[HISTORY: Adopted by the Municipal Council
of the City of Clifton 10-20-1981 by Ord. No. 4665-81; amended in its entirety 5-16-2006 by Ord. No.
6581-06. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
The Municipal Council of the City of Clifton
does hereby find and declare that:
A.
The occupants of numerous residential, commercial
and industrial establishments in the City of Clifton have found it
desirable to make provision for the installation upon their premises,
at their own cost and expense, of alarm systems for emergencies, such
as burglary, intrusion, fire, smoke, flood and like perils.
B.
The public interest, therefore, requires the enactment
of rules, regulations, standards and procedures to regulate and control
the private alarm business in the City of Clifton to the end that:
(1)
The municipal departments and agencies charged with
the protection of public safety may efficiently and economically coordinate
their functions with the various alarm systems to which the public
of the City of Clifton may subscribe.
(2)
The quality of the alarm services rendered to the
public may be improved and maintained at a high level.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards
and regulations for various types of intrusion, security and fire
emergency alarm devices that activate an alarm which requires a response
thereto by the City of Clifton Police Department or Fire Department.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to
any person who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device designed
to summon police or fire personnel to any location in response to
an alarm.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any type of equipment providing warning of intrusion, fire
or other danger by way of audible signal or other means.
Any alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence, unintentional
or intentional act of someone other than an intruder or by fire, including
but not limited to alarms caused by malfunctioning of the alarm device,
but shall not include alarms caused by an activity by a public utility.
Includes any natural person, partnership, corporation or
association.
A.
All alarm devices in the City of Clifton must be registered
with the City of Clifton within 72 hours of installation. Any person,
firm or corporation who or which owns or operates any alarm device
to guard against intrusion or fire, but excluding self-contained smoke
detectors with an indoor audible signal, shall provide, as part of
the initial registration, in writing, to the Chief of Police, the
location of the device, the name and address of the installer and
monitor of the device, provisions relating to false alarms and testing
procedures, a list of at least two persons, with their names, addresses
and telephone numbers, to be contacted in the event of an alarm, false
alarm or emergency, and other information as may be required by the
Chief of Police, and shall update all information provided to the
Chief of Police upon any change of information. All partnerships,
corporations or other organizations shall designate an individual
who shall be responsible for compliance with the provisions of this
chapter.
B.
Upon each change of ownership of any residential,
nonresidential building or structure, a new registration form must
be submitted to the City of Clifton Police Department within 72 hours
of the change.
C.
Upon each change in the entity that is responsible
for the monitoring of any alarm device, a new registration form must
be submitted to the City of Clifton Police Department within 72 hours
of the change.
[Amended 8-6-2008 by Ord. No. 6754-08]
A.
Commencing June 1, 2006, there shall be a registration
fee of $25 for any new alarm device installed in any nonresidential
building or structure. There will be a new registration required and
an additional registration fee of $25 due upon any change in ownership
of any nonresidential building or structure or upon any change in
the alarm device, including any change in the entity that monitors
the device.
B.
There shall be no registration fee for alarm devices
installed at residential dwelling units.
C.
Any person, firm or corporation that fails to register
an alarm device within 72 hours of its installation shall be subject
to a fine of not less than $95 nor more than $1,250, upon conviction.
D.
Any person, firm or corporation that fails to update
the registration information of an alarm device within 72 hours of
any change in ownership of the alarm device or upon any change in
the entity that monitors the device shall be subject to a fine of
not less than $95 nor more than $1,250, upon conviction.
[Amended 8-6-2008 by Ord. No. 6754-08]
A.
Alarm devices having an external audible alarm, or
any alarm installed out of doors, shall be designed (and shall contain
the necessary device and equipment) to limit the operation of a bell
or sound-producing instrument to a maximum of 15 minutes after activation.
If any local alarm having an external alarm or alarm installed outdoors
has been activated and continues to produce a continuous audible sound,
alarm or ringing for more than the 15 minutes, the owner, person or
entity responsible for the alarm device shall be subject to a fine
of not less than $95 nor more than $1,250, upon conviction.
B.
In addition to the above, if any local alarm having
an external alarm or alarm installed outdoors has been activated and
continues to produce a continuous audible sound, alarm or ringing
for more than the 15 minutes hereinabove stated, the Clifton Police
Department shall notify the responsible party named in the application
for the registration of the same. If the responsible party refuses
or neglects to take the necessary action to stop the audible sound,
alarm or ringing within 15 minutes after being so notified by the
Police Department, the owner, person or entity responsible for the
alarm device shall be subject to a fine of not less than $95 nor more
than $1,250, upon conviction.
C.
In the case of a false alarm, the Clifton Police Department
shall cause an investigation to be made and keep a record of said
false alarm on file. For the first false alarm in any given calendar
year, a warning shall be issued. For any second or subsequent false
alarm in the same calendar year, the owner, person or entity responsible
for the alarm device shall be subject to a fine of not less than $95
nor more than $1,250 for each offense, upon conviction.
D.
If a response by the Clifton Police Department or
Clifton Fire Department is caused by any alarm device that is not
registered with the City of Clifton Police Department, the owner,
person or entity responsible for the alarm device shall be subject
to a fine of not less than $95 nor more than $1,250, upon conviction.
