Village of Piermont, NY Alarm Systems

The Village of Piermont wishes to prevent an extraordinary number of false burglar and fire alarms emanating from automated devices. These signals require that police, fire and other emergency personnel respond to the false alarms, exