[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Council of the Village of Ridgewood as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fees — See Ch. 145.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 149.
[Adopted 2-10-1981 by Ord. No. 1785]
The purposes of this article are twofold, as follows:
A. 
To provide standards and regulations for various types of intrusion, burglar and other emergency alarm equipment which produce a visual or audible signal or function by direct line, radio or telephone or by any other means and require a response by the Department of Police or other municipal agencies.
B. 
To provide for the installation in the headquarters of the Department of Police or such other place(s) as may be designated by the Director of Police of an alarm console, as herein defined.
The provisions of this article shall apply to alarm businesses and to any person who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device, dial alarm or local alarm designed to produce a visual or audible signal of an emergency and designed to summon or alert the police or other municipal agencies in response thereto.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM CONSOLE
The approved panel installed in accord with the directions of the Department of Police for the purpose of giving visual or audible response to alarm systems installed within the Village of Ridgewood and connected to said alarm console. The alarm console shall be installed, operated and maintained at such place in the Department of Police headquarters or in such other place as the Director of Police shall designate. Said alarm console shall be of such design, capacity, size, power, utility, efficiency and quality as the Director of Police shall specify. Said alarm console shall be furnished, installed, operated and maintained and kept in good working order exclusively by and at the sole cost and expense of the licensee who shall, in consideration of said exclusive license, have the privilege of installing, operating and maintaining the alarm console and have the use and occupancy of the area designated by the Director of Police.
ALARM SYSTEM
Equipment or a device or an assembly of equipment and devices to signal the presence of an emergency or hazard requiring urgent attention and to which the Department of Police or other municipal agency may be expected to respond. In this article, the term "alarm system" shall include the terms "alarm device," "local alarm," and "dial alarm."
DEPARTMENT OF POLICE
The Department of Police of the Village of Ridgewood.
DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE
The designated representative of the Director of Police to perform a function required or permitted by this article under the supervision of the Director of Police and who shall be a member of the Ridgewood Police Department.
DIAL ALARM
Any type of alarm system using telephone lines transmitting an alarm directly through the police switchboard providing warning to intrusion or other peril.
DIRECTOR OF POLICE
The Director of Police of the Village of Ridgewood or his designated representative.
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm or signal of an alarm actuated by inadvertence, negligence or intentional or unintentional act of a person other than an intruder, and including, as well, alarms caused by mechanical failure, malfunctioning or improper installation of the alarm system and related equipment but not including alarms created by mechanical failure, malfunctioning or improper installation of the alarm console.
LICENSEE
The person who holds the exclusive license to install, operate and maintain the alarm console pursuant to the provisions of this article.
PERMITTEE
Any person who owns an alarm device who has obtained a permit according to the provisions of this article. All permits shall be issued and fees paid therefor on a calendar-year basis, renewable on January of each succeeding year.
PERSON
Any natural person or individual or any firm, partnership, association, limited partnership, sole proprietor ship, corporation or any other business entity.
VILLAGE MANAGER
The Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood.
WRITTEN NOTICE
By certified mail, return receipt requested.
No dial alarm shall be permitted unless it shall have first been registered with the Director of Police, as hereinafter required, and approved by the Director of Police after approval thereof by the New Jersey Bell Telephone Company and a test conducted by the alarm owner or on his/her behalf.
A. 
All dial alarms shall be coded to dial a separate special number to be provided by the Director of Police. No dial alarm shall be coded to dial the general police number.
B. 
All dial alarms shall be capable of being disconnected to allow a call to police headquarters in the event of a false alarm.
C. 
The owner of each dial alarm system shall pay to the Village of Ridgewood a fee as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, to cover the cost of registration and testing and to amortize the cost of the special telephone line or lines required in police headquarters. Said annual fee may be amended hereafter by ordinance of the Village Council. The annual fee shall be due and payable to the Village of Ridgewood upon installation of any dial alarm system or, in the case of a dial alarm system in existence at the time of the effective date of this article, within 30 days after the effective date.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
D. 
Owners of dial alarms shall be governed by the false alarm procedures and penalties set forth in this article.
E. 
