This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Alarm Devices
and Systems Law of the Town of Ossining, New York."
The purpose of this chapter is to regulate the installation,
maintenance and use of emergency alarm devices and systems designed
to require Police Department response, investigation and safeguarding
of property located in the Town of Ossining upon notification of the
activation of an alarm. This chapter is intended that such regulation
by the Town of Ossining will serve to protect and promote the health,
safety and welfare of the residents of the Town through safer and
more-efficient use of alarm devices and systems. It is further intended
to reduce the number of false alarms and to encourage the use and
proper maintenance of reliable emergency signal systems and devices.
The following definitions apply as used in this chapter:
ALARM
A signal transmitted to police headquarters which is intended
to notify the Police Department of a burglary, robbery or other emergency
at a premises within the Town of Ossining to which the Police Department
is expected to respond.
ALARM AGENT
Any individual who is employed by any person licensed by
New York State to conduct the business of owning, operating, maintaining,
installing, leasing or selling alarm devices, whose duties include
any of the following: selling, maintaining, leasing, servicing, repairing,
altering, replacing, moving or installing in or on any building, place
or premises any alarm device or system, as defined in this chapter,
within the Town of Ossining.
ALARM BUSINESS
Any person engaged in the business of owning, operating,
maintaining, installing, leasing or selling an alarm device or devices
or system of alarm devices, which business is, as owner, operator,
provider of maintenance service, installer, lessor or seller of said
device, devices or system of devices, subject to the license requirements
of New York State.
ALARM DEVICE
Any system which, when activated, transmits a signal to police
headquarters or to a central alarm station and/or produces an audible
or visible signal to which the Police Department is expected to respond.
ALARM INSTALLATION
Any alarm system or aggregation of alarm devices installed
on or within a single building or on or within more than one building
or area located on a common site.
ALARM REVIEW BOARD
A board consisting of three members appointed by the Town
Board of the Town of Ossining to review any complaints or problems
arising out of the enforcement of any provision of this chapter.
ALARM USER
Any person, as owner or lessee, on whose premises an alarm
system is owned, operated, used or maintained.
CENTRAL ALARM MONITORING FACILITY
A facility operated by the Police Department to receive,
record and verify alarm signals transmitted from alarm systems or
from central alarm stations.
CENTRAL ALARM STATION
Any facility operated by a private firm that receives and
verifies alarm signals and relays information about such verified
signals to the central alarm monitoring facility.
DIGITAL DIAL ALARM
A telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically
or electronically selects a telephone line connected to the central
alarm monitoring facility or to a central alarm station to report
a burglary, robbery or other emergency requiring Police Department
response.
DIRECT ALARM
Any alarm device which transmits a signal over a leased telephone
line to the central alarms monitoring facility or to a central alarm
station.
FALSE ALARM
Any activation of an alarm system, whether intentional or
automatic, that does not emit a valid emergency signal.
LICENSING OFFICER
The Town Supervisor or a Town officer designated by him and
whose designation has been filed with the Town Clerk.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM
Any alarm system not connected to the central alarm monitoring
facility or to a central alarm station which, when activated, causes
an audible and/or visual signaling device to be activated at the premises
on or within which the system is installed.
MALFUNCTION
A mechanical deficiency or other fault or failure in an alarm
system which results in a false alarm.
MANUAL ALARM SYSTEM
Any alarm device in which activation of the alarm signal
is initiated by the direct action of the alarm user.
PERSON
Any natural person or any other entity capable of being sued
or prosecuted for violation of this chapter.
RESPONSE
Acknowledgment that an alarm has been received at police
headquarters by an act of answering a telephone call, noting information
received and starting any process of verification, such as notifying
vehicles of receipt of an alarm or any other act commencing the process
of acting as a Police Department on account of such notification.
VERIFICATION
Qualification of the legitimacy of an alarm signal by various
means which may, under normal conditions, include but not be limited
to customer call-in, central station call-out, automatic abort or
built-in delay.
The fee for a permit issued under this chapter shall be established
by resolution adopted by the Town Board. Payment of such fee must
be made before the issuance of the permit. No refunds of permit fees
shall be made.
Information contained in the application for a permit shall
be confidential and not subject to disclosure without the written
permission of the applicant.
The fee, if any, for filing a copy of the license with the licensing
officer of the Town of Ossining may be established by resolution adopted
by the Town Board.
Any owner or lessee of property having an alarm device or system
on such premises and any user of services or equipment furnished by
a licensee under this chapter shall pay to the Town of Ossining a
charge for a false alarm as established herein. The amount of the
charge shall be established by resolution adopted by the Town Board.
Failure to pay such charge within 30 days of notification shall result
in the revocation of the alarm permit.
Payment of any false alarm charge pursuant to §
51-12 shall be made to the Town of Ossining either in person or by mail to the licensing officer.
The Town Board shall constitute, and shall function as, the
Alarm Review Board hereunder.
The alarm device owner, lessee or user shall be responsible
for the maintenance and service of the alarm device and shall be responsible
for all malfunctions of such device.
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, word, section or part of
this chapter shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction
to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such judgment shall not
affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof but shall be confined
in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, word, section
or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such
judgment shall have been rendered.
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon filing in the
office of the Secretary of State and in compliance with all applicable
provisions of law.