owner or lessee of any such system
utilizing any manual or automatic direct or indirect communication to fire
or police burglar alarm systems or any other emergency alarm systems connected
into the Honesdale Fire Department or Borough Police, within the jurisdiction
and coverage of either Department, shall pay annually to the Borough of Honesdale
the amount as set forth from time to time by resolution of the Borough Council
for the benefits and advantages received through the use of such systems for
the Departments of Fire and Police.
[Added 12-13-1993 by Ord. No. 536]
A. Should any manual or automatic fire alarm or other emergency
alarm system described in this chapter cause a false alarm to occur during
any calendar year commencing January 1, a graduated service charge shall be
levied against the owner or lessee of said system in accordance with the schedule
as set forth from time to time by the Borough Council during the twelve-month
period.
B. A false alarm shall be any manual or automatic emergency
alarm which is activated by inadvertence, negligence or intentional or unintentional
act to which the Borough of Honesdale Fire Department responds or the Borough
Police respond, including alarms caused by the malfunction of the alarm or
sprinkler systems, except that the following shall not be considered false
alarms:
(1) Alarms caused by preapproved testing, failure or repair
of telephone equipment or lines at the Communications Center.
(2) Alarms caused by an act of God, such as earthquakes,
floods, windstorms, thunder or lightning.
(3) Alarms caused by vandals or malicious mischief involving
emergency alarms.
C. The owner may voluntarily disconnect from the system
if repeated frequent mechanical/electrical problems arise.
D. The records of false alarms reported by the Honesdale
Fire Department Chief and the Honesdale Borough Police Department shall be
maintained by the Borough of Honesdale, and reports of the same will be transmitted
quarterly for appropriate billing and collection thereof.
[Added 12-13-1993 by Ord. No. 536]
Any owner or occupant of property in the Borough of Honesdale or fire
alarm jurisdiction area in which a manual or automatic alarm system is now
or hereafter installed who fails to register as herein provided and who fails
to pay the registration fee herein established or fails to pay an additional
fee for response to a false alarm as provided hereinabove shall pay the fee
and be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $300 and costs
per incident, to be imposed and collected in a manner specified by the Borough
of Honesdale for violation of a borough ordinance.
Said fee shall be payable by such individual, establishment, partnership,
corporation, entity or concern for each connection before January 1 of each
year to the Secretary of the Borough of Honesdale.
Any individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or concern
who fails to pay said sum for each connection within 15 days following the
above-mentioned date shall have such alarm connection service with the borough
suspended until such time as the aforesaid fee for the current year is remitted
to the Borough Secretary as aforesaid.
Any individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or concern
who shall initiate employment of such service during the year shall pay on
a prorated basis an amount equal to that fractional portion of the year for
which said individual, establishment, partnership, corporation, entity or
concern is receiving said service for each connection.
For the purposes of this chapter, "the year" or "current year" shall
be intended to mean the twelve-month period commencing January 1 and ending
December 31.
The borough shall, if it deems necessary, have the right to inspect
the connection, operation and maintenance of the system and make reasonable
charges for such inspection pursuant to the Borough of Honesdale Electrical
Code.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any individual, establishment,
partnership, corporation, entity or concern who or which utilizes indirect
communications or retransmits to the burglar or fire alarm system of the Honesdale
Volunteer Fire Companies or police of the Borough of Honesdale.