[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Quarryville 11-2-1987 by Ord. No.
251. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Borough Council finds that: there has been a proliferation of
installation and use of commercial and residential automatic burglar
and robbery alarm systems within the Borough, a substantial increase
in the number of false alarms being reported from these systems which
have required police response, and that the unregulated use of such
alarm systems poses a substantial threat to the orderly and effective
provision of emergency services by the Police Department, so hereby
declares it to be necessary to provide for the greater control and
more effective regulations of alarm systems, alarm businesses and
users.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Quarryville
Borough Emergency Police and Fire Alarm Ordinance."
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation
and enforcement of this chapter:
Any person, firm, corporation or other entity engaged in
the business of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing,
altering, replacing, moving, or installing any alarm system or causing
it to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, replaced,
moved or installed any alarm system in or on any building, structure
or facility.
A service whereby trained employees, in attendance at all
times, receive prerecorded 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 direct trunk line to the Communications Center of the Police
or Fire Departments.
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.
Any mechanical or electrically operated instrument composed
of sensory apparatus and related hardware which is designed or used
for the detection of an unauthorized entry or attempted entry into
a building, structure or facility or for alerting others of the commission
of an unlawful act within a building, structure or facility or both
and which emits a sound or transmits a signal or message when activated.
The Borough of Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
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 trunk line to the Communications Center of the Police or
Fire Departments.
The Chief of Police of the Quarryville Police Department
or designee fulfilling functions as Chief of Police.
A telephone line leading into the Communications Center of
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
the Police or Fire Communications Center to which police officers
or firefighters respond, which is not the result of a fire, burglary,
robbery or similar emergency.
[Amended 6-1-2020 by Ord. No. 439]
The Fire Chief of Quarryville Fire Company No. 1 of Quarryville
Borough, or designee fulfilling functions of Fire Chief.
The Quarryville County Communications Center servicing the
Fire Department.
The Quarryville Fire Company No. 1 of Quarryville, Pennsylvania.
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 Quarryville Borough or designee fulfilling
functions of Manager.
Written permission duly granted to a qualified applicant
by the Borough upon payment of the required fee of $10.
The police communications room and other rooms which house
auxiliary communication equipment.
The Quarryville Borough Police Department and/or the Lancaster
Countywide communications system.
A telephone line leading into the Communications Center of
the Police or Fire Departments 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 Commonwealth Telephone Company.
After the enactment of this chapter, owners or lessees must
equip 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 Borough and must
be disconnected by the user within 60 days from the effective date
of this chapter.
A.Â
No automatic protection device installed after the effective date
of this chapter shall be keyed to a primary trunk line without first
receiving written permission from the Chief of Police of Quarryville.
B.Â
After the effective date of this chapter, all automatic protection devices that transmit recorded messages directly to the Police Department or Fire Department shall be keyed to a designated trunk line unless permission has been granted under Subsection A.
C.Â
Within 60 days from the effective date of this chapter, existing
automatic protection devices in the Borough shall be disconnected
from primary trunk lines unless application is made and written permission
granted by the Chief of Police of Quarryville.
A.Â
Any person who has an automatic protection device in the Borough
may arrange to have such device keyed to an intermediary authorized
to relay emergency messages to the Police or Fire Departments.
B.Â
The relay of messages by authorized intermediaries shall be over
a designated trunk line.
C.Â
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.
A.Â
Within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter, every alarm
equipment supplier who has keyed an automatic protection device in
the Borough to the designated trunk line shall furnish to the Chief
of Police and to the Fire Chief a current list of such installations
which shall include:
(1)Â
The telephone number of the owner or lessee.
(2)Â
The address where the device is installed and the telephone number
of that address.
(3)Â
The name, address and 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.
(4)Â
The name and telephone number of any person, firm or corporation,
if any, other than the alarm equipment supplier who is responsible
for maintenance and repair of the automatic protection device.
B.Â
By the fifth working day of each month following the submission of the initial list, every alarm equipment supplier shall furnish the Police Department and the Fire Department with a supplemental list of any additional installations he has keyed to the designated trunk lines, 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 chapter shall furnish a list containing the information specified in Subsection A by the fifth working day of the month following a first installation and shall, thereafter, furnish supplemental lists as required by this section.
C.Â
All information furnished pursuant to these sections shall be kept
confidential and shall be used by the designated personnel of the
Police Department and the Fire Department only.
Automatic protection devices installed in the Borough that are
keyed to designated trunk lines shall meet the following requirements:
A.Â
The type and content of recorded messages must be in a form approved
prior to installation by the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief, as
appropriate.
B.Â
No more than one call shall be made over a designated trunk line
to the Police Department or Fire Department as a result of a single
activation of the automatic protection device.
C.Â
The time for transmitting each recorded message shall not exceed
15 seconds.
D.Â
Recorded messages may be repeated during one call, but the interval
between each recorded message shall be no less than four seconds.
E.Â
All components comprising such a device must be maintained by the
owner or lessee in good repair.
A.Â
Each alarm equipment supplier who sells or leases an automatic protection
device in the Borough which is keyed to a designated trunk line shall
make service available directly or through an agent on a twenty-four-hour-per-day
basis, seven days a week.
B.Â
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.
When messages evidencing failure to comply with the operational requirements set forth in § 90-8 are received by the Police Department or the Fire Department, and the Borough Council 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 Borough Council 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 Borough Council determines that the malfunctioning device is repeatedly sending false alarms without any intermittent valid alarms, the Borough Council may then order that the defective automatic protection device be disconnected.
For the purpose of enforcing this chapter and 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 Mayor or Borough Manager which will authorize
the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief to enter upon a lessee's or
owner's premises within the Borough of Quarryville, at such reasonable
times and upon reasonable notice, to inspect the installation and
operation of an automatic protection device.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration of an automatic
protection device without first obtaining permission from the Police
and Fire Departments. Where 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.
[Amended 10-4-2021 by Ord. No. 445]
A.Â
To defray the cost to the Borough of responding to a false alarm, the user 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 Communications Centers, 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 Mayor or Borough Manager that such owner, lessee or user shall pay the Borough fees as established by resolution or ordinance of Borough Council for each false alarm over two per calendar month, and the fees as established by resolution or ordinance of Borough Council for each false alarm over six per calendar year, which sum or sums shall constitute a civil claim by the Borough, and does not affect the penalty provisions prescribed in § 90-14 hereof.
B.Â
Any such owner, lessee or user who fails to execute the consent described in Subsection A, within 90 days from the effective date of this chapter, 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 Communications Centers and shall discontinue using the services of any intermediaries.
[Amended 10-4-2021 by Ord. No. 445]
A.Â
Failure of any person to comply with the requirements of written
notice of a violation of any provision hereof, within three days of
receipt of such notice, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays,
shall constitute an offense, punishable by a fine of not less than
$ 25 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, including the
Borough's Attorneys' fees, to be collectible before any Magisterial
District Judge as like fines and penalties are now by law collectible.
Such notice shall continue in force and effect until full compliance
with the requirements stated therein, and each and every failure to
comply with such notice within 24 hours after the three days allowed
for compliance shall constitute a separate offense.
B.Â
False alarm violation. Any person found guilty of misuse, false activation
or continual accidental activation shall be liable for a fine of not
less than $25 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, including
the Borough' s attorneys' fees, for each and every activation to be
collectible before any Magisterial District Judge as like fines or
penalties are now by law collectible.
