70.1.1.
As used in this ordinance, certain terms are defined as follows:
70.1.2.
ALARM SYSTEM — Any device designed for the detection of an
unauthorized entry on the premises, unlawful act or any emergency
that alerts the Bethel Park Police Department of its commission or
occurrence and, when actuated, gives a signal, either visual, audible
or both, or transmits or causes to be transmitted a signal.
70.1.3.
FALSE ALARM — Any alarm signal that alerts the Bethel Park
Police Department which is not the result of an actual or threatened
emergency requiring its immediate response. False alarms include negligently
or accidentally activated signals; signals which are the result of
faulty, malfunctioning or improperly installed or maintained equipment;
signals which are purposely activated to summon police or emergency
services in nonemergency situations and alarm signals for which the
actual cause is not determined.
70.1.4.
LOCAL ALARM — A system that gives a signal, either visual,
audible or both, on the exterior portion of the property, but such
signal does not leave that structure by wire or radio wave to a control
receiving location.
70.2.1.
No person shall install, have installed, own, use or possess an operative
alarm system without obtaining a permit from the Chief of Police.
70.3.1.
No person owning, using or possessing an alarm system shall cause
or permit the giving of repeated false alarms, whether intentional,
accident or otherwise.
70.5.1.
The fee for an alarm system license shall be $15 for residential
properties for each one-year period and $15 for commercial properties.
The Chief of Police shall have the authority to determine residential
and commercial properties.
70.6.1.
Any alarm system which has more than three false alarms within a
calendar year, the permit holder of that alarm shall pay to the Municipality
of Bethel Park $15 for each occurrence thereafter.
70.6.2.
The Police Department shall collect information on the manufacture,
installation and maintenance of any burglar alarm system from which
a false alarm has originated.
70.7.1.
The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable, and
if any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance shall
for any reason be held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision
shall not effect the validity of the remaining sections, sentences,
clauses and phrases of this ordinance, but they shall stand notwithstanding
the invalidity of any part.
70.8.1.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances conflicting with the provisions
of this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
[Adopted 12-14-1998 by Ord. No. 12-14-98D[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former
Article II, Monitoring Systems, adopted 9-14-1998 by Ord. No. 9-14-98D.
The following terms, when used in this ordinance, shall have
the following meanings:
70.9.1.
ALARM AGENT — Any firm, corporation, partnership or person
who or which is employed by any business, firm, partnership, corporation
or other commercial entity which conducts the business of owning,
operating, maintaining, installing, leasing or selling automatic protection
devices and whose duties include any of the following: selling, maintaining,
leasing, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing
in or on any building, residential dwelling, place or premises any
automatic protection device, as defined within this ordinance, within
the municipality.
70.9.2.
ALARM COMPANY — The principal of any alarm agent, including,
but not limited to, any business, firm, corporation, partnership,
parent, subsidiary or other commercial entity that engages in the
business, either through alarm agents or directly, of owning, operating,
maintaining, installing, leasing or selling automatic protection devices.
70.9.3.
AUTOMATIC PROTECTION DEVICE [hereinafter "APD"] — Any electrically
operated instrument composed of sensory apparatus and related hardware
which automatically transmits a prerecorded voice or other alarm signal
over regular telephone lines, by direct or indirect connection to
the communication center, upon receipt of a stimulus from a sensory
apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition inherently
characteristic of a fire or intrusion or other emergency.
70.9.4.
CENTRAL STATION PROTECTIVE SYSTEM — Any protective system or
group of such systems operated privately for customers by an alarm
agent or principal of such alarm agent; which maintains staff and
supervisors and receives and accepts recorded messages from APD's
at a central station having trained operators and guards in attendance
at all times who have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt
of a signal, message or alarm, including relaying such messages to
the communications center for response by the police officers of the
municipality's Police Department.
70.9.5.
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER — The communication room in the municipality's
Police Department and other rooms which house auxiliary communications
equipment.
70.9.6.
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER PROTECTIVE SYSTEM — Any protective system
or group of protective systems operated privately by customers by
an alarm agent or principal of such alarm agent which directly terminates
in the communications center of the Police Department of the Municipality
of Bethel Park and does not first terminate in a central station privately
owned and operated by an alarm agent or principal of such alarm agent.
70.9.7.
POLICE DEPARTMENT — The Police Department of the Municipality
of Bethel Park.
70.9.8.
SUBSCRIBER — A person who has an APD or other electronic fire
and intruder alarm device installed on realty in which that person
has an interest.
70.10.1.
Fees assessed. From the effective date of this ordinance hence,
the alarm agent, the principal of such alarm agent or the alarm company,
as the case may be, shall pay an annual monitoring fee to the Municipality
of Bethel Park for those APD's or alarms that are installed in
the municipality's communications center and, as such, are within
the definition of a communications center protective system as that
term is defined in this ordinance.
70.10.2.
Amount of alarm monitoring fee. Each alarm agent, principal
of such agent or alarm company, as more fully described and set forth
in Exhibit A[1] attached hereto, shall pay an annual monitoring fee to
the Municipality of Bethel Park in the amount of $35.
[1]
Editor's Note: Exhibit A is on file in the municipal
offices and may be examined there during regular office hours.
70.10.3.
Payment of fees. Each alarm agent, principal of such agent or
alarm company, as set forth in Exhibit A attached hereto, shall pay
an annual monitoring fee for each APD set forth in Exhibit A for which
each such alarm agent, principal of such agent or alarm company is
or was responsible for the sale, lease, installation, maintenance
or servicing of such APD or alarm and currently charges and collects
a monitoring fee. The alarm agent or principal of such agent, as identified
in Exhibit A shall pay such fee to the Municipality of Bethel Park
within 30 days of the effective date of this ordinance and then annually
thereafter.
70.10.4.
Alarms installed after effective date. Alarms or APD's
installed in commercial or residential buildings or on premises situated
in the municipality after the effective date of this ordinance that
will terminate directly in the municipality's communications
center shall pay the annual monitoring fee set forth in Section 70.10.2
of this ordinance upon installation of such alarm or APD and payments
for monitoring fees in subsequent years shall be paid on the same
date as those fees assessed and collected pursuant to Section 70.10.3
of this ordinance.
70.10.5.
Exemptions. Alarm agents, their principals and alarm companies
shall be exempt from paying monitoring fees for APD's terminating
in the communications center and which APD's are installed in
buildings or on premises owned or leased by the municipality, the
Bethel Park School District or the municipality's Fire Department.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances conflicting with the provisions
of this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
This ordinance shall be effective immediately.
The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable,
and if any section, clause or phrase of this ordinance shall for any
reason be held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall
not affect the validity of the remaining sections, sentences, clauses
and phrases of this ordinance, but they shall stand notwithstanding
such other invalid section, clause, phrase or sentence.
