Editor's Note: Prior ordinance history: Ordinance
Nos: 73-6, 74-28, 87-29, 96-10, 13-02.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards and regulations
for various types of intrusion, burglar, fire and other emergency
alarm devices, thereby requiring a response by the Police Department,
Fire Department or other municipal agencies.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person, other
than the Township, who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device
or local alarm designed to summon the Police, Fire Department or other
local 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 service by private source to offices within
or without the Township so long as such activity is not directly connected
to the Township Police Department or other Township facility; except,
however, that any person having a premises protected by an alarm device
shall be responsible for the registration thereof in accordance with
the appropriate section of this chapter, without fee.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
Any type of alarm system providing warning of burglary, intrusion,
fire, smoke, flood or other peril.
The installation of one or more devices in one or more buildings
for the purpose of giving visual or audible warning, or both, of an
emergency such as burglary, intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other
peril. For purposes of this chapter, the term "alarm system" shall
include central alarms and local alarms. The term "alarm system" does
not include devices which are designed solely to be seen or heard,
or both, within the premises and do not transmit a signal to a remote
location, such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors which
are specifically excluded.
Any alarm system which when activated sounds an external warning
signal at the location of the alarm premises and does not transmit
any type of signal to another location.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, association or
any other legal entity.
The actuation of an alarm system by causes other than those
to which the alarm system was designed or intended to respond. A "false
alarm" shall not include intentional false alarms, which are subject
to penalty under the Disorderly Persons Law.
Limited to a member of the Police Department of the Township.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
a.
No person shall maintain, use or cause or permit to be used any alarm
device within the Township unless the alarm device has been registered
with the Warren Township Police Department in accordance with the
provisions of this chapter. Any new alarm devices must be registered
as set forth herein upon installation. A registration shall be submitted
to the Police Department with a copy to the Fire Marshal and/or the
Fire Subcode Official for his approval.
b.
Any person desiring to install, maintain, use or cause or permit
to be used any alarm device shall submit to the Warren Township Police
Department a written registration for such alarm device. The registration
shall require the following information and shall be signed by the
registrant:
1.
The name, address and telephone number of the property owner and/or
registrant;
2.
The location of the property to be served;
3.
The name, address and telephone number of the person or company which
will furnish or maintain the alarm device;
4.
The name and telephone number of three persons located within a reasonable
distance from the property who are capable of responding, providing
access and resetting the alarm, and who shall be notified of an alarm
or false alarm when no one is present on the property served by the
alarm device;
5.
The particular type of alarm device or alarm system for which the
registration is sought;
6.
Consent to inspection of the premises on which the alarm device or
alarm system is installed at reasonable hours by the appropriate police
or fire official.
c.
In the case of commercial or industrial establishment alarm devices
or alarm systems, the three individuals designated for response to
an alarm must be so located that their response time will not exceed
30 minutes from the notification of the alarm. The commercial or industrial
establishment shall have the option of not designating the said three
individuals and substitute therefor a lock box at a location identified
on its registration. In such a case, the commercial or industrial
establishment shall supply a key to that lock box to the Police Department.
d.
All registrations of alarm devices or alarm systems shall be granted
upon the following terms and conditions.
1.
A registration shall be required for each separate residence, store,
building or other facility and no registration shall be assigned or
transferred in any manner;
2.
If requested by the Police Department or the Fire Marshal or Fire
Subcode Official, a registrant shall furnish complete information
and specifications for the system. Such information shall include
specific data relating to testing procedures and the prevention of
false alarms;
3.
Every alarm device or alarm system shall be maintained in proper
working condition.
e.
Alarm systems shall be registered, but no fee shall be charged therefor.
f.
