[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings set forth:
Any system installed to serve an improved property, dwelling,
building, or other facility and designed or used for detection of
fire, smoke or similar hazards, the detection of unauthorized entry
or the commission of an unlawful act, or the detection of any one
or more of the foregoing, or for reporting any emergency, which system
communicates or causes the communication of information, either directly
or indirectly, to a dispatch center authorized by the Township.
An alarm system may be any one of the following types:
DIGITAL SYSTEMWhich through telephone lines activates
an audible alarm at a dispatch center and provides both an information
read-out and printout.
TAPE DIALER SYSTEMWhich automatically selects a
telephone trunk line of a dispatch center and then reproduces a prerecorded
message.
TELEPHONE CALL SYSTEMWhich automatically alerts
a person, beyond the limits of the property served, who is engaged
in the business of relaying information by telephone to a dispatch
center.
A device used by a Township resident for the sole purpose of
giving notification of a medical emergency and summoning medical assistance
shall not be considered to be an alarm system as defined herein and
shall not be subject to any of the provisions of this article.
The Township Police Department, the Township Fire Department,
any communications center operated by the County of Morris or any
central alarm monitoring facility which communicates the activation
of an alarm to the police dispatch center.
Any signal or message by an alarm system or central alarm
monitoring facility to the police dispatch center to which a response
is initiated, which signal or message was directly or indirectly caused
or produced by an alarm system in the absence of any smoke, fire,
similar hazard, unauthorized entry, commission of an authorized act,
or the existence of any other emergency, and whether caused by intentional
act, negligence, mechanical failure, malfunction or improper installation
or maintenance of the system. Activations caused by power shall not
be considered false alarms; provided, however, that an activation
resulting from a failure to install an anti-power-surge device or
any other equipment or device required by applicable state regulation(s)
shall constitute a false alarm unless carelessness, improper installation
or incorrect care or maintenance is determined to be the cause of
the activation.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
A.
No person shall install, maintain,
use or cause or permit to be used any alarm system within the Township
unless a permit has been issued in accordance with the provisions
of this article.
B.
Permits shall be updated in writing
with the Chief of Police at any time when the original information
has changed. Failure to update alarm information shall constitute
a violation.
C.
No person shall use an alarm system
that has not been registered with the Chief of Police.
D.
The issuance of a permit shall
not relieve any person from the requirements of the State Uniform
Construction Code as amended and regulations enacted thereunder for
a permit under the Electrical Subcode and/or Fire Subcode to install,
alter or repair an alarm system.
E.
A permit application shall be considered
to be approved after being reviewed and accepted by the Chief of Police.
No paper copy of an approved permit shall be issued.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
Any person desiring to use an alarm system upon improved property
owned or occupied by such person shall submit a written application
to the Police Department and Bureau of Fire Safety for a permit for
the system. An application form shall be available in the office of
the Township Police Department and shall require the following information
over the signature of the applicant:
A.
The name, address and telephone
number of the applicant.
B.
The location of the property to
be served.
C.
The name, address and telephone
number of the company which will supply and maintain the alarm system.
D.
The name, address and telephone
number of the company providing monitoring service to the alarm system.
E.
The particular type of alarm system.
F.
The name and telephone number of
a person or persons to be notified of a faulty alarm system at any
time when no one is present on the property served by the system.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
The Chief of Police, the Fire Official or his designee shall cause each initial application for a permit to be reviewed for the purposes of determining whether the system proposed by the application meets applicable standards for the private alarm system set forth in § 91-11. The Chief of Police shall issue an initial permit for the proposed private alarm system within five calendar days after the receipt of the application unless he is of the opinion that the proposed system will not meet applicable standards, in which case the Chief of Police/Fire Official shall advise the applicant in writing of the reason or reasons for refusing to issue the permit.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Installation, alteration or repair of a private alarm system
shall be inspected by the Electrical Subcode Official or Fire Protection
Subcode Official in accordance with the regulations promulgated under
the State Uniform Construction Code. Copies of reports of inspections
shall be filed with the Township Chief of Police. Copies of reports
of inspection(s) should be filed with the Fire Official.
No application for an initial permit shall be filed or accepted
for any tape dialer system. This prohibition shall not affect the
renewal of a permit for any such system provided that an initial permit
for the system was issued prior to August 31, 1994.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
All permits for alarm systems shall be issued upon the following
terms and conditions:
A.
A permit shall be issued for each
separate improved property, and no permit shall be transferred or
assigned in any manner.
B.
All alarm systems installed in
the Township shall utilize equipment and methods of installation substantially
equivalent to or exceeding the minimum applicable current American
National Standards Institute (ANSI), Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.
(UL), or National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and/or
standards of the State Uniform Construction Code and regulations promulgated
thereunder; all of said standards shall be available in the office
of the Township Construction Official. The type of system, level of
protection, grade of service and area protected shall be selected
by the owner or occupant of the property served by the system. If
required, an applicant 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.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
C.
