[HISTORY: Adopted by the Representative Town Meeting of the Town
of Branford 6-24-1998.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This enactment also superseded former Ch. 114, Alarm
Devices, adopted 6-11-1997.
A.Â
The purpose of this chapter is to encourage security
alarm users and alarm system monitoring companies to maintain reliable and
properly used alarm systems in order to reduce unnecessary Police and Fire
Department responses to false alarms.
B.Â
Numerous false alarms hinder the efficiency of public
safety personnel and constitute a danger to the general public in the streets
during responses to false alarms. Uniform standards of control and regulations
for the installation, use and maintenance of alarm devices will assist in
the safety of all.
C.Â
This chapter intends to promote the responsible use of
alarm devices and to decrease the number of false alarms and related nuisances
in the Town of Branford.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated below:
Any device which, when activated by a criminal act, fire or other emergency
calling for Police or Fire Department response:
Excluded from this definition and the scope of this chapter are devices
which are designated to alert or signal only persons within the premises in
which the device is installed.
Any individual, partnership, corporation or other form of association
that owns or leases a security alarm system or on whose premises a security
alarm system is maintained for the protection of the premises. This term does
not apply to municipal facilities and establishments.
A security alarm system with a device that automatically dials, mechanically
or electronically, the Central Dispatch Center emergency assistance telephone
lines without human activation.
Any designated location at which the Town of Branford receives an
emergency alarm signal.
An office to which remote alarm devices transmit signals where the
operators monitor those signals and relay information to the Central Dispatch
Center or Police or Fire Departments.
The Chief of Police of the Town of Branford or the Chief's designee.
Any person, firm or corporation in the business of supplying and
installing alarm devices or servicing the same.
The activation of an alarm device to which the Police or Fire Department
responds and which the activation is not caused by break-in, a fire or other
emergency. "False alarm" does not include the activation of an alarm device
by violent weather conditions or other extraordinary circumstances beyond
the control of the alarm user.
This chapter, including all registration requirements, shall be administered
by the First Selectman or his designee, who shall be known as the "administrator."
The administrator shall notify the alarm user of any false alarm charge
by mail. Within 30 days of receipt of such notice, the alarm user may file
with the administrator information to show that the alarm was not a false
alarm within the meaning of this chapter. Such information may include documentation
from the alarm user's telecommunications and/or alarm provider that the activation
of the alarm device was caused by malfunctioning equipment.
Each alarm user shall register such alarm device within 60 days of installation.
The form for registration will be available at the office of the Town Clerk
and at police and fire headquarters. After December 31, 1999, an alarm user
who has not registered his or her alarm device may be assessed a fine of $25.
Such fine will be assessed if the Fire or Police Department responds to a
false alarm from an unregistered alarm device. The fine will double if not
paid within 90 days of assessment.
No automatic dial alarm may be installed after September 1, 1997. No
automatic alarm device in use on such date may remain in use after October
1, 1999.
Unless otherwise required by law, no alarm device which produces an
exterior audible signal shall be installed unless its operation is automatically
restricted to a maximum of 10 minutes. Within 60 days of enactment of this
chapter, preexisting alarms which produce an exterior audible sound shall
be retrofitted so that they are automatically deactivated after no more than
10 minutes.
A.Â
The Police Department and Fire Department shall report
false alarms to the administrator, based on the written report of the investigator.
B.Â
It shall be the responsibility of the central station
to notify the alarm user whenever the central station reports an alarm activation
to the Police or Fire Department.
When the administrator determines that the Police or Fire Department
has responded to a false alarm, the administrator shall assess a charge on
the responsible alarm user according to the following schedule:
