[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Common Council of the City of Gloucester City 4-2-1998 by Ord. No. 7-1998. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations concerning the operation and maintenance of certain alarm systems within the City of Gloucester City and to provide penalties upon conviction for violation of any of the provisions set forth herein.
For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases are defined as follows:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any mechanical, electrical or electronic device which is designed or used for the detection of an unauthorized entry into a building, structure or facility or for alerting others about the commission of an unlawful act within a building, structure or facility or for alerting others about the existence of conditions requiring response of police, fire or ambulance personnel and which emits an audible and/or visual signal or message when actuated. Alarm systems include, but are not limited to, direct-dial telephone devices, audible alarms and subscriber alarms.
AUDIBLE ALARM
A device that emits an audible signal from the premises that it is designed to protect.
DIRECT-DIAL ALARM
A device that, when actuated, causes a recorded message to be transmitted, via telephone, to the Gloucester City Police/Fire/Ambulance Communications Center stating that emergency response is necessary.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER
The primary telephone number advertised to the public for requesting emergency services.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal necessitating response by the City of Gloucester City Police, Fire or Ambulance Department(s) where an emergency situation does not exist. An alarm that has been activated by an external source that is beyond the reasonable control of the subscriber shall not be considered false.
SUBSCRIBER ALARM
An alarm system that is terminated by direct connection to the Gloucester City Police/Fire/Ambulance Communications Center in accordance with the regulations prescribed in separate legislation.
A. 
It shall be the responsibility of all persons, entities, firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems within the city to provide current information to the Police Department, consisting of the names and telephone numbers of responsible persons who may be contacted in case of emergency or who are authorized to provide service to the alarm system; either must be on a twenty-four-hour basis. This information is to be filed with the police when the alarm system is initially placed into service and must be revised immediately whenever changes are necessary.
B. 
Audible alarms must be silenced within 60 minutes after a designated responsible person is notified to do so by the Police Department, or the alarm system may be equipped with a timing device that will automatically silence the audible alarm within 60 minutes after it is actuated.
C. 
The direct-dial alarms shall not be connected to the Gloucester City Police Department, Fire Department or Ambulance telephone numbers. A secondary telephone will be provided for direct-dial alarms only. Direct-dial alarms must be equipped with a device that will prevent more than three repeated transmissions of an alarm for the same emergency to the Gloucester City Police/Fire/Ambulance Communications Center. Recorded messages must also include the name and telephone number of a responsible person who may be contacted by the police on a twenty-four-hour basis in case of an emergency.
A. 
It shall be the responsibility of all persons, entities, firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems within the city to prevent the transmission of false alarms through a program of training and periodic inspection and maintenance of the system.
B. 
The maximum permissible number of false alarms from any one location shall be as follows:
(1) 
Two false alarms in any thirty-day period; or
(2) 
Eight false alarms in any one-year period.
C. 
False alarms in excess of these standards shall be considered in violation of this chapter.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the general alerting alarms that may be used by fire companies, ambulance squads or civil defense agencies to summon response of their members.
B. 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to alarm systems that are affixed to motor vehicles.
Any person, entity, firm, corporation or other group that is found guilty of violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500. Each incident shall be considered as a separate violation. In addition to any penalty that may be ordered by the court, the Chief of Police may authorize the disconnection of subscriber alarms from the communications center after giving written notice to the subscriber.
The provisions contained herein shall apply equally to those alarm systems that were placed in service prior to or subsequent to the establishment of this chapter.