[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of Wethersfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 4-6-1992; amended in its entirety 9-18-2006 (Ch. 78 of
the 1990 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to reduce needless
alarms to which the Wethersfield Police Department and the Wethersfield
Volunteer Fire Department respond to as a result of the activation
of burglar, holdup, panic and fire alarms that automatically summon
the Police Department or the Fire Department either via a central
station, the Wethersfield Police Department or automatic dialers.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
An assembly of equipment and devices arranged to signal the
presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which the Police
or Fire Department is expected to respond. In this chapter, the term
"alarm system" shall include but not be limited to the terms "automatic
holdup alarm systems," "burglar alarm systems," "holdup alarm systems,"
"manual holdup alarm systems," "audible alarm systems" and "fire alarm
systems." Alarm systems which monitor temperature, humidity or any
other condition not directly related to the detection of an unauthorized
intrusion into a premises or any attempted robbery or a fire or smoke
condition at a premises are specifically excluded from the provision
of this chapter, as are alternative alarm systems designed to notify
of medical emergencies.
The activation of any alarm system to which the Police and/or
Fire Department responds which is not caused by:
Fire, a criminal act or other emergency.
An act of nature, such as an earthquake, tornado
or hurricane.
Circumstances occurring off the protected property
and within the control of the subscriber, his alarm business or his
answering service.
A person motivated solely by criminal, malicious
or mischievous intent.
A person who buys and/or leases or otherwise obtains an alarm
system and thereafter installs it or has it installed. The term "subscriber"
shall also mean a person who has control of premises in which an operable
alarm system exists, with the ultimate responsibility for the alarm
system being with the property owner.
A.
No person shall possess or use an alarm system within
the Town of Wethersfield without first applying for and receiving
an alarm user permit.
B.
Any permit issued hereunder shall be valid for one
year from the date of issuance.
C.
Any permit issued hereunder shall be predicated upon
the express condition that the permittee shall indemnify and hold
the Town of Wethersfield harmless from any and all damages arising
out of the activities of any permittee.
D.
Any person who violates any of the provisions of this
section shall be subject to a penalty of $250.
A.
All applications for alarm user permits shall be accompanied
by an application fee of $25 and filed with the Police Department.
The application must state where the alarm device or alarm system
will be located, the name of the installer, the type of device or
system, a list of persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm,
and other information as may be required for the public's health and
safety.
B.
All alarm devices and alarm systems are subject to
approval by the Chief of Police prior to installation, with the exception
of any fire alarm system, which shall be subject to approval by the
Fire Marshal.
C.
Existing alarm systems must be registered and a permit
issued within 90 days of the date of adoption of this amended article.
[Amended 10-7-2019]
Permits for all alarm systems
shall require an annual renewal two years from the date of permit
or registration issuance. Renewals shall be accompanied by a renewal
fee of $25 and filed with the Police Department.
[Amended 10-7-2019]
A.
Effective July 1, 2005, the Town of Wethersfield will charge the
subscriber of an alarm system a fine for each emergency police and/or
fire response to a false alarm as follows:
B.
The Town shall give the subscriber notice of the occurrence of the
first false alarm generated by the alarm system of the property.
The subscriber in receipt of a violation ticket
may appeal the fine at anytime within five days of the receipt of
said notice by filing an appeals notice at police headquarters. After
review of said appeal, the Police Chief or Fire Chief, in the event
of fire alarm systems, will make a determination as to whether or
not the circumstances surrounding the false alarm justify the waiver
of the fine. The subscriber will be notified in writing as to the
results of the appeal.
[Amended 10-7-2019]
All fines payable under
this article will be made to the Tax Collector and will be due and
payable within 30 days of the day of notice or, if appealed, within
30 days of the date of decision on the appeal. Payments not received
within this period will result in the automatic doubling of the fine.
In addition, if the subscriber subject to the fine is not the property
owner, the Tax Collector shall give the property owner notice of the
subscriber's failure to pay the fine in the allowable period.
The property owner shall have a thirty-day period from the date of
such notice in which to pay the original fine at the original amount.
If not paid within such thirty-day period, the amount of the fine
which the property owner may pay shall be doubled.
The Police Chief will enforce and administer
this article and any rules and regulations promulgated thereunder,
except that the Fire Chief shall have jurisdiction over the fire alarm
systems.
[Adopted 9-4-1990; amended in its entirety 8-15-2005 (Ch. 79 of
the 1990 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to reduce needless
alarms to which the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department responds
and to provide standards and regulations for the installation of fire
alarm systems that automatically summon the Fire Department either
via a central station, the Wethersfield Police Department or automatic
dialers.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
A system of electrical devices and circuits installed, arranged
and maintained to form, transmit and send signals indicating an emergency
requiring immediate action to safeguard life and property from fire,
whether or not required by Town ordinance or by the State of Connecticut
Fire Safety Code.
A.
Before any new alarm system or system modification
shall be installed or performed in any commercial or residential building
or structure, a permit shall be obtained from the Building Department.
B.
Upon application for a permit, the following information
shall be supplied:
(1)
Complete information regarding the system, including
specifications, wiring diagrams and floor plans, shall be submitted
for review and approval by the Fire Marshal of the Town of Wethersfield
prior to the installation of the equipment and wiring. Such plans
shall be stamped with the approval of the Fire Marshal and such approval
shall be valid for one year from the date of approval, after which
time said plans shall be subject to an additional review. The Fire
Marshal shall approve only one fire alarm system design per building.
(2)
All devices, combination of devices and equipment
constructed and installed in conformity with the standard shall be
approved for the purpose for which they are to be used and shall be
shown on appropriate drawings. The submitted drawing shall show all
detector placement on dedicated fire alarm system drawings (No other
system shall be shown).
(3)
All components shall be listed for fire alarm use
by a testing organization acceptable to the Fire Marshal of the Town
of Wethersfield.
(4)
All central station equipment connections shall comply
with NFPA 71.
(5)
All wiring and devices shall meet the requirement
of the NFPA 70, NFPA 71, NFPA 72, NFPA 72E and NFPA 74.
(6)
Systems shall be under the supervision of a responsible
qualified person or organization satisfactory to the Fire Marshal,
who shall, under contractual agreement, make all inspections, tests
and repairs within seven working days. Qualified persons shall be
licensed by the State of Connecticut and shall hold a minimum L-5
license.
(7)
Prior to the Fire Marshal's and Building Inspector's
making the final inspection, a contract must be in evidence between
the building owner and an approved fire alarm testing company for
the testing and maintenance (in accordance with NFPA 72H) of the building
alarm system.
The administration of this article shall be
by the Division of Fire, and the enforcement shall be by the Fire
Marshal of the Town of Wethersfield.
A.
Any fire alarm system installed after the effective
date of this article shall conform to the requirements of this article.
If such fire alarm system does not so conform, then the property owner
shall have a thirty-day period from receipt of notice that the fire
alarm system is nonconforming to bring the system into conformance.
Failure to do so shall result in the imposition of a fine of $100.
B.
Any fire alarm system installed prior to the effective
date of this article shall be registered with the Fire Marshal of
the Town of Wethersfield within 60 days of the effective date of this
article. If any property owner fails to register a fire alarm system
within the registration period and within 30 days after receipt of
notice that he has failed to register such system, then the property
owner shall be fined the sum of $250.
C.
The registration or approval of a fire alarm system
pursuant to the provisions of any prior ordinance shall constitute
compliance with the approval and registration requirements of this
article.
