[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of South River 5-28-1980 by Ord. No. 1980-21 (Ch. 65 of the 1977
Code); amended in its entirety 4-10-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-9. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
A.
To ensure efficient public safety, there is a need in the Borough
to maintain a Borough registry of security alarm systems. This Code
section is designed to assist in creating this registry while ensuring
any costs associated with such a registration are not intrusive. The
provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person who operates,
maintains or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon
the Police or Fire Department or other municipal agencies to any location
in response to any type of alarm signal, including but not limited
to central monitored alarms.
B.
False alarms have a cost on all Borough residents due to the time
public safety officials must commit to investigating all alarm calls.
While we understand that accidents do happen, repeated false alarms
create the potential for an unsafe situation to occur. This chapter
is designed to discourage repeated false alarms.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any type of alarm system actuating a noise device heard outside
of the alarm premises and/or activating a call to the South River
Police Department from a centrally monitored station, providing warning
of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other peril.
Any alarm actuated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional
act of someone other than an intruder, in which the police respond
and shall include, as well, alarms caused by malfunctioning of the
alarm device or other relevant equipment.
The person registering the alarm device.
Any alarm device which, when actuated, produces a signal
or noise outside of the premises and/or a phone call to the South
River Police Department from a central monitored station.
[Amended 9-24-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-27]
A.
Every
person installing an alarm system within the Borough shall make application
to the Borough Clerk for a permit to do so. The application shall
be in such form as the Borough Council shall prescribe and shall include
all information required by the Chief of Police to enable him to effectively
carry out his public safety responsibilities. The same form shall
be used for registration.
B.
Every alarm device shall be registered with the Borough Clerk within 30 days of September 24, 2018, for existing alarms, and prior to becoming operative for new systems. The alarm registrant shall abide by the fee schedule prescribed in § 155-4 of the Borough Code.
C.
Every
registrant shall accept the responsibility for the proper operation
of the alarm system, by himself/herself, his/her employees, residents,
tenants, guests or other licensees, up to and including the line connection.
[Amended 6-12-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-11; 9-24-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-27]
[Amended 9-24-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-27]
A.
B.
A person shall be excused from liability for a false alarm if it
can be demonstrated that the alarm occurred because of telephone line
interference or other similar reason beyond the control of the licensee
and/or permittee. Failure to make necessary repairs to an alarm system
shall not be an adequate excuse for a false alarm; nor shall the negligence
of employees, residents, tenants, guests or other licensees in setting
or disarming the system be considered an adequate excuse for false
alarms.