[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Holland 6-16-2009 by Ord. No. 2009-5A. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish provisions, including
penalties, for false alarms from alarm systems within the Township.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall
apply:
Any type of alarm-actuating equipment which provides warning
of intrusion, fire, smoke, burglary, flood or like perils, including
dial alarms (devices using normal telephone lines or other telephony,
such as wireless, cable or VOIP mechanisms, transmitting notification
directly to the Communications Center) and direct alarms (devices
using telephone lines or other telephony, such as wireless, cable
or VOIP mechanisms, terminating at the Communications Center). The
term "alarm device" shall not include a personal medical alert device.
An installation, on premises within this Township, in or
near one or more buildings or structures on said premises, of one
or more alarm devices or local alarms for the express purpose of giving
warning of an intrusion, fire, smoke, burglary flood or like perils,
to which the local or state police or other Township agency, or a
fire company, rescue squad, or other emergency responder, may be expected
to respond.
A device that emits an audible signal from the premises that
it is designed to protect.
The Chief of Police of the Township.
The Hunterdon County dispatch center, responsible for dispatching
police, fire, and rescue, in the event of any type of emergency where
a request is made for assistance.
An alarm signal resulting in a response by the police, or
a rescue squad and/or Fire Department operating in the Township, where
an emergency does not exist.
An alarm device which emits an audible alarm or emits a flashing
light or other warning, not transmitted beyond the immediate area.
The term "local alarm" shall not include an alarm system solely connected
to a registered motor vehicle, nor shall the term include equipment
designed to signal solely within a building or series of buildings
and which does not emit signals, visible or audible, to persons outside
such building or buildings, e.g., independent smoke detector.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, association
or other legal entity.
The Township of Holland, in the County of Hunterdon, New
Jersey.
A.
It shall be the responsibility of the record owner of a property
from which a false alarm is generated as well as all persons maintaining
an alarm system on such property within the Township to prevent the
transmission of false alarms through such alarm system.
B.
Notification and investigations; enforcement. In the case of a false
alarm, any person having knowledge that such alarm is false and also
owning or occupying the premises where such alarm system is located
shall immediately notify the Township Police Department. In the case
of false alarms, the Chief of Police shall cause an investigation
to be made and shall keep a record of false alarms on file. The Township
Police Department is designated to enforce the penalty provisions
of this chapter.
C.
Penalties for false alarms. In any consecutive twelve-month period,
the following penalties shall apply to a false alarm (whether or not
there was prior knowledge by a party owning or occupying the premises
that the alarm was false):
(1)
For the first alarm, a written warning shall be issued by the Chief
of Police.
(2)
For the second false alarm, a fine of $100 shall be paid to the Township.
(3)
For the third false alarm, a fine of $250 shall be paid to the Township.
(4)
In the event of a fourth or subsequent false alarm, a fine of $500
shall be paid to the Township for each such false alarm, and, in addition
to such fine, an investigation may be conducted by the Police Department.