If any person has any dial alarm in existence at the time of the effective date of this article, it shall be reprogrammed within 30 days of said effective date to comply with this article.
F. 
If any dial alarm hereafter shall be found to be dialing the general police number rather than the special number, the Director of Police shall send the person in whose name the telephone is listed a written notice requiring compliance with this article. If the occupant or telephone subscriber fails to comply within 30 days after service of said notice, said failure shall constitute a violation of this article, and the person shall be liable to the penalties as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code. Each and every day that this article is not complied with shall constitute a separate offense.
G. 
The contents of a dial alarm message shall be clear and intelligible and in the format approved by the Director of Police. No such message shall be transmitted more than three times as a result of a single stimulus of the mechanism. Messages shall not exceed 15 seconds, and the time gap between each shall not exceed 10 seconds.
H. 
The sensory mechanism of dial alarms shall be adjusted so as to suppress false indications and to not be actuated by impulses due to pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind, noises, rattling or vibration of doors or windows or other forces unrelated to general alarms.
I. 
All components of dial alarms shall be maintained by the owner in good repair. On failure to comply with the operational requirements of this article, the Director of Police shall require that such dial alarm be disconnected until such time as compliance with the requirements are reestablished. If upon written notice from the Director of Police the owner of a dial alarm shall fail to disconnect said alarm within 10 days, such action shall constitute a violation of this article, and said person(s) shall be liable for the penalties set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
No person shall install, operate or maintain any alarm system unless the system has been registered with and approved by the Director of Police.
A. 
A dial system shall be deemed registered when the annual fee has been remitted to the Village of Ridgewood and a permit has been issued by the Director of Police.
B. 
A local alarm system shall be deemed registered when the occupant of the building in which the alarm is installed has filed an approved registration form with the Director of Police.
C. 
All permittees are required to register their alarm, no matter what the type, with the Director of Police on a form which shall include the name, type and location of the device; the name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the alarm installer or person responsible for its maintenance; a list of persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm; the person responsible to remit any fees or fines assessed under this article, and all other information as may be required by the Director of Police.
D. 
No further registration will be required unless a change occurs in the information previously submitted with respect to any alarm system. It shall be the duty of the occupant of a building served by an alarm system to notify the Director of Police within 10 days of any change in the registration information by completing a new registration form. Failure to comply with these provisions will be deemed a violation of this article and subject the violator to the penalties contained in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
E. 
Each permittee shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Village of Ridgewood, its agents, servants and employees from and against all claims, suits, damages, costs, losses and expenses and to release the Village of Ridgewood, its agents, servants and employees from any and all liability or damages in any way resulting from or arising out of or connected with the installation, operation or maintenance of the alarm system or any act or omission connected therewith.
Upon adoption of this article, the Director of Police shall issue written specifications covering the alarm console hereinbefore defined. The Village Clerk shall cause to be published an advertisement inviting sealed bids for the installation, operation, maintenance and fees for the alarm console in accordance with this article and the specifications of the Director of Police. Said bids shall be in a form prescribed by the Village Clerk.
A. 
In the event of the occurrence of three false alarms in a calendar year, the alarm user shall, within three days after written notice to do so, complete a written report to the Director of Police setting forth the cause of the false alarms, the corrective action taken, a statement as to whether the alarm system has been inspected by an alarm service company and such other information as the Director of Police may reasonably require.
B. 
Service fees.
[Amended 8-12-1986 by Ord. No. 2053; 3-28-1989 by Ord. No. 2203; 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
(1) 
A written notice by the Director of Police shall be given upon the second occurrence of a false alarm in a calendar year, and thereafter, a service fee shall be assessed against the alarm user as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees.
(2) 
The service fee shall be payable to the Village of Ridgewood within 30 days of service of a written notice thereof.
C. 
In addition to the service fee, if the third or subsequent false alarms have resulted due to the failure of the alarm system user to take corrective measures to have the alarm comply with this article, the owner of said alarm system shall disconnect the alarm system within 10 days after written notice from the Director of Police. Upon failure to disconnect after due notice, the alarm system owner shall be subject to the penalties contained in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code. Each and every day said owner shall fail to comply shall constitute a separate offense. Failure to remit the required service fee or misuse of the permitted number of false alarms will result in the disconnection of the alarm system from the alarm console at police headquarters after written notice to the alarm system owner or user.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
Any person testing an alarm system covered by the provisions of this article shall notify police headquarters immediately prior to and after the testing is completed. Failure to do so shall constitute a violation herein and subject a person to such penalties as may be set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
A. 
Every permittee shall, by acceptance of the permit, be deemed as having consented to inspection of the premises on which said alarm devices are located at reasonable hours by the Director of Police or his designated representative.
B. 
Any authorized equipment may be disconnected by the Director of Police or his designated representative for noncompliance with this article. Maintaining or installing unauthorized equipment shall be a violation of this article, and the person(s) responsible shall be subject to such penalties as are set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
C. 
Any licensee for the alarm console and any permittee utilizing the services of any alarm company shall provide for a representative to be on call at all times, and such repair service shall be provided immediately, when necessary, after notification by the Department of Police of any malfunction of any equipment or false alarms.
D. 
In addition to the penalties herein otherwise set forth, the Director of Police may revoke any license or permit upon 10 days written notice when the Director of Police has determined that the alarm owner or permittee has failed to make the proper repairs and has failed to comply with this article.
E. 
Any alarm sounding an audible signal shall have built into its mechanism a device that shall automatically shut off the audible signal within 30 minutes.
The Director of Police shall from time to time promulgate rules and regulations supplementing this article in order to provide for the efficient management of the same. Said rules shall be subject to the approval of the Village Manager.
[Adopted 8-27-1985 by Ord. No. 2004; amended 4-23-1992 by Ord. No. 2357]
The purposes of this article are to:
A. 
Provide standards and regulations for various types of fire, smoke and other emergency alarm equipment which produce a visual or audible signal or which function by direct line, radio or telephone or by any other means and require a response by the Department of Fire or related municipal agencies.
B. 
Provide for the installation in the headquarters of the Department of Fire or such other place(s) as may be designated by the Director of Fire of an alarm console, as herein defined.
C. 
Ensure that only approved-type alarm systems are installed.
The provisions of this article shall apply to alarm businesses and to any person who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device, dial alarm or local alarm designed to produce a visual or audible signal of an emergency and designed to summon or alert the fire or related municipal agencies in response thereto.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM CONSOLE
The approved panel installed in accord with the directions of the Department of Fire for the purpose of giving visual and/or audible response to alarm systems installed within the Village of Ridgewood and connected to said alarm console. The alarm console shall be installed, operated and maintained in the Department of Fire headquarters or in such other place as the Director of Fire shall designate. The alarm console shall be of the design, capacity, size, power, utility, efficiency and quality as the Director of Fire and Electrical Subcode Official shall specify. The alarm console shall be furnished, operated, maintained and kept in good working order exclusively by the Village of Ridgewood Fire Department or its designated representative. A fee as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, payable January 1 of each year, shall be required to connect to the alarm console. Installation of a connector to the alarm console shall be the responsibility of the permittee.
ALARM SYSTEM
Equipment or device or an assembly of equipment and devices to signal the presence of an emergency or hazard requiring urgent attention.
APPROVED ALARM OR TYPE
Any type alarm that has been approved by a nationally recognized testing agency, e.g., Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual, BOCA or NFPA.
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE
The Department of Fire of the Village of Ridgewood.
DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE
The representative of the Director of Fire designated to perform a function required or permitted by this article under the supervision of the Director of Fire, who shall be a member of the Ridgewood Fire Department.
DIAL ALARM
Any type of alarm system using telephone lines transmitting an alarm directly through the fire switchboard providing warning of fire or other peril.
DIRECTOR OF FIRE
The Director of Fire of the Village of Ridgewood or his designated representative.
GAMEWELL CONSOLE
A. 
