The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards
and regulations for various types of intrusion, burglar, fire and
other emergency alarm devices whether by direct line, radio, telephone
or other means actuating a device at the police headquarters of the
Borough of Metuchen and requiring response thereto by the Police Department,
Fire Department or other municipal agency.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person, firm or corporation who operates, maintains, installs, repairs or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon the Police or Fire Department or other municipal agencies to any location in response to any type of alarm signal. The terms of this chapter shall in no way prohibit alarm companies, persons, firms and/or corporations from providing service by private source to other dwellings or buildings within the Borough of Metuchen, so long as such activity is not connected to the alarm console at the borough police headquarters; except, however, that any person, firm or corporation having a premises protected by an alarm device shall still be responsible for the registration thereof in accordance with §
50-6A, without fee.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM CONSOLE
The console or control panel of devices giving a visual or
audio response or both located within the confines of the Police Department
of the Borough of Metuchen.
ALARM DEVICE
Any type of alarm system actuating equipment in the alarm
console providing warning of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other
peril.
ALARM INSTALLATION
Any alarm device or combination of devices installed for
one or more buildings at a location other than the alarm console.
DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE
A member of the Police Department of the Borough of Metuchen,
except designated representative shall also mean a member of the Fire
Department where appropriate in the context of this chapter.
DIAL ALARM
Type of device using telephone lines which transmits an alarm
directly through the police switchboard.
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm actuated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional
act of someone other than an intruder, and shall include as well,
alarms caused by malfunctioning of the alarm device or other relevant
equipment, but shall not include alarms created by malfunction of
the alarm console.
LICENSEE
The person obtaining the license to maintain the alarm console
as hereinafter set forth.
LOCAL ALARM
Any alarm or device which when actuated produces a signal
not connected to the alarm console, such as store burglar alarms actuating
bell devices or any other type of audio noise or those alarms which
can be heard beyond the owner's property line.
PERMITTEE
Any person owning, operating and/or maintaining an alarm
device or a local alarm within the scope of this chapter.
PERSON
Includes any natural person, partnership, corporation or
association.
The Borough of Metuchen shall be under no duty
or obligation to any permittee hereunder or to any alarm console licensee
hereunder, the alarm console and allied equipment being maintained
at will and subject to termination at any time by cancellation of
the system by resolution duly adopted by the governing body of the
borough. Any individual permit issued hereunder may be revoked at
any time by the governing body upon recommendation of the Chief of
Police, provided that 30 days notice is given in writing to said permittee
by certified mail.
Any licensee for the alarm console and any permittee utilizing the services of any other alarm company connected to said console shall provide for a representative to be on call at all times, and such service shall be provided immediately when necessary after notification by the Police Department of any malfunctions of any equipment. No permittee utilizing the services of any other alarm company shall be denied access to the alarm console because of the use of another alarm company and shall not be discriminated against respecting any fees charged by the licensee under §
50-4D.
Any unauthorized equipment may be disconnected
by the Chief of Police or his or her designated representative for
noncompliance with this chapter. Any person installing or maintaining
unauthorized equipment shall be prosecuted for violation of this chapter,
and each and every day said equipment is in operation shall be considered
a separate violation. Any permittee shall by acceptance of the permit
be deemed as having consented to inspection of the premises on which
said alarm devices are installed at reasonable hours by the Chief
of Police and/or Fire Chief or their designated representative.
Any person testing an alarm system covered by
the provisions of this chapter shall notify police headquarters immediately
prior to and after the testing is completed. Failure to do so shall
constitute a violation herein, and subject an alarm owner or maintainer
to such penalties as set forth in this Code.
No dial alarm shall be permitted unless it shall have first been registered with the Chief of Police, as hereinafter required, and approved by the Chief of Police after approval thereof by the telephone company. All dial alarms shall be coded to dial a separate special number to be provided by the Chief of Police. No dial alarm shall be coded to dial the general police number. All such alarms shall be capable of being disconnected to allow a call to police headquarters in the event of a false alarm. If any person has any dial alarm in existence at the time of the effective date of this chapter, it shall be reprogrammed within 60 days of said effective date to comply with this chapter. If any dial alarm hereafter shall be found to be dialing the general police number rather than the special number, the Chief of Police shall send the person in whose name the telephone is listed a written notice requiring compliance with this chapter. If the occupant or telephone subscriber fails to comply within 60 days after service of such notice, said failure shall constitute a violation of this chapter and the person shall be liable to the penalties set forth under §
50-15 of this chapter. Each and every day that this chapter is not complied with shall constitute a separate offense. The contents of a dial alarm message shall be clear and intelligible and in the format approved by the Chief of Police. No such message shall be transmitted more than three times as a result of a single stimulus of the mechanism. Messages shall not exceed fifteen seconds and the time gap between each shall not exceed 10 seconds.
The Mayor and Council may from time to time
promulgate rules and regulations supplementing this chapter in order
to provide for recordkeeping and efficient management of said system;
provided, however, that the governing body must first approve said
rules or any changes thereto.
Whenever, under the provisions of this chapter,
the Chief of Police or any authorized representative he or she may
have designated is empowered to make a decision with respect to the
installation, operation and maintenance of any alarm equipment or
with respect to the issuance or denial of any application relating
thereto or in the imposition of any administrative charge, any person
aggrieved by said decision may, within 10 days following the decision,
file a written appeal therefrom with the Borough Administrator who
shall conduct a hearing and affirm, modify or reverse the decision
appealed from.
Any person, firm or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court of the borough for violation of the terms of this chapter shall be subject to the penalties provided in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article 1.
This chapter shall be enforced by the Metuchen
Police Department.