[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Nockamixon 10-8-1996 by Ord. No. 87. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 70.
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:
FALSE ALARM
Any signal activated by an automatic protection device, any audible alarm or any other kind of direct or indirect signal given to which police, fire department or emergency response agencies respond which is not the result of an attempted illegal entry, burglary, intrusion, fire, medical or other similar emergency, excluding weather extremes and utility interruptions, which activates a protection device.
It shall be unlawful for the property owner, lessee or any person occupying or otherwise on any premises within Nockamixon Township, to make or cause to be made a false fire or security alarm, directly or indirectly, to any police or fire department or emergency response agency responding to alarms within the Township, when the false alarm is caused by faulty detection or alarm equipment or by the negligence of said property owner, lessee or person.
A. 
The status of an alarm is to be determined by the police department, fire company or other affected emergency response agency, and the decision shall be final.
B. 
Upon notification of a false alarm, a written report shall be made within 14 days by the owner or lessee to the affected emergency response agency and shall contain what steps have been taken to eliminate future false alarms.
C. 
Service fees for false alarms shall be assessed by the Township as follows:
(1) 
The third false alarm in any one calendar year shall be subject to a service fee not to exceed $50.
(2) 
A person that owns, uses or possesses an alarm device or automatic dialing device may not, after causing or permitting three false alarms to occur in a consecutive twelve-month period, cause or permit a subsequent false alarm to occur in the same consecutive twelve-month period. A person that violates this section commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300 pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 7511.
[Amended 1-9-2001 by Ord No. 101]
Any person, whether as principal or agent, who violates this chapter or assists, abets, or permits another to violate the same, shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
The Zoning Officer of Nockamixon Township, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Fire Chief of any Fire Company servicing Nockamixon Township shall have the authority to enforce the provisions of this chapter and to prosecute any violation of the provisions hereof.