The approved panel and digitizer as part of the existing Gamewell system that is installed in accord with the direction of the Department of Fire for the purpose of receiving visual and/or audible response to alarm systems installed within the Village of Ridgewood and connected to the Gamewell system operated and maintained in the Department of Fire headquarters. This system is designed and sized in accordance with NFPA and National Electrical Code standards approved by the Village Subcode Officials and the Director of Fire. This system is furnished, operated, maintained and kept in good order by the Village of Ridgewood Fire Department or its designated representative. All subscribers to this system shall be assigned a master box owned and maintained by the Village of Ridgewood. The subscriber, hereafter called the "permittee," shall be assigned an interior box number as assigned by the Director of Fire.
B. 
An annual fee as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, payable January 1 of each year, shall be required to connect to the Gamewell system. In addition to the annual fee, a one-time installation fee as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, shall be paid to the Village upon installation of the connector. Included in the annual fee are four resets for other than fire drills and scheduled system activations. Each additional reset is to be charged to the subscriber at the rate as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees. Installation of a permittee to the system shall be the responsibility of the permittee from the master box to this equipment. In addition to the annual fee, a one-time installation fee as sets forth in Chapter 145, Fees, shall be paid to the Village upon installation of the permittee. Final hookup and testing will be coordinated through the Fire Department.
No dial alarm shall be permitted unless it shall be of an approved type and meet the requirements of the Uniform Construction Code and State of New Jersey Fire Prevention Code, as hereinafter required.
A. 
All dial alarms shall be coded to dial separate special numbers to be provided by the Director of Fire. No dial alarm shall be coded to dial the general fire emergency number or business numbers.
B. 
All dial alarms shall be capable of being disconnected to allow a call to fire headquarters in the event of a false alarm.
C. 
Owners of dial alarms shall be governed by the false alarm procedure and penalties set forth in this article.
D. 
If any person has any dial alarm in existence at the time of the effective date of this article, it shall be reprogrammed within 30 days of said effective date to comply with this article.
E. 
If any dial alarm hereafter shall be found to be dialing the general fire number rather than the special number, the Director of Fire shall send the person in whose name the telephone is listed a written notice requiring compliance with this article. If the occupant or telephone subscriber fails to comply within 30 days after service of said notice, said failure shall constitute a violation of this article, and the person shall be liable to the penalties set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code. Each and every day that this article is not complied with shall constitute a separate offense.
F. 
The contents of a dial alarm message shall be clear and intelligible and in the format approved by the Director of Fire. No such message shall be transmitted more than three times as a result of a single stimulus of the mechanism. Messages shall not exceed 10 seconds.
G. 
All components of dial alarms shall be maintained by the owner in good repair. On failure to comply with the operational requirements of this article, the Director of Fire shall require that such dial alarm be disconnected until such time as compliance with the requirements are reestablished. If upon written notice from the Director of Fire the owner of a dial alarm shall fail to disconnect said alarm within 10 days, such action shall constitute a violation of this article, and said person(s) shall be liable for the penalties set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
No person shall install, operate or maintain any alarm system unless the system has complied with the provisions of the Uniform Construction Code and New Jersey State Fire Prevention Code.
A. 
The Uniform Construction Code Electrical and Fire Permit Form shall be required prior to any installation.
B. 
An alarm system shall be deemed registered when the Form F.D. 100 and/or F.D. 100-5 Renewal Form and the annual fee, as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees, has been remitted to the Village of Ridgewood and all requirements of the Uniform Construction Code and the New Jersey State Fire Prevention Code have been complied with.
C. 
All alarm systems shall have a final inspection by the Fire Subcode Official and the Electrical Subcode Official.
D. 
All permittees are required to register their alarms, no matter what the type, with the Director of Fire on Form F.D. 100, which shall include the name, type and location of the device; the name, address and twenty-four-hour telephone number of the alarm installer or person responsible for its maintenance; the name, address and telephone number of one or more persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm and of the person responsible to remit any fees or fines assessed under this article; and such additional information as may be required by the Director of Fire.
E. 
No further registration will be required unless a change occurs in the information previously submitted with respect to any alarm system. It shall be the duty of the occupant of a building served by an alarm system to notify the Director of Fire within 10 days of any change in the registration information by completing a new registration form. Failure to comply with these provisions will be deemed a violation of this article and subject the violator to the penalties contained in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
F. 
