[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Haddon
Heights 4-14-1981 by Ord. No. 629 (Ch.
38 of the 1975 Code); amended in its entirety at time of adoption of Code
(see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations concerning the
operation and maintenance of certain alarm systems within the Borough of Haddon
Heights.
For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and phrases are defined
as follows:
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 any other condition requiring response of police, fire or ambulance
personnel and which emits and/or transmits 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.
A device that emits an audible signal from the premises that it is
designed to protect.
The Borough of Haddon Heights.
The Chief of Police or his authorized representative.
The location from which police radio messages are normally transmitted
and alarm monitoring equipment is installed.
A device that, when actuated, causes a recorded message to be transmitted,
via telephone, to the Camden County Communications Center, stating that an
emergency response is necessary.
The primary phone number advertised to the public for requesting
emergency services.
An alarm signal necessitating response by the Haddon Heights Borough
police, fire or any other emergency personnel 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, his employees, agents
or representatives shall not be considered false.
Haddon Heights Borough Police.
An alarm system that is terminated by direct connection to the connection
to the communications center.
A.
It shall be the responsibility of all persons, entities,
firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems within the
Borough to provide current information to the police, consisting of the names
and telephone numbers of responsible persons who may be contacted to respond
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, 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
police emergency phone number. A secondary phone 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 emergencies
to the communications center. Recorded messages must also include the name
and telephone number of a responsible person who may be contacted by the police
in case of an emergency, on a twenty-four-hour basis. In addition to notifying
the police, all alarms will simultaneously, and by the quickest means possible,
notify the subscriber or an appropriate monitoring facility who will report
the date, time, location and nature of the alarm to the subscriber.
D.
As a condition of connecting an alarm system either by direct connection or telephonic connection to Borough emergency services, it shall be the responsibility of all persons or entities who have such alarm systems within the Borough to prevent the transmission of false alarms. In the event that the number of false alarms from a single location should exceed six during the calendar year, the owner of the alarm system shall pay a service charge as set forth in § 112-4A.
A.
A false alarm is hereby determined to be a violation
of the provisions of this chapter and shall subject the property owner to
fines and penalties as hereinafter provided.
B.
If in the judgment of the Chief of Police any alarm system
becomes a nuisance to the police as a result of excessive false alarms, the
Chief of Police may take the necessary action to correct the problem, in addition
to any service charge imposed, in the following manner:
(1)
Terminating the subscriber alarm at the communications
center or disconnection from telephone lines.
(2)
Instructing members of the Police Department not to respond
to additional alarms until the subscriber indicates in writing the steps that
are taken or will be taken to correct the false alarm problem.
C.
Any person, entity, firm or corporation which installs or maintains any alarm equipment within the Borough of Haddon Heights or at the communications center shall provide, on a monthly basis, a report of all subscribers and the number of actual and false alarms received by that monitoring equipment. Such reports will be forwarded to the Borough for the purpose of billing the service charge described in Subsection A above.
D.
The Chief of Police is authorized to discontinue response
to any alarm where false alarm service charges are outstanding. After notification
of payment due, a subscriber will have 30 days in which to make full payment.
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. The provisions of this chapter
shall not apply to alarm systems that are affixed to motor vehicles.
The provisions contained herein shall apply equally to those alarm systems
that were placed in service prior to or subsequent to the effective date of
this chapter.
A.
Any person violating any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punishable as provided in § 1-15 of the Code of the Borough of Haddon Heights, except as otherwise provided herein.
B.
False alarms. Any person or entity whose alarm system(s)
generates two false alarms in a thirty-day period or 12 false alarms per calendar
year shall not be subject to fine or penalty. False alarms in excess of these
standards shall be considered to be in violation of this chapter.
