[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Folcroft 8-20-1996 by Ord. No.
893 (Ch. 13, Part 3, of the 2006 Code of Ordinances).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the "False
Burglar and Fire Alarm Control Ordinance."
Whereas the Council for the Borough of Folcroft has determined
that the receipt of false burglary and false fire alarms indicating
that emergencies exist is detrimental to the health, welfare and safety
of the citizens of the Borough of Folcroft, the Police Department
and Volunteer Fire Department, it is hereby declared to be the policy
of the Borough of Folcroft to safeguard and protect the residents
of said Borough and the personnel of the Police Department and Volunteer
Fire Department from such hazards and risks.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter,
shall have the following meanings ascribed to them:
Any voice, mechanical or electronic signals reported, received
or activated by means of telephone cables or other means of transmission,
which signals are monitored by the Police and/or Fire Department of
the Borough of Folcroft at their respective headquarters, or audible
alarms which are reported to the Borough of Folcroft Police or Fire
Department and which signals, upon report, receipt or upon activation,
indicate to the Police and/or Fire Department that an emergency exists
at the sending location. Said "alarm" shall include those types installed
to indicate burglaries or fires at the sending location.
The attempt to break into, the act of breaking into or the
intrusion on the property of one person, partnership, association,
syndicate, company, firm, trust, corporation, department, bureau,
agency or other entity by another person where such actions are recognized
by law as the subject of criminal law penalties.
Any report or request for police or fire service directed
to the Police or Fire Department by any means of communication wherein
the situation, condition, incident or emergency that is the subject
of the report or request does not exist.
Any individual, partnership, association, firm, syndicate,
company, trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency or other entity
recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
The Police Department shall have the power and duty to enforce
the provisions of this chapter.
After the effective date of this chapter, it shall be unlawful
for any person to:
A.Â
Cause, suffer, allow or permit the accidental or purposeful transmission
of a false burglar or fire alarm signal from any public or private
place in the Borough of Folcroft to the Police Department or Fire
Department of the Borough of Folcroft, if said person is the owner,
lessee or occupant of the structure in which a burglar or fire alarm
has been installed.
B.Â
Cause, suffer, allow or permit to be made any report or request for
police or fire service or assistance by any means of communication
wherein the situation, condition, incident or emergency which is the
subject of the report or request for police or fire service or assistance
does not exist.
No person shall install or maintain in any building, structure
or establishment in the Borough of Folcroft an external audible alarm
of any type which does not also contain an automatic cutoff system
or feature automatically cutting off the source of power to the alarm
after it has sounded for a period of no longer than 15 minutes.
[Amended 11-21-2006 by Ord. No. 990]
Any person who violates the above provisions of this chapter
shall be issued a Borough of Folcroft "false alarm" ticket for each
offense and shall pay a fine of $25. If said person fails to pay the
Borough of Folcroft ticket within 10 days of issuance, said person
shall be issued a state citation and, upon conviction thereof, 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 30 days. Each day that a violation of this chapter continues
shall constitute a separate offense.