Each permittee agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Village of Ridgewood, its agents, servants and employees from and against all claims, suits, damages, costs, losses and expenses and to release the Village of Ridgewood, its agents, servants and employees from any and all liability or damages in any way resulting from or arising out of or connected with the installation, operation or maintenance of the alarm system or any act or omission connected therewith.
G. 
Mandatory Gamewell system connections. It shall be a requirement of the Village of Ridgewood that all target and high life hazard occupancies, to include all nursing homes, hospitals, lumberyards, high-rise occupancies, theaters and places of public assembly, as determined by the Director of Fire or his designee, shall be connected to the Gamewell system. The purpose of this requirement is to provide prompt notification for alarms of fire as required to protect life and/or property in high hazard occupancies within the Village.
Upon adoption of this article, the Director of Fire shall issue written specifications covering the alarm console hereinbefore defined. The Village Clerk shall cause to be published an advertisement inviting sealed bids for the purchase and installation of the alarm console in accordance with this article and the specifications of the Director of Fire. Said bids shall be in a form prescribed by the Village Clerk.
A. 
In the event of the occurrence of two false alarms in a calendar year, the alarm user shall, within three days after written notice to do so, complete a written report to the Director of Fire setting forth the cause of the false alarms, the corrective action taken, a statement as to whether the alarm system has been inspected by an alarm service company and such other information as the Director of Fire may reasonably require.
B. 
Service fees.
[Amended 3-28-1989 by Ord. No. 2203; 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
(1) 
A written notice by the Director of Fire shall be given upon the second occurrence of a false alarm in a calendar year; thereafter, a service fee shall be assessed against the alarm user as set forth in Chapter 145, Fees.
(2) 
Service fees shall be payable to the Village of Ridgewood within 30 days of service of a written notice thereof.
C. 
In addition to the service fee if the third or subsequent false alarms have resulted due to the failure of the alarm system user to take corrective measures to have the alarm comply with this article, the owner of said alarm system shall disconnect the alarm system within 10 days after written notice from the Director of Fire. The failure to disconnect the alarm system after due notice shall subject the owner to the penalties contained in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code. Each and every day said owner shall fail to comply shall constitute a separate offense. Failure to remit the required service fee or misuse of the permitted number of false alarms will result in the disconnection of the alarm system from the alarm console at fire headquarters after written notice to the alarm system owner or user.
[Amended 10-13-1992 by Ord. No. 2375]
Any person testing an alarm system covered by the provisions of this article shall notify fire headquarters immediately prior to and after the testing is completed. Failure to do so shall constitute a violation herein and subject a person to such penalties as may be set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
A. 
Every permittee shall, by acceptance of the permit, be deemed to have consented to inspection of the premises on which said alarm devices are located at reasonable hours by Fire Subcode representatives.
B. 
Any unauthorized equipment may be disconnected by the Director of Fire or his designated representative for noncompliance with this article. Maintaining or installing unauthorized equipment shall be a violation of this article, and the person(s) responsible shall be subject to such penalties as are set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article I, of the Village Code.
C. 
Any licensee for the alarm console and any permittee utilizing the services of any alarm company shall provide for a representative to be on call at all times and such repair service shall be provided immediately, when necessary, after notification by the Department of Fire of any malfunction of any equipment or false alarms.
D. 
In addition to the penalties herein otherwise set forth, the Director of Fire may revoke any license or permit upon 10 days written notice when the Director of Fire has determined that the alarm owner or permittee has failed to make the proper repairs and has failed to comply with this article.
E. 
If upon the arrival of the Fire Department at the located reported by the dial alarm, automatic alarm, reporting agency or any other method used to alert the Fire Department, the premises are found locked with no one in attendance, forcible entry shall be used to gain entrance to inspect the interior to determine the cause of the alarm.
F. 
Any alarm sounding an audible signal shall have built into its mechanism a device that shall automatically shut off the audible signal within 30 minutes.
The Director of Fire shall from time to time promulgate rules and regulations supplementing this article in order to provide for the efficient management of the same. Said rules shall be subject to the approval of the Village Manager.