[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Rockhill as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 1-17-2018 by Ord. No. 238]
This article shall be known as the "West Rockhill Township Emergency Rapid Entry System Ordinance."
A. 
The purpose of this article is to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of West Rockhill Township.
B. 
An ordinance is necessary to require certain commercial buildings to install devices and provide emergency service providers, including, but not limited to police and fire companies serving West Rockhill Township, with immediate, nondestructive access to such buildings in order to increase efficiency, prevent costly forced entry damage, protect private property, inventory equipment and supplies, and to help prevent possible injury to police, firefighters and emergency responders from forced entry into private property.
The following words and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning:
ALARM MONITORING COMPANY
Any person or entity that monitors an automated fire alarm system and upon receipt of a signal from such system notifies the Bucks County 9-1-1 Communications Center.
AUTOMATED FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
A system or assembly of equipment composed of sensory apparatus and related hardware that detects the presence of smoke or fire and automatically transmits a signal from the premises to an alarm monitoring company.
AUTOMATIC FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM
A system or assembly of piping, valves, controls, and sprinklers designed to utilize water, foam, CO2, or other gas to automatically suppress fire.
FIRE DEPARTMENTS
The Telford Fire Company, the Sellersville Fire Company, the Trumbauersville Fire Company, Tylersport Fire Company and any other fire company or department responding to emergencies in the Township.
POLICE CHIEF
The Chief of the Pennridge Regional Police Department.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Pennridge Regional Police Department or other police department responding to emergencies in West Rockhill Township.
RAPID ENTRY SYSTEM or EMERGENCY RAPID ENTRY SYSTEM
A rapid entry lock box, the exact model and placement to be approved by the Police Chief in his reasonable judgment, for which the Police Department maintains a master key to obtain entry in order to access key(s) to a building and certain locked areas within such building as designated by the Police Chief. A Knox Box® is an example of rapid entry system.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of West Rockhill Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
A. 
The owners of the following types of buildings located in the Township shall install an emergency rapid entry system in, on, or near such building:
(1) 
All new commercial buildings;
(2) 
All existing commercial buildings undergoing the construction of improvements that require land development approval under Chapter 365, Subdivision and Land Development;
(3) 
All existing commercial buildings equipped with an automatic fire suppression system; and
(4) 
All existing commercial buildings equipped with an automated fire alarm system.
B. 
The Township Code Enforcement Officer shall not issue a certificate of occupancy for any building described in § 200-4A(1) and (2) of this article until she or he is reasonably satisfied that the requirements of § 200-4 of this article have been met.
C. 
The owners of commercial buildings described in § 200-4A(3) and (4) of this article shall comply with the provisions of this § 200-4 within six months of the effective date of this article.
A. 
Any locked gate, fence, or other device that obstructs access to any commercial building described in § 200-4, or such building's surrounding property, shall be locked only with the locking device approved by the Police Chief in his reasonable discretion. A duplicate key, access code, or other means of immediate entry shall be provided to the Police Chief.
B. 
The owners of commercial buildings described in § 200-4 of this article shall be responsible for complying with § 200-6A above.
C. 
The Township Code Enforcement Officer shall not issue a certificate of occupancy for any building described in § 200-4A(1) and (2) until he or she is reasonably satisfied that the requirements of this § 200-6 have been met.
D. 
The owners of commercial buildings described in § 200-4A(1) and (2) shall comply with the requirements of this § 200-6 within six months of the effective date of this article.
This article shall be enforced by a criminal action in the same manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. A person convicted of violating this article shall be sentenced to pay a fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township of West Rockhill, or to imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both. Violations of more than one provision of this article shall constitute separate violations. Each day that a violation of any provision of this article continues or occurs shall constitute a separate violation.
If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this article is found for any reason to be unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality, illegality, or invalidity shall not affect or impair any remaining provisions, clauses, sentences, sections, or parts of this article.