[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 100]
This Part 3 shall be known and may be cited as "The Newtown
Township Emergency Police and Fire Alarm Ordinance."
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 200]
The following definitions apply in the interpretation and enforcement
of this Part 3:
Any person, firm or corporation who sells or leases and/or
installs automatic protection devices.
A service whereby employees, in attendance at all times,
receive pre-recorded voice messages from automatic protection devices
reporting an emergency at a stated location and who have the duty
to relay immediately by live voice only such emergency message over
a designated or direct trunkline to the police or fire department.
Any device, bell, horn or siren which is attached to the
interior or exterior of a building and emits a warning signal audible
outside the building and designated to attract attention when activated
by a criminal act or other emergency requiring police to respond.
An electrically operated instrument composed of sensory apparatus
and related hardware which automatically transmits a pre-recorded
voice alarm over regular telephone line by direct or indirect connection
to the Police Department or Fire Department, upon receipt of a stimulus
from a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition
inherently characteristic of a fire or intrusion.
A protective system, or group of such systems, operated privately
for customers by a person, firm or corporation which maintains supervisors
and accepts recorded messages from automatic protection devices at
a central station having trained operators and guards in attendance
at all times that have the duty to take appropriate action upon receipt
of a signal or message including the relaying of messages by designated
or primary trunkline to the Police or Fire Departments.
The Chief of Police of Newtown Township Police Department.
A telephone line leading to the Police or Fire Departments
that is for the primary purpose of handling emergency messages which
originate from automatic protection devices and are transmitted directly
or indirectly through an intermediary.
Any signal activated by an automatic protection device, any
audible alarm or any other kind of direct or indirect signal given
to the Police or Fire Departments to which police or firemen respond,
which is not the result of a fire, burglary, robbery or similar emergency.
The Newtown Fire Association or such other fire companies
as may operate in Newtown Township from time to time.
The Fire Chief of the Township Fire Associations.
A central station protective system or an answering service
as herein defined.
To use a telephone line and equipment for transmitting a
message either directly or indirectly by an automatic protection device.
The Manager of Newtown Township.
Written permission duly granted to a qualified applicant
by the Township upon payment of the required fee of $10.
The Township of Newtown Police Department.
A telephone line leading into the Police Department that
is for the purpose of handling emergency calls on a person-to-person
basis, and which line is identified by a specific listing among the
white pages in the telephone directory issued by the Bell Telephone
Company.
The Township of Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 300]
After the enactment of this Part 3, owners or lessees must equip
audible alarms with a timing mechanism that will disengage the audible
alarm after a maximum period of 15 minutes. Audible alarms without
such a timing mechanism shall be unlawful in the Township and must
be disconnected by the owner or lessee within 60 days from the effective
date of this Part 3.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 400]
1.
No automatic protection device installed after the effective date
of this Part 3 shall be keyed to the Fire Department's emergency telephone
number.
2.
After the effective date of this Part 3, all automatic protection
devices that transmit recorded messages directly to the Police Department
or Fire Department shall be keyed to a trunkline designated for the
purpose.
3.
Within 60 days from the effective date of this Part 3, existing automatic
protection devices in the Township shall be disconnected from the
Fire Department's emergency telephone number.
4.
Automatic protection devices disconnected, as provided in Subsection (3) of this § 304, may be keyed in a designated trunkline.
5.
After the effective date of this Part 3, a valid permit shall be
required from the Township to install any automatic protection device
or audible alarm within the confines of the Township.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 500]
1.
Any person who has an automatic protection device in the Township
may arrange to have such device keyed to an intermediary authorized
to relay emergency messages to the Police or Fire Department.
2.
The relay of messages by authorized intermediaries shall be over
a designated trunkline.
3.
Automatic protection devices keyed to an authorized intermediary
may also be keyed to another telephone which the owner or lessee of
the automatic protection device has available to himself or his representative
at some other location.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 600]
1.
Within 90 days from the effective date of this Part 3, every alarm
equipment supplier who has keyed an automatic protection device in
the Township to the designated trunkline shall furnish to the Chief
of Police a current list of such installations which shall include:
A.
The telephone number of the owner or lessee.
B.
The address where the device is installed and the telephone number
of that address.
C.
The name, address and other telephone number of a central station
protective system or any other person or firm who is authorized to
respond to an emergency and gain access to the address where the device
is installed.
D.
The name and telephone number of any person, firm or corporation,
if any, other than the alarm equipment supplier who is responsible
for the maintenance and repair of the automatic protection device.
2.
By the fifth working day of each month following the submission of the initial list, every alarm equipment supplier shall furnish the Police Department with a supplemental list of any additional installations he has keyed to the designated trunklines, along with any corrections to or deletions from lists previously furnished. An alarm equipment supplier who enters into the business after the effective date of this Part 3 shall furnish a list containing the information specified in Subsection (1) of this § 306 by the fifth working day of the month following a first installation and shall, thereafter, furnish supplemental lists as required by this § 306.
3.
All information furnished pursuant to these Sections shall be kept
confidential and shall be for the use of the designated personnel
of the Police Department only.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 700]
1.
Automatic protection devices installed in the Township that are keyed
to designated trunklines shall meet the following requirements:
A.
The type and content of recorded messages must be intelligible and
in the format approved prior to installation by the Chief of Police
or Fire Chief as appropriate for the type of emergency.
