This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency Alarm
System Law of the Town of Bethlehem."
This chapter is to promote the health, safety and general welfare of
the people of the Town of Bethlehem, New York, including the protection of
the property of the Town and its inhabitants, by imposing regulations on the
sale, installation and maintenance of burglar, fire and other emergency alarms
in the Town of Bethlehem.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ALARM SUPPLIER
A.
Any person, corporation or other entity who assembles, installs, constructs
or maintains emergency alarms in the Town of Bethlehem ("Town").
B.
The term "alarm supplier" shall not include property owners who install
and/or maintain emergency alarms in premises owned and occupied by such property
owner as a residence or place of business, nor shall such term include lessees
of premises who install and/or maintain emergency alarms in such leased premises
occupied by such lessee as a residence or place of business.
EMERGENCY ALARM
A.
Any device which transmits a signal to or otherwise communicates to
or with, causes communication to or with or initiates communication to or
with the Police Department of the Town of Bethlehem ("Police Department"),
or any such device which causes an audible signal to be emitted on the exterior
of the premises wherein such device is installed.
B.
Such term shall not include, however, any such device installed in premises
owned or controlled by any governmental agency, school district or municipality
and shall not include any such device installed in a motor vehicle as that
term is defined in the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York.
FALSE ALARM
A.
A signal emitted by an emergency alarm, which signal results in an actual
communication to or with the Police Department, which communication falsely
indicates that there is or has been a fire, burglary, intrusion or other emergency
at a premises in the Town of Bethlehem.
B.
A "false alarm" does not include signals emitted by an emergency alarm
caused by or as a result of circumstances such as storms or acts of God beyond
the control of the licensee.
LICENSEE
The person, corporation or other entity who applies for and to whom
an emergency alarm permit is issued or reissued.
Each and every emergency alarm in the Town of Bethlehem shall be properly maintained by the personnel of an alarm supplier licensed by the Town pursuant to §
35-4 of this chapter.
The Chief of Police, subject to Town Board approval, shall have the
authority to promulgate rules and regulations governing the operations, testing
and maintenance of each alarm system. The penalty for violation of said rules
and regulations shall be the suspension or revocation of the alarm supplier's
license.
Each and every emergency alarm system which is audible at the exterior
of the premises of the alarm installation shall be installed with a timer
which will discontinue the audible signal after a maximum time period of 30
minutes.
After 90 days from the effective date of this chapter, each and every
automatic dialer alarm of any type shall not call any telephone number servicing
any of the Town of Bethlehem emergency services.