For purposes of this chapter, the following terms are defined
as follows:
ALARM
A communication to the Police Department indicating that
a crime, fire or other emergency situation warranting immediate action
by the Police or Fire Department or by Medical Rescue Team South has
occurred or is occurring.
ALARM DEVICE
An electronic device designed to:
A.
Transmit automatically an alarm by wire, telephone, radio or
other means directly to a person who is instructed to notify the Police
Department of the alarm; or
B.
Sound a general alarm to alert passersby or neighbors to notify
the Police Department.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATOR
An electronic device which automatically transmits a digital
message to the digital receiver of the Police Department.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm to which the Police or Fire Department and/or the
Medical Rescue Team South respond resulting from the activation of
an alarm device when a crime, fire or other emergency warranting immediate
action by the appropriate Department has not, in fact, occurred. It
shall include all alarm signal activation incidents in which investigation
by the appropriate Department reveals no evidence of the existence
of an emergency condition. Those alarm signals that investigation
reveals to have been triggered by physical damage to the protected
premises as a result of hurricane, tornado, earthquake or other natural
phenomena are excluded from the definition of "false alarm."
INDIRECT ALARM DEVICE
An alarm device designed to transmit an alarm to a person
who is instructed to notify the Police Department of the alarm or
to sound a general alarm to alert passersby or neighbors to notify
the Police Department.
INTENTIONAL FALSE ALARM
A false alarm resulting from the intentional activation of
an alarm device by an individual under circumstances where the individual
has no reasonable basis to believe that a crime, fire or other emergency
warranting immediate action by the emergency services has occurred
or is occurring.
MONITORING AGENCY
Any firm, corporation or person who operates, maintains,
installs, leases or sells automatic protection devices and whose duties
include monitoring and maintaining the devices.
PERMIT HOLDER
A person to whom the Police Department or Fire Commissioner
have issued an alarm device permit.
TELEPHONE DIALER ALARM DEVICE
An alarm device designed to transmit automatically a recorded
message over regular telephone lines by indirect alarm device to the
Police Department.
It shall be unlawful to cause an intentional false alarm. Violators
shall be punishable pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4905.
The issuance of any permit shall not constitute acceptance by
the municipality of any liability to maintain any equipment, to answer
alarms or for anything in connection therewith.
The Police Department or the Fire Department shall have the
option, upon notification to the permit holder and/or monitoring agency,
to place an alarm system temporarily out of service if it repeatedly
malfunctions to the point of being a burden on the emergency services
of the Borough.