[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
The purpose of this article is to provide regulations and standards
applicable to alarm devices and alarm users as defined in this chapter.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall
apply:
Any device which, when activated by a criminal act or by
smoke, fire or other emergency requiring police or fire department
response, transmits a signal to a private central alarm station and/or
produces an audible or visible signal to which the police or fire
departments are expected to respond. Excluded from this definition
and from the coverage of this section are alarm devices which are
designed to alert or signal persons within the premises in which the
alarm device is installed of an attempted unauthorized intrusion,
holdup, fire or other emergency and is not intended to alert persons
outside the premises.
Any police, fire or emergency alarm device or aggregation
of police or fire alarm devices installed on or within a single building
or on or within more than one building or area adjacently located
on a common site, at a specific location.
Any person on whose premises an alarm device is owned, operated,
used or maintained.
Any facility operated by a private firm that owns or leases
a system of alarm devices, which facility is manned by operators who
receive, record or validate alarm signals and relay information about
such validated signals to police and/or fire headquarters when appropriate.
A telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically
or electronically selects a telephone line connected to police and/or
fire headquarters and reproduces a prerecorded message to report a
criminal act or other emergency requiring police or fire department
response.
A telephone device that electronically selects a predetermined
telephone number and transmits a digitally coded signal to the central
alarm station.
Any alarm device which transmits a signal over a leased telephone
line to the central alarm monitoring facility.
The activation of an alarm system through mechanical failure,
malicious intent, malfunction, improper installation or the negligence
of the owner or lessee of an alarm system or of his or her employer
or agents. Such terminology does not include, for example, alarms
caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or other violent conditions
which are clearly beyond the control of the alarm user.
The West End Fire Company, located in West Pottsgrove Township.
Any alarm device not connected to a private control alarm
station which, when activated, causes an audible and/or visual signaling
device to be activated on the exterior of the premises within which
the device is installed.
A mechanical deficiency or other fault or failure in an alarm
device which results in a false alarm.
Any alarm device in which activation of the alarm signal
is initiated by the direct action of the alarm user.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
Any property owner or lessee of property having on such premises
an alarm device or system of alarm devices shall apply to the West
Pottsgrove Township Police Department, on a form to be supplied by
the Township, for a permit to own or otherwise have such a device.
No such device may be installed on the premises of the owner or lessee
prior to the issuance of a permit to such owner or lessee and no presently
existing alarm device shall be modified prior to the issuance of a
permit to such owner or lessee. Such permit need not be obtained on
an annual basis, but shall be obtained each time a device or system
is to be installed or modified. Permit applications shall contain
specific information relating to the type of alarm, contact information
etc., as may be determined by the Chief of Police. Fees for alarm
permits shall be in an amount to be determined by resolution of the
Board of Commissioners.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
It shall be unlawful for any person, business, firm or corporation
to operate or maintain an alarm devices or devices or system of alarm
devices as defined by the terms of the article without first obtaining
a permit, as herein provided.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
A.
The Chief of Police may require the denial, suspension or revocation
of any permit or the disconnection of any alarm system connected to
a central alarm station at any time the Chief of Police of the Township
deems necessary or because of more than four false alarms in any one
calendar year, or because of any violations of the provisions of this
article, or the violation of any standard or regulations promulgated
by the Township pursuant to this article. Any permit issued hereunder
shall be surrendered to the Chief of Police following such adverse
determination.
B.
No part of a permit fee shall be refunded when a permit is suspended
or revoked or upon termination of a business.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
A.
No Responsibility.
1.
Notwithstanding the payment of any fee and/or the issuance of any
permit as required herein, the police department, fire department
and West Pottsgrove Township shall be under no obligation whatsoever
concerning the adequacy, operation or maintenance of the alarm device
so installed, or the operation of the central alarm station and West
Pottsgrove Township and its authorized agents hereby assume no liability
whatsoever for any failure of such alarm device or the central alarm
station or the failure to respond to any such alarm, device or system.
2.
The alarm user or permittee, upon acceptance of such permit, hereby
agrees to hold and save harmless the Township of West Pottsgrove,
its agents or employees from any liability whatsoever in connection
with any such alarm device or the operation of the same.
B.
Dial Alarm Devices; Using Telephone Switchboard for Prerecorded Voice
Messages Prohibited. No person shall use or cause or permit to be
used any dial alarm device that automatically selects a telephone
trunk line of the West Pottsgrove Township Police Department or the
West End Fire Company and then reproduces any prerecorded voice message
to report any robbery, burglary, fire or other emergency. The use
of any dial alarm device which relays a digitally coded signal to
the central alarm station is permitted under this article.
C.
Intentional False Alarm. It shall be a violation of this article
to intentionally cause a false alarm and any person who does intentionally
cause a false alarm shall be subject to the penalty provision of this
article.
D.
False Alarm Charges.
1.
Any owner or lessee of property having a privately monitored or local
alarm device on such premises shall pay to the Township a charge for
each and every false alarm to which the West Pottsgrove Township Police
Department or the West End Fire Company responds.
2.
Beginning the 30th day following the date of completion of the initial
installation of a system and continuing thereafter, a service fee
in an amount established by resolution of the Board of Commissioners,
shall be charged for each false alarm to which police response is
made and another fee, in an amount established by resolution of the
Board of Commissioners, shall be charged for each false alarm to which
fire response is made at installations within the limits of the Township.
A service fee in an amount established by resolution of the Board
of Commissioners shall be charged for each false alarm at installations
without the limits of West Pottsgrove Township.
3.
The above changes will be collected by the Township. Failure to pay
a false alarm charge shall subject such alarm owner, lessee or user
to the penalty provisions of this article. Any alarm owner, lessee
or user charged with a false alarm may, within 10 days of receipt
of the notice, contest such charge to the chief of the West Pottsgrove
Township Police Department. The determination made by the Chief of
Police as to the efficacy of the charge will be final.
E.
Removal of Unlawful Equipment. In addition to any other remedy provided
by law, the Chief of Police, whenever he shall have knowledge of the
use of any alarm device or attachment which is not operated or maintained
in accordance with the provisions of this article, or which is contrary
to regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter, may order the
disconnection of such device.
F.
Rules, Regulations, Standards and Enforcement. The Chief of Police
shall promulgate rules, regulations and standards applicable to alarm
devices and alarm users which are necessary for the purpose of assuring
the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of alarm devices and alarms
installed and operated with the Township. The aforesaid rules, regulations
and standards shall be set forth in writing and copies are available
for all applicants for permits.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
A.
Local Alarm Devices. All alarm devices, including local alarm devices,
will be equipped with an automatic shut off device which will shut
off the alarm after 15 minutes of activation.
B.
Exceptions. None of the provisions of this article shall apply to
an alarm device or devices installed in a motor vehicle or trailer,
nor to employees of a public service company engaged in the business
of providing communication, services or facilities.
C.
Automatic Alarm Devices; Authority to Inspect. For the purpose of
enforcing this article and as a condition of installing and maintaining
an automatic alarm device, the owner or lessee thereof shall execute
a consent in such form as may be prescribed by the Township, which
will authorize the building official, the Chief of Police and the
fire marshal to enter upon a lessee or owner's premises within
the Township, at such reasonable times and upon reasonable notice,
to inspect the operation of an automatic alarm device.
[Ord. No. 2009-5, § 1, 3-18-2009]
Any owner or lessee which violates the provisions of this article, upon summary conviction, shall be punished as prescribed in Section 1-9 of the code of ordinances.
