From and after the effective date of this chapter, it shall
be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or other entity to
maintain in operation any device capable of transmitting an alarm,
whether by prerecorded voice, alarm company, or otherwise, over regular
telephone lines to any organization, official or volunteer, for dealing
with emergencies involving danger to life or property, knowing or
having reason to know that such device transmits such alarms to any
such organization in the absence of an actual and existing emergency
involving danger to life or property.
Any person, firm, corporation or other entity owning, operating
or maintaining a device as aforesaid shall be presumed to know that
the said device transmits such alarms in the absence of any actual
emergency whenever such device has, within the immediately preceding
12 months per calendar year, transmitted an alarm under such circumstances.
There shall be no penalty for maintaining in operation any such
device which has not, at any time in the past, transmitted such an
alarm in the absence of an actual emergency. Each time such device
transmits such an alarm in the absence of an actual emergency after
the third such time shall be a separate violation of this chapter.
Any person, firm, corporation, or other entity found guilty of a violation
of this chapter shall be liable to a fine according to the following
schedule, the said fines to be collectable by Schuylkill Township.
Failure of payment will result in the Township filing at district
court for time payments and applicable court costs.
A. Fines shall
be imposed as follows, per calendar year:
(1) First
through third false alarm: no fee with a warning letter to the person,
firm, corporation, or other entity after third alarm.
(2) Fourth
and fifth false alarm: $250 each.
[Amended 1-7-2013 by Ord.
No. 2013-01]
(3) Sixth
and seventh false alarm: $500 each.
[Amended 1-7-2013 by Ord.
No. 2013-01]
(4) Eighth
false alarm and up: $1,000 for each and every subsequent alarm.
[Amended 1-7-2013 by Ord.
No. 2013-01]
B. Fines may
change from time to time as adopted by resolution by the Schuylkill
Township Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 1-7-2013 by Ord.
No. 2013-01]