[HISTORY: Sections 43-1 through 43-5 adopted by the Mayor
and Borough Council of the Borough of Somerville 10-15-84 as Ord. No. 974; renumbered as Article I,
10-5-92 by Ord. No. 1129. Article
II added 10-5-92 by Ord. No. 1129. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to alleviate conditions which
lead to an unnecessary drain on the manpower, time, space, facilities
and finances of the Borough of Somerville and its Police and Fire
Departments and the deterioration of the quality of services to persons
subscribing to alarm services.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person, other
than the borough, who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device
designed to summon the Police, Fire Department or other municipal
agencies to any location in response to any type of alarm signal.
The terms of this chapter shall in no way prohibit alarm companies
from providing services by private source to other offices within
or without the borough so long as such activity is not connected to
the alarm panel or telephone at the police headquarters. The terms
of this chapter shall also apply to alarm companies providing services
by private source to other companies within or without the borough,
if the purpose of the furnishing of such services is to summon the
police to any location in response to any type of alarm signal.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any type of alarm-actuating equipment which provides warning
of intrusion, fire, smoke, burglary, flood or like peril.
That component installed in the console in the police headquarters
containing alarm indications and designations.
The installation in one (1) or more buildings of one (1)
or more alarm devices for the express purpose of giving visual or
audible warning, or both, of an emergency, such as burglary, intrusion,
fire, smoke, flood or like perils.
Any alarm or signal of an alarm actuated by inadvertence,
negligence or intentional or unintentional act of a person other than
an intruder, and including alarms by mechanical failure, malfunction
or improper installation of the alarm system and related equipment.
"False alarms" shall not include activations caused by power or phone
line interruptions. Alarms created by mechanical failure, malfunctioning
or improper installation of the alarm console at police headquarters
shall not be deemed "false alarms."
A.
All components of alarm systems, alarm devices, dial alarms and local
alarms shall be maintained by the owners or users thereof in good
repair. When evidence exists that there has been a failure by such
owner or users to properly maintain the alarm devices, the Police
Chief is authorized to demand that such devices be disconnected until
such time as appropriate repairs and/or modifications are made.
B.
All local alarms shall be equipped with a time relay or battery to
limit the sounding of alarms to thirty (30) minutes or less.
C.
All dial alarms shall be coded to dial a number which shall be provided
by the Chief of Police.
D.
All dial alarms shall be capable of being disconnected by the owner
to permit a call to the police switchboard in the event that a false
alarm occurs.
E.
Voice dial alarms to police headquarters, with the exception of such
devices which are already in operation at the time of the enactment
of this subsection, shall not be permitted.
F.
The sensory mechanism of dial alarms shall be adjusted so as to suppress
false indications and not to be actuated by impulses due to pressure
changes in waterpipes, short flashes of light, wind, noise, rattling
or vibration of doors or windows or other forces unrelated to general
alarms.
A.
Investigations. In the case of false alarms which summon the Police
or Fire Department to investigate, the Police Chief shall cause an
investigation to be made and shall keep a record of such false alarms
on file. Such record shall be prima facie evidence of the contents
thereof.
B.
Penalties for false alarms. In any calendar year the following penalties
shall apply:
(1)
For each of the first through third false alarms, a written warning
of the content of this chapter shall be given.
(2)
For the fourth false alarm in the same calendar year, a fine of twenty-five
dollars ($25) shall be imposed.
(3)
For the fifth and any subsequent false alarms, a fine not to exceed
five hundred dollars ($500) shall be imposed, for each false alarm.
(4)
In the event of a fifth or subsequent false alarm, an investigation
may be conducted by the Police Department. Where the investigation
of the Police Department discloses continued abusive or negligent
operation or maintenance of an alarm device and a disregard for the
taking of remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the Police Chief may
require disconnection of the device for a limited or permanent period;
provided, however, that the owner or the user of the device shall
be given notice of the intended disconnection and shall have an opportunity
to show cause before the Borough Council of the Borough of Somerville
why such action should not be taken. The determination of the Borough
Council in such matters shall be based upon the effect on the general
public health, safety and welfare of the continued use of the alarm
device in question.
(5)
In the event any person subject to the provisions of this chapter
is directed by the Chief of Police to disconnect an alarm system or
correct defects in an alarm system and fails to comply with such directive
within seven (7) days of same, such person shall be subject to the
penalties contained in the Borough Code for each false alarm received
after the expiration of the seven-day period until such time as the
system is disconnected or the defects are corrected.
The purpose of this Article is to provide to the Fire Department
of the Borough of Somerville access to buildings which contain an
alarm device or alarm system as defined by this chapter.
The owners, occupants or users of an alarm device or alarm system
as defined by this chapter shall install an exterior lockbox for the
appropriate building keys. The lock-box shall be approved by the Borough
of Somerville Fire Department and shall be compatible with the system
being used by the Department.
The local enforcement agency shall be the Borough of Somerville
Fire Department and the location and installation of the exterior
lock-box shall be subject to the review and approval of the Borough
of Somerville Fire Department or its designated borough official.
