[Adopted 2-25-2015 by Ord. No. 317 as Ch. 7, Art. III, of the 2015 Pittsfield
Charter Township Code; amended in its entirety 4-27-2016 by Ord. No. 323]
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article,
shall have the following meanings except where the context of the
article clearly indicates a different meaning:
An assembly of equipment and devices or a single device,
arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention
and to which police and/or fire personnel are expected to respond.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation or the negligence of the owner
or lessee of an alarm system or of his employee or agent, but shall
not include an alarm caused by a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or
other violent condition beyond the control of the owner or lessee
of an alarm system or of his employee or agent.
The dispatch of one or more persons by the Township to respond
to a call for a police or fire services.
Any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture,
trust, firm, joint-stock company, corporation, including government
corporation, association, local unit of government, commission, the
state, a political subdivision of the state, an interstate body, the
federal government, a political subdivision of the federal government
or any other legal entity that owns, uses, leases, installs or directs
the installation of an alarm system or owns, occupies, leases or controls
premises at or in which an alarm system is installed and operative.
Any responsible party shall pay the Clerk of the Township the service charge provided for in § 7-12, when an alarm is activated and a response initiated by the Township Police and/or Fire Department, if any of the following circumstances exist:
A.
The
Township police initiate a response to the location from which the
false alarm was initially activated and there is no evidence of illegal
entry or an attempt to gain entry;
B.
The
Township Police and/or Fire Department initiate a response to the
location from which the false alarm was initially activated and there
is no evidence of fire or hazardous fumes;
C.
The
Township Police and/or Fire Department initiate a response to the
location from which the false alarm was initially activated due to
a malfunction in the system;
D.
The
Township Police and/or Fire Department initiate a response to the
location from which the false alarm was initially activated, which
activation was caused by a mistake;
E.
The
Township Police and/or Fire Department initiate a response to the
location from which the alarm was initially activated, which false
alarm was activated by a person working on the alarm system, where
the Township Police and Fire Department were not previously notified.
No person shall install or use a device or combination of devices
which will, upon activation, either mechanically, electronically or
by other means, initiate the automatic intrastate calling, dialing
or connection to any telephone number assigned to the Township Police
Department, Public Safety Department, Fire Department or the 911 emergency
number which connects or assigns the call to the department or its
dispatchers.
All alarms systems which emit a signal audible beyond the boundaries
of the protected property must have an automatic shutoff feature which
silences the audible portion of the alarm not more than 15 minutes
after being activated. All persons shall terminate the use of existing
alarm systems that lack this automatic shutoff feature within 60 days
after January 1, 1999.
Every alarm user shall exercise due care to install, maintain
and use every alarm system so as to avoid its signaling false alarms.
Every alarm user shall diligently instruct, supervise and control
those having access to the alarm system and the alarmed premises and
shall take all reasonable steps to prevent the system from signaling
false alarms.
The service charge to be imposed by the Township for its responding to a false alarm, as provided for under § 7-8, shall be determined by resolution of the Township Board of Trustees.
A person or entity deemed to be a responsible party under this article may appeal the determination as set forth in article IV, Appeals, of this chapter.