Neither the Township nor the Police or Fire Department shall assume
any responsibility whatsoever with respect to the adequacy, operation
or maintenance of any alarm device or alarm system. No action taken
by the Township or the Police or Fire Department pursuant to the provisions
of this section shall create any liability upon the Township or the
Police or Fire Department by reason of any failure to respond to any
emergency or any act or omission relating to any alarm device or alarm
system. Every person who accepts a registration for an alarm device
or alarm system agrees to hold harmless the Township, the Police and
Fire Departments, their agents and employees from any liability and
costs whatsoever in connection with the alarm device or system covered
by the registration or its operation.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
All fire alarm devices and fire alarm systems shall be installed
in accordance with the requirements of the State of New Jersey and
with the approval of the Fire Marshal.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
a.
In the case of a false alarm, including a false alarm caused by malfunctioning equipment, any person having knowledge thereof, shall immediately notify the Police Department in a manner to be prescribed by rules and regulations in accordance with section 3A-8 hereof. In addition, in the case of false alarms, the Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made and keep a record of such alarms and investigations on file. For such false alarms, the following penalties shall be applicable to the registrant thereof upon a conviction or guilty plea:
1.
Alarms Other Than Fire Alarms:
First offense: $35 fine.
Second offense: $50 fine.
Third offense: $100 fine.
Fourth offense and all subsequent offenses: minimum $200 fine
and mandatory court appearance.
2.
Fire Alarms:
(a)
False alarms:
First offense in any calendar year: Warning.
Second offense in the same calendar year: $50 fine.
Third offense in same calendar year: $100 fine.
Fourth and all subsequent offenses in same calendar year: Minimum
fine of $200 and maximum fine of $500 and a mandatory court appearance.
(b)
Multiple false alarms within any given twelve-hour period shall be
considered as one alarm. In the event that three false alarms are
given within any given twelve-hour period, the Fire Chief or his designee
shall have the right to order the alarm system to be deactivated;
in the event the said system is not deactivated after the aforesaid
order, each false alarm thereafter will be treated as a separate false
alarm for the purposes of this section.
(c)
In the event of a false alarm if no designated party arrives at the
false alarm location within 30 minutes of notification to respond
to that location, the registrant shall be fined an additional minimum
fine of $500 and a maximum fine of $1,500 for each violation. For
a commercial or industrial establishment that has opted to install
a lock box in lieu of designating three persons to respond to an alarm,
in the event that there is no lock box present at the location a minimum
fine of $500 will be assessed.
3.
(a)
If an investigation by the Police Department and/or the Fire Department
and their designees discloses (i) a failure to comply with the terms
and conditions of this chapter, or (ii) a failure to comply with a
request to repair or replace a faulty alarm device or alarm, the Police
Chief or Fire Chief shall have the right to require disconnection
of such alarm device or alarm system until the terms and conditions
of this chapter are complied with, or the alarm device or alarm system
is repaired. In such an event, the Police Chief or Fire Chief shall
notify the registrant of the suspension in writing stating the reason
for the suspension. The notice shall include the date on which the
suspension shall take place, and will include a statement that the
registrant may appeal the decision to the Township Committee within
seven days from the date of such notice. A suspension shall be terminated
and the registration reinstated when the conditions stated in the
notice of suspension have been corrected to the satisfaction of the
Police Chief or Fire Chief, as applicable.
(b)
The failure to disconnect such alarm device or alarm system within 36 hours after a request to disconnect said alarm device or alarm system and keep such alarm device or system disconnected until the terms and conditions of this chapter are complied with, or until such alarm device or alarm system is repaired or replaced shall be a violation of this chapter, and each and every day the equipment is in operation shall be considered a separate offense subject to the penalty provisions as set forth in section 3-21 of The Revised General Ordinances of the Township of Warren. By registering an alarm device or alarm system, a person shall be deemed to have consented to inspection of the premises on which such alarm devices or alarm systems are installed at reasonable hour by the Chief of Police or his designated representative.
[Ord. No. 14-25]
The Chief of Police may from time to time promulgate rules and
regulations supplementing this chapter in order to provide for record-keeping
and efficient management of such system, provided that the Township
Committee must first approve such rules or any changes thereto.
