[Ord. 698, 7/5/1988, § 1; as amended by Ord. 947, 7/1/2002]
As herein used, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
AUDIBLE ALARM
Any bell, horn, siren or other device which is attached to the interior or exterior of a building and emits a warning signal audible outside the building which is designed to attract attention when activated by a criminal act, fire or other emergency requiring police or fire department to respond.
AUTOMATIC PROTECTION DEVICE
An electronically operated instrument composed of sensory apparatus and related hardware which automatically transmits a prerecorded voice alarm or other signal over regular telephone lines, cellular connections, radio or other communication medium by direct or indirect connection to the Lehigh County Communication Center upon receipt of a stimulus from a sensory apparatus that has detected a physical force or condition inherently characteristic of an intrusion, fire or other emergency.
BOROUGH
The Borough of Emmaus, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
FALSE ALARM/FALSE DISPATCH
Any alarm or other signal activated by an automatic protection device and given to the Lehigh County Communication Center, or any audible alarm, to which police and/or fire department respond and which is not the result of a burglary, robbery, fire or similar type of emergency.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 6-302, Registration of Existing Alarm, adopted by Ord. No. 698, 7/5/1988, as amended, and 6-303, Registration of New Alarm, adopted by Ord. No. 698, 7/5/1988, were repealed by Ord. No. 1243, 5/1/2023.
[Ord. 698, 7/5/1988, § 4; as amended by Ord. 947, 7/1/2002]
The following requirements shall be placed on all alarms:
1. 
No more than three calls shall be made to the Lehigh County Communication Center as a result of a single activation of an automatic protection device.
2. 
The sensory mechanism used in conjunction with an automatic protection device must be adjusted to suppress false indications of intrusion or other emergencies, so that the device will not be actuated by impulses due to fleeting pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, the rattling or vibrating of doors and windows, vibrations to the premises caused by the passing of vehicles, cigarette or non-fire emergency related smoke, certain whether extremes, or any other similar force not related to emergencies requiring protection.
3. 
All components comprising an automatic protection devise must be maintained by the owner or lessee in good repair to assure maximum reliability of operation.
4. 
All existing audible alarms, within 90 days after the passage of this Part, as well as all future audible alarm installations, shall be equipped with a timing mechanism that will automatically disengage the audible alarm or signal given off thereby after 15 minutes.
[Ord. 698, 7/5/1988, § 5]
Each installer who sells or leases an automatic protection device in the Borough after the effective date of this Part, shall furnish the owner or lessee: operating instructions, a circuit diagram, maintenance manual, and written information as to how service may be obtained, including the telephone number of the installer or agent responsible for service.
[Ord. 698, 7/5/1988, § 6]
Messages evidencing failure to comply with the operational requirements set forth in any section of this Part are received through the Lehigh County Communication Center. These automatic protection devices place burdens on the Borough of Emmaus Fire Department and Police Department. In as much as all fire alarms are tied into the Borough system, any automatic protection devices not in compliance with the requirements of this Part may not be disconnected. However, the Chief of Police is hereby granted the authorization to demand that the owner or lessee, or his representative, of any burglar alarm not in compliance with this Part disconnect said device until such time as the device has been made to comply with the operational requirements of this Part.
The Chief of Police and the Fire Chief of the Borough shall each possess the power to disconnect false alarms within the scope of their jurisdiction. These waivers shall be limited to incidences of extreme weather conditions or malfunctions in the operation of the electric system of the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company or other isolated events which, in the opinion of the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief warrant an exemption.
[Ord. 698, 7/5/1988, § 7]
Response to alarms given off by audible alarms and automatic protection devices involve the time of and danger to members of the Borough Police Department and Fire Department, and false alarms are therefore to be discouraged. If more than three false alarms are given from any such alarms in a given twelve-month period, the property owner, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a summary offense and shall be sentenced to pay a fine in accordance with the following:
1. 
For the 1st offense: $50.
2. 
For the 2nd offense: $100.
3. 
For the 3rd offense: $200.
4. 
For the 4th offense and thereafter: $300.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 6-308, Penalty for Failure to Register Alarm, adopted by Ord. No. 698, 7/5/1988; as added by Ord. No. 947, 7/1/2002, which section immediately followed, was repealed by Ord. No. 1243, 5/1/2023.