Every permit shall be subject
to rules and standards which may be promulgated by the Township Chief
of Police/Township Fire Official. These rules shall be in writing
and shall be given to each person who may apply for an initial or
renewal permit or to each permittee at the time of said promulgation
or amendment.
D.
Every alarm system shall be maintained in proper working condition. All alarm systems shall be inspected, tested and maintained in strict compliance with the manufacturer's instructions, approvals and minimum standards referred to in Subsection B. All system components shall be inspected, tested and serviced at least once each year by an authorized servicing agent.
E.
Whenever, by reason of a false
alarm or alarms, the Chief of Police/Township Fire Official may determine
that an alarm system is not in proper operating condition, the person
responsible for the alarm shall, upon receiving written notice from
the Chief of Police/Township Fire Official, have the system inspected
and serviced by an authorized servicing agent within 48 hours after
receiving such notification. A copy of the agent's report shall be
filed with the Chief of Police/Township Fire Official.
F.
Any prerecorded message resulting
from the operation of an alarm system shall be worded in a form approved
by the Chief of Police/Township Fire Official. No prerecorded telephone
message shall repeat for a continuous period of more than three minutes.
G.
Whenever following the issuance
of an initial permit or renewal permit there is a change in the information
previously furnished by the applicant, the permittee shall promptly
notify the Chief of Police/Township Fire Official of such change.
H.
Every permittee shall accept the
provisions of § 91-114, which shall appear on the permit.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6; 5-24-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-13; 4-22-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-04]
A.
Reports of false alarms. The Chief of Police at his discretion shall cause a report of constantly recurring false alarms by an alarm system in the Township to be prepared and submitted to the Police Department on a form provided by the Chief of Police. Sufficient information shall be furnished to enable the Chief of Police to determine whether inspection and servicing of the system should be required as provided in § 91-13. A copy of the agent's report shall be filed with the Township Fire Official and Chief of Police.
B.
Fees for false alarms; violations
for failure to pay.
(1)
The Chief of Police and Fire Official shall be responsible for maintaining records of false alarms pursuant to the provisions of § 91-13.
(2)
There shall be a false alarm fee as provided in Chapter 152, Fees, charged after the first false alarm in a calendar month. The fee shall be billed by the Police Department by notice mailed to the responsible party.
(3)
Alarm fees shall be paid within
10 calendar days after mailing of notice. The failure to pay the alarm
fees within 10 calendar days after mailing shall be a violation of
this chapter. An individual violating this chapter shall be subject
to a penalty to be enforced in the Municipal Court of a fine not to
exceed $100 for the first offense and a fine up to $500 for each subsequent
offense which shall be paid in addition to the false alarm fee.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
A.
Any permit issued for an alarm
system may be suspended by the Chief of Police/Fire Official if it
shall appear that:
(1)
The permittee has failed to
comply with the provisions of this article, the terms and conditions
of the permit or the rules or standards promulgated by the Chief of
Police/Fire Official with respect to private alarm systems.
(2)
The permittee or his agent
knowingly installed or maintains a faulty private alarm system. Six
false alarm activations within any twelve-month period shall constitute
prima facie evidence that the private alarm facility is faulty.
(3)
The permittee has failed to pay a fee for a false alarm or alarms as required by § 91-14 within 15 days of the receipt of a notice from the Chief of Police/Fire Official that such a fee is due.
(4)
The permittee or his agent
has failed to comply with a request by the Chief of Police to render
necessary services within 48 hours after such request is made by the
Chief of Police or Township Fire Official or has failed to disconnect
such system within such period and until such system has been serviced.
B.
In the event that the Chief of
Police/Fire Official shall determine that a permit for an alarm system
should be suspended by reason of the provisions of this section, the
Chief of Police/Fire Official shall notify the permittee of the suspension
in writing by certified mail forwarded to his last known address,
setting forth the reason or reasons for the suspension.
C.
A suspension shall be terminated
by the Chief of Police/Fire Official when he is satisfied that the
conditions stated in the notice of suspension have been corrected
or the reasons for the suspension eliminated. Prior to terminating
a suspension the Chief of Police/Fire Official may in his discretion
require that the system be inspected by a qualified expert employed
by the Township in order to determine compliance with the provisions
of this chapter, terms and conditions applicable to permits for alarm
systems and rules or standards promulgated by the Chief of Police/Fire
Official with respect to such systems.
[Amended 3-28-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-6]
The Township shall not assume any responsibility whatsoever
with respect to the adequacy of operation or maintenance of any alarm
system. No action taken by the Township or any of its officials or
employees pursuant to the provision of this chapter shall create any
liability upon the Township by reason of any failure of any alarm
system, any failure to respond to any emergency or any act of omission
or commission relating to any alarm system. Every person who accepts
a permit for an alarm system agrees to hold and save harmless the
Township, its officials and employees from any liability whatsoever
in connection with the system covered by the permit or its operation.
The Chief of Police shall furnish monthly reports to the Township
Manager regarding the number of false alarms reported to the Chief
of Police subsequent to the previous monthly report, as well as such
details respecting false alarms as the Township Manager may from time
to time request.
