The purpose of this chapter is to create administrative
and enforcement remedies in order to deter and reduce the number of
false alarms of fire or other emergency originating within the Borough
of Danville. This chapter does not provide criminal penalties for
knowingly causing a false alarm; such actions are addressed in the
Crimes Code of Pennsylvania at Title 18, Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, Section 4905, entitled "False Alarm to Agencies of Public
Safety." The penalties of this chapter may be imposed regardless of
or in addition to any criminal penalties provided by the Crimes Code.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM
Any call, sound, light or other signal for giving notice
of an emergency.
ALARM SYSTEM
Any electric, telephonic, electronic and/or mechanical device
or combination of devices designed to summon the Fire Department or
other agency for dealing with emergencies involving real or threatened
danger to persons or property. This term shall not include devices
which are designed solely to warn the occupants of a particular structure
of potential danger, but not to summon the Fire Department or other
agency (for example, residential smoke detectors which are not designed
to summon the Fire Department).
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm from an alarm system which results in a response
by personnel and/or equipment from the Fire Department or other agency,
but which is erroneous or not true in that there was not an actual
emergency involving real or threatened danger to persons or property.
This term includes all false alarms, regardless of whether or not
a false alarm was transmitted knowingly or intentionally.
The owner and operator of any alarm system shall
be responsible for keeping the alarm system in good repair and for
maintaining the system in such manner as to prevent the system from
transmitting any false alarms.
The Chief of Police or his designee is authorized
to bring any action provided under this chapter.