B.
No more than one call shall be made over a designated trunkline to
the Police Department or Fire Department as a result of a single activation
of the automatic protection device.
C.
The time for transmitting each recorded message shall not exceed
15 seconds.
D.
Recorded messages may be repeated during one call, but the interval
between each recorded message shall be no less than four seconds.
E.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with an automatic protection
device must be adjusted to suppress false indication of fire or intrusion,
so that the device will not be activated by slight impulses, short
flashes of light, the rattling or vibrating of doors and windows,
vibrations to the premises caused by the passing of vehicles or any
other force not related to genuine alarms.
F.
All components comprising such a device must be maintained by the
owner or lessee in good repair to assure maximum reliability of operation.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 8]
1.
Each alarm equipment supplier who sells or leases an automatic protection
device in the Township after the effective date of this Part 3, which
is keyed to a designated trunkline, shall furnish operating instructions,
a circuit diagram and maintenance manual to the buyer or lessee.
2.
Each alarm equipment supplier, referred to in Subsection (1) of this § 308 shall furnish operating instructions, circuit diagram and maintenance manual for each type of automatic protection device he deals in and installs in the Township to the Chief of Police. If the instructions are not clear, the alarm equipment supplier may be required to revise the instructions to the Chief of Police and all buyers and lessees of the particular automatic protection device.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 900]
1.
Each alarm equipment supplier who sells or leases an automatic protection
device in the Township, which is keyed to a designated trunkline,
shall make service available directly or through an agent on a twenty-four-hour
per day basis, seven days a week, to repair such device or to correct
any malfunction that may occur. Such service shall be made available
for any person using an automatic protection device supplied.
2.
At the time of installation, an alarm equipment supplier shall furnish
to any buyer or lessee using a repair service written information
as to how service may be obtained at any time, including the telephone
number of the alarm equipment supplier or agent responsible for service.
The buyer or lessee and the alarm equipment supplier or agent supplying
a service shall be responsible for having the device disconnected
or repaired as quickly as possible after notice that the automatic
protection device is not functioning properly.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1000]
1.
When messages evidencing failure to comply with the operational requirements
set forth in § 307 are received by the Police Department
and the Township Manager concludes that the automatic protection device
sending such messages should be disconnected in order to relieve the
particular Department of the burden of responding to false alarms,
the Township Manager is authorized to demand that the owner or lessee
of the device, or his representative disconnect the device until it
is made to comply with the operational requirements. If disconnection
of the defective device is not accomplished promptly and the Township
Manager determines that the malfunctioning device is repeatedly sending
false alarms without any intermittent valid alarms, the Township Manager
may then take any steps necessary to disconnect the defective protection
device.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1100]
Alarm equipment suppliers must conform to Underwriters Laboratory
Standards.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1200]
For the purpose of enforcing this Part 3 as a condition of installing
and maintaining an automatic protection device, the owner or lessee
thereof shall execute a consent in such form as may be prescribed
by the Manager, which will authorize the Building Official, the Chief
of Police and the Fire Chief to enter upon a lessee's or owner's premises
within the Township of Newtown, at such reasonable times and upon
reasonable notice, to inspect the installation and operation of an
automatic protection device.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1300]
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration of an automatic
protection device without first obtaining permission from the Chief
of Police and Fire Department. When the equipment is keyed through
an intermediary, no such permission is necessary unless the alarm
or signal is to be relayed to the Police Department or the Fire Department.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1400]
Alarm equipment suppliers, installers of audible alarms and
intermediaries shall furnish at or prior to the time of contracting
and at their expense, a copy of this Part 3 to owners, lessees or
users of the equipment or service to be supplied.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1500]
1.
For the purpose of defraying the costs to the Township of responding
to a false alarm, the owner or lessee of an automatic protection device,
and persons using the services of intermediaries, and users of audible
alarms and users of any other kind of direct or indirect connection
with the Police or Fire Departments except persons using the two-way
live voice communication by telephone, shall, as a condition to installation
and continued operation of such equipment or service, execute a consent
in such form as may be prescribed by the Manager that such owner,
lessee or user shall pay the Township for all false alarms following
the first one, according to the following schedule for each false
alarm originating from the owner's premises that has not been activated
by some force of nature or means beyond the owner, lessee or user's
control, to wit:
2.
Any such owner, lessee or user who fails to execute the consent described in Subsection (1) of this § 315, within 90 days from the effective date of this Part 3 shall, within the ninety-day period, disconnect the alarm, automatic protection device or any other kind of direct or indirect connection with the Police or Fire Departments and shall discontinue using the services of any intermediaries.
[Ord. 1982-O-110, 7/12/1982, § 1600; as amended
by Ord. 91-O-11, 7/22/1991; and by Ord. 97-O-22, 12/3/1997]
1.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates any provision of this
Part and who fails to comply with the requirements of the written
notice of such violation within three days of receipt of such notice,
exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, upon conviction thereof
in an action brought before a district justice in the manner provided
for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules
of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more
than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment of said fine and
costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that
a violation of this Part continues or each Section of this Part which
shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
2.
Any person, firm or corporation who misuses, falsely activates or
permits continual activation of any alarm system mentioned in this
Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a district
justice in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses
under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced
to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs and, in default of
payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed
90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues or each
Section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall
constitute a separate offense.
