[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Boonton 8-15-1988 by Ord. No. 390. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department — See Ch. 15.
Police Department — See Ch. 28.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 88.
[Amended 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 541]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards and regulations for various types of intrusion, burglar, fire and other emergency alarm devices, whether by direct line, radio or other means, actuating a device at the police headquarters or the Borough of Mountain Lakes Dispatch Center and requiring response thereto by the Police Department, fire companies or other municipal agencies.
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, fire companies or other municipal agencies to any location within the Township of Boonton in response to any type of signal, alarm or preprogrammed, prerecorded message.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 47-3, Definitions, was repealed 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 541.
A. 
Prior to the installation of an alarm device or a local alarm or as a condition to its continuance, an application for a permit, in writing, shall be made to the Chief of Police, which application shall contain the location of the device, the name of the installer of the device, the type of device, provisions relating to false alarms and testing procedures, a list of persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm and such other information as may be required by the Township Committee or Chief of Police.
B. 
Local alarms shall be registered, but no fee shall be charged therefor.
C. 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C, dial alarm fees, as amended, was repealed 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 541.
D. 
For police alarm devices, the permittee shall pay whatever charges are required by any alarm company making such installation and, in addition thereto, the connection and monthly maintenance charges of the person or company licensed by the Borough of Mountain Lakes to maintain the alarm board. The permittee shall also pay to the Borough of Mountain Lakes an annual fee for the privilege of connecting to the alarm board as assessed by the Borough of Mountain Lakes.
E. 
Any permit granted hereunder shall be accepted upon the express condition that the permittee shall indemnify and hold the Township harmless from and on account of any and all damages arising out of the activities of the permittee, its alarm contractor or the Borough of Mountain Lakes Police Department and its alarm board license.
The Township shall be under no duty or obligation to any permittee hereunder, the alarm board and allied equipment being maintained at will by the Borough of Mountain Lakes and subject to termination at any time by cancellation of the system by the Borough, and any individual permit issued hereunder may be revoked at any time by the Township Committee, provided that 30 days' notice is given in writing to the permittee.
A. 
(Reserved)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection A, stipulations for dial alarm devices, was repealed 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 541.
B. 
All components of all alarm systems and related equipment shall be maintained by the owner in good working order.
C. 
No permit shall be transferred or assigned in any manner.
D. 
No person other than the applicant and his agent and employees shall exercise the privileges under the permit.
A. 
Any permit issued under the provisions of this chapter may be suspended or revoked by the Chief of Police for any violation of or failure to comply with the provisions of this section or any rule or regulation promulgated by the Chief of Police and approved by the Township Committee pursuant to this section, including the following:
(1) 
The permittee, his agent or employee, willfully failed to and did not comply with a request by a member of the Police Department to proceed immediately to the location of the permittee's alarm and render necessary services.
(2) 
The permittee, his agents or employees knowingly installed or maintained a faulty alarm device. An inordinate number of false alarms shall be prima facie evidence that such alarm device is knowingly a faulty device.
(3) 
The permittee has breached the terms and conditions of the permit.
B. 
No permit shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee 30 days' notice in writing of such action and an opportunity to show cause before the Chief of Police why such action should not be taken.
C. 
Any person aggrieved by the action or determination of the Chief of Police in the denial of a permit or the suspension or revocation of any permit provided for in this section may appeal to the Township Committee.
A. 
In the case of a false alarm, any person having knowledge thereof shall immediately notify the Police Department in a manner to be prescribed by the rules and regulations herein made and provided. In addition, in the case of false alarms, the Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made and shall keep a record of said alarms on file. For such false alarms, the Township Committee prescribes the following penalties:
[Amended 2-15-1990 by Ord. No. 425]
(1) 
For the first two false alarms in any given 12 month period, a warning shall be issued from the office of the Police Chief.
(2) 
For the third false alarm during any given 12 month period, a summons shall be issued.
B. 
Where the investigation of the Police Department discloses continued abuse of the privilege of connection to the police panel alarm system and a disregard of the permittee for taking remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the Township Committee reserves the right to require disconnection of the alarm system for a limited or permanent time, upon the recommendation of the Chief of Police, provided that no such permits shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee an opportunity to show cause before the Township Committee why such action should not be taken. In an emergency, the Chief of Police shall be authorized to temporarily disconnect any alarm system.
[Amended 2-15-1990 by Ord. No. 425]
C. 
The permittee shall take all necessary steps to immediately ascertain the cause of any false alarm and shall alleviate the problem within 72 hours or show cause before the Chief of Police why the malfunction cannot be remedied within that time period. The Chief shall have the discretion to grant an additional period of time within which to make the repair.
D. 
Testing of alarm equipment. The police desk shall be notified in advance of the testing of any alarm device. Failure to properly advise the police desk of such test will be treated as a false alarm and be subject to the same penalties.
[Amended 2-15-1990 by Ord. No. 425]
Any unauthorized equipment may be disconnected by the Chief of Police or his designated representative for noncompliance with this chapter, and any person installing or maintaining unauthorized equipment shall be prosecuted for violation of this chapter, and each and every day said equipment is in operation shall be considered a separate violation.
A. 
The Chief of Police may make, prescribe and promulgate supplementary rules and regulations for the installation and connection of alarm equipment, devices or systems, covered by the terms of this chapter, and for the performance, maintenance and operation of the same as may be reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes of this chapter.
B. 
Such rules and regulations shall be made, prescribed and promulgated to sufficiently promote and ensure an effective and uniform police and fire alarm system and proper installation and connection; provide for maintenance of records and efficient management of the alarm system, the speedy and accurate operation and reporting of alarms, minimizing mechanical failure, minimizing false alarms, and the consequential dangers of the same to citizens of the Township, the proper monitoring of alarms and prompt response to such alarms, the prevention of jamming of the switchboard and the creation of nuisances or other interference or hindrance with the proper operation of duties of the Police Department and dispatcher.
C. 
Said rules and regulations and all changes thereof shall be subject to the approval of the Township Committee.
D. 
Said rules and regulations shall be in writing and shall be given to each permittee at the time of the application for issuance of the permit or at the time of the promulgation or amendment of such rules and regulations.
[Amended 2-15-1990 by Ord. No. 425; 4-9-2007 by Ord. No. 739]
Any person, firm or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court of the Township of Boonton of violating the terms of this chapter shall be subject, upon conviction, to the penalties provided in § 1-15 of this Code.