[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 1]
This part shall be known as the "Emergency Alarm Control Ordinance."
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 2]
The purpose of this part is to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the Township by discouraging false alarms reported to the Police Department, fire companies, and similar emergency services; and by controlling and regulating automatic alarm systems and installations thereof.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 3]
Any business operated by a person, partnership, corporation, or other business entity for profit which engages in the activity of altering, installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing, selling, servicing, monitoring, or responding to burglary, hold-up, fire, medical emergency, or similar emergency alarm systems, or which causes these activities to take place.
Any electronic or mechanical device which upon receipt or detection of a stimulus or signal characteristic of a fire, intrusion, or other emergency situation, automatically transmits a pre-recorded voice or other alarm signal over telephone lines by direct or indirect connection; or which causes a visual or audible signal to be generated which can be detected from outside the premises in which it is installed and which is intended to result in the summoning of an emergency service agency. Indirect connection includes answering services and all other persons monitoring and relaying information to an emergency service agency.
The Solebury Township Police Department, volunteer fire companies operating within the Township, rescue squads, ambulance companies, and any other similar service or agency.
Any signal activated by an AAD, or any other kind of direct or indirect signal given or caused to be given to an emergency service agency to which emergency service agency personnel respond and which is not the result of a burglary, fire, injury, robbery, or similar emergency. For the purpose of this part, any alarm transmitted or activated by an AAD without physical sign of entry, fire, or other emergency shall be considered a false alarm.
Any resident, person, corporation, partnership, institution, company, or other entity which has installed an AAD designed or intended to alert an emergency service agency and to elicit their response.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 4; as amended by A.O.]
1.
Within 30 days from the effective date of this part, every user of an AAD shall register with the Chief of Police on a form provided by the Police Department any installation of an AAD. The information to be provided shall include the following:
A.
The name, residence address, and telephone number of the user.
B.
The address where the AAD is installed and the telephone number of that address.
C.
The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least two persons who are authorized to gain entry into the protected premises, and who are available to respond within 30 minutes of notification.
D.
The name, address, and telephone number of the alarm equipment supplier and person responsible for maintenance and repair of the AAD.
2.
All information furnished pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential and shall be for the exclusive use of the Police Department.
3.
Each user shall register the operation of an AAD with the Chief of Police. A fee in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, shall be paid for each such registration.
4.
Each registrant of an AAD shall be given a notice summarizing the provisions of this part.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 5; as amended by A.O.]
1.
The schedule for false alarms within a one-year period and fees therefor, shall be in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
2.
For the first three false alarms within a one-year period, the Police Department shall send a suitable notice of the false alarm to the user of the AAD generating or causing the false alarm at his mailing address if known, or to the address of the location at which the AAD is located. After the third false alarm in a one-year period, the Police Department shall send a suitable notice to the user advising him of the fee, the amount to be paid to the Township therefor, the time limitations for payment, the place of payment, and that failure to pay the fee within the prescribed time is a violation of this part.
3.
The fee shall be paid by the user within 10 days of notice at the Solebury Township Building.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 6]
Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a grace period of 30 days shall be permitted for any new installation of an AAD, provided that a permit for such AAD has been obtained as set forth in this part. During the thirty-day grace period, which shall begin on the day that the installation is completed, no false alarms will be considered for purposes of determining fees for false alarms as set forth in § 10-304.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 7]
1.
The sensory mechanism used in connection with any AAD must be designed and adjusted to suppress false indications of intrusion or fire so that the device will not be activated by impulses due to momentary pressure changes in water pipes, normal changes in atmospheric pressure or humidity, flashes of light, normal rattling or vibrating of doors and windows, the vibrations to the premises caused by passing vehicles, or any other occurrence not related to a genuine emergency. All such devices must be maintained by the user in good repair to insure maximum reliability of operation and minimum occurrences of false alarms.
2.
AADs which use automatic telephone dialing mechanisms shall transmit a message approved by the Chief of Police. Such AADs shall not make more than two telephone calls to an emergency service agency during any one cycle of the alarm function. The message shall be no longer than 15 seconds in duration, and shall not be repeated more than twice.
3.
AADs which generate an audible alarm which can be heard outside the premises in which the AAD is installed shall be designed to stop generating the audible alarm after 30 minutes of operation. After 90 days of the effective date of this part, all audible alarms not in compliance with this section shall be unlawful and must be disconnected.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 8; as amended by Ord. 107, 7/11/1989, § 1; and by A.O.]
1.
All alarm businesses operating within the Township, including those businesses located outside the Township which monitor alarm systems within the Township, shall obtain a permit from the Chief of Police, and pay a fee in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, for each year in which they operate within the Township. The permit fee may be changed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
2.
It shall be unlawful for any alarm business or its representatives to represent to any customer, user, or sales prospect that the Solebury Township Police Department endorses, recommends or otherwise approves of the alarm business's service or equipment. It shall be unlawful to represent that the Police Department furnished any information concerning any customer, user or sales prospect to the alarm business or its representatives.
3.
It shall be unlawful to conduct a test or demonstration of any AAD without the permission of the Chief of Police or his designate. No permission is required, however, if the alarm or signal will not cause the response of an emergency service agency.
[Ord. 63, 10/2/1984, § 9; as amended by A.O.]
Failure of any person, corporation, partnership, business, institution, or other entity to comply with the provisions of this part or any section thereof, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a magisterial district judge 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. Failure to pay a false alarm fee within the prescribed time limits shall result in a penalty in addition to the amount of the fee assessed.