The purpose of this chapter is to establish
controls concerning emergency signals that require Fire Department
or police responses, which are reported either by a signal transmitted
by telephone or radio to the Police or Fire Department from a central
station or by an audible or visible signal.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following
definitions shall apply:
ALARM INSTALLATION
Any fire or police alarm device or aggregation of fire or
police alarm devices installed on or within a single building or buildings
located on a common site.
CENTRAL ALARM STATION
Any facility operated by a private firm that owns or leases
a system of fire or police alarm devices and which relays information
about activated alarm signals to the Police or Fire Department when
appropriate.
EMERGENCY ALARM
Any fire or police alarm device designed to be activated
by a fire, criminal act or other emergency at a specific location.
FALSE FIRE ALARM
An alarm signal activated by cause or events other than the
commission of emergency which the fire alarm system is designed to
detect. An alarm system activated by violent or unusual conditions
of nature or other extraordinary circumstance not subject to the control
of the alarm system owner shall not constitute a false fire alarm.
[Added 12-21-2007 by L.L. No. 11-2007; amended 8-1-2014 by L.L. No.
7-2014]
FALSE POLICE ALARM
Any signal activated by an emergency alarm to which the Police
Department responds which is not the result of a fire, criminal act
or other emergency and to which the Fire Department does not respond.
[Amended 12-21-2007 by L.L. No. 11-2007]
FIRE OR POLICE ALARM DEVICE
Any device which when activated either transmits a signal
by telephone, radio or other means to a central alarm station or directly
to the Police or Fire Department, or produces an audible or visible
signal.
[Amended 12-21-2007 by L.L. No. 11-2007]
It shall be a violation of this chapter to intentionally
and purposefully cause a false police or fire alarm, and any person
doing so shall be subject to the penalty provision hereof.
[Amended 2-13-2004 by L.L. No. 4-2004; 12-21-2007 by L.L. No.
11-2007]
A. Intentional false police or fire alarms.
(1) Any person who intentionally and purposefully, directly
or indirectly, causes a false police or fire alarm shall be subject
to a fine of not less than $250. A separate offense shall be deemed
committed upon each occurrence.
B. False
police alarms.
[Amended 8-1-2014 by L.L. No. 7-2014]
(1) Any owner or lessee of property having a police alarm device shall
pay to the Town Clerk the following charge for each and every false
police alarm to which the Police Department responds, in each calendar
year:
(a) First false police alarm: no charge.
(b) Second false police alarm: no charge.
(c) Third false police alarm: $100.
(d) Fourth and subsequent false police alarms: the charge for the fourth
alarm shall be $200 and shall be increased by increments of $100 for
each subsequent alarm.
(2) Administrative fees may be collected in a manner and amount acceptable
to the Town Attorney consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
C. False
fire alarms.
[Amended 8-1-2014 by L.L. No. 7-2014]
(1) Any owner or lessee of property having a fire alarm device shall
pay to the Town Clerk the following charge for each and every false
fire alarm to which the Fire Department responds, in each calendar
year:
(a) First false fire alarm: no charge.
(b) Second false fire alarm: no charge.
(c) Third false fire alarm: $200.
(d) Fourth and subsequent false fire alarms: the charge for the fourth
alarm shall be $400 and shall be increased by increments of $200 for
each subsequent alarm.
(2) Administrative fees may be collected in a manner and amount acceptable
to the Town Attorney consistent with the purposes of this chapter.
D. Each fee collected by the Town for a false fire emergency
alarm to which the Fire Department responds pursuant to this chapter
shall be applied as follows:
(1) Fifty percent shall be remitted by the Town Clerk
to the Treasurer of the Fire District having jurisdiction over the
premises that is the subject of the alarm.
(2) Fifty percent shall be remitted to the Town of Shelter
Island.
The Shelter Island Police Department shall enforce
the provisions of this chapter.
In the event that any portion of this chapter
is hereafter found to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect
the remaining portions of this chapter.