This chapter shall be known as the "Alarm Systems Law" of the Town of
Philipstown.
It is the purpose of this chapter to protect and promote the health,
safety and general welfare of the residents of the Town of Philipstown by
reducing the number of avoidable alarms to emergency agencies. Avoidable alarms
contribute to ineffective utilization of public safety manpower and equipment.
In addition, avoidable alarms require emergency responses which may increase
danger to the public safety and welfare and delay responses to genuine emergencies.
This chapter seeks to ensure that emergency communications facilities will
be available to dispatch emergency service personnel for actual emergencies
and to alleviate the nuisance of audible alarms to the surrounding community.
Another purpose of the chapter is to contact responsible people to notify
them of the activation of the alarm.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
ALARM INSTALLATION
Any fire, intrusion or EMS alarm system or aggregation of such systems
installed on or within a single building or within more than one building
or an area adjacently located on a common site at a specific location.
ALARM SYSTEM
Any device, group of devices or system which, when activated by a
criminal act, unauthorized intrusion or by smoke, fire or other emergency
requiring police, fire or emergency medical services (EMS) response, transmits
a signal or message by telephone, radio or other means to a central alarm
station, or directly to the police, fire or EMS, and/or produces an audible
or visible signal to which the police, fire companies or EMS are expected
to respond. Excluded from this definition and from the coverage of this chapter
are alarm devices which are not intended to alert persons outside of the premises,
but are only designed to alert or signal persons within the premises in which
the alarm is installed of an attempted unauthorized intrusion, holdup, fire
or other emergency.
ALARM USER
Includes each person owning, leasing or otherwise having control
over the premises where an alarm device is used or installed.
CENTRAL ALARM STATION
A facility to which signals from remote alarm systems are transmitted
for verification, monitoring, recording or evaluation, and from which information
concerning the activation of an alarm system is relayed or reported, when
deemed appropriate, to the police, fire companies, EMS or to a designated
alarm response facility.
CODE OFFICIAL
Shall have the same definition and meaning as provided in Chapter
62, Building Construction and Fire Prevention.
DIAL ALARM
Any alarm device which is a telephone device or telephone attachment
that automatically or electronically selects a telephone line connected to
a central alarm station and reproduces a prerecorded message to report an
emergency requiring fire or protective services.
DIRECT ALARM
Any alarm device connected directly by telephone wires from specific
locations to the police, or a fire company or EMS.
EMERGENCY ALARM
Any alarm device designed to be activated by a criminal act, smoke,
fire or other emergency requiring police, fire or EMS response.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (EMS)
Any agency responding to medical emergencies, including but not limited
to the Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps., Garrison Volunteer Ambulance
Corps., and Advanced Life Support Providers.
FALSE ALARM
Any emergency message or signal which is transmitted, directly or
indirectly, to the police, a fire company or EMS to which the police, fire
company or EMS responds and which signal is not the result of a criminal act,
unauthorized intrusion, smoke, fire or other emergency. An activated alarm
signal which is promptly followed by a call to the police, fire company or
EMS notifying them that the signal is to be disregarded shall not constitute
a false alarm.
FIRE COMPANY
Cold Spring Fire Company No. 1, Continental Village Fire Department,
Inc., Garrison Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and North Highlands Fire District.
POLICE
Putnam County Sheriff and/or New York State Police.
All alarm systems referred to in this chapter shall meet the following
standards:
A. Alarm systems equipped with automatic calling devices
shall be designed, installed or maintained to call only the number or numbers
designated for that purpose and shall be equipped so that a message will be
repeated not more than three times.
B. All alarm systems capable of emitting audible signals
shall be equipped with an operating device which will automatically, by mechanical,
electrical or other means, shut off such audible signal after 15 minutes of
continuous sound audible beyond the boundaries of the premises in which the
alarm system is located.
C. All alarm systems shall be properly maintained at all
times. Buildings that are required by law to have fire alarm systems may not
be occupied by the public if the system is not operational.
Alarm permits shall be kept on the premises where the alarm system is
located, and shall be available for inspection by any Code Official of the
town or the police.
Whenever any change occurs relating to a change in ownership of a premises
which has an alarm permit, or a change in any information to be furnished
in connection with any application to obtain or renew an alarm permit, the
applicant or permittee shall give written notice thereof to the Licensing
Authority within 20 days after such change.
This chapter shall be administered and enforced by any Code Official
of the town.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject
to a fine in the amount not to exceed $250 for each offense. Each day that
a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
All remedies shall be cumulative, and the use of one or more by the
Town of Philipstown shall not bar the use of any other remedy for the purpose
of enforcing the provisions of this law. The amount of any fee shall be deemed
a debt to the Town of Philipstown. An action may be commenced in the name
of the Town of Philipstown in any court of competent jurisdiction for the
amount of any delinquent permit fee or civil penalty. All permit fees shall
be due upon issuance of the permit.
This chapter shall become effective upon filing with the Secretary of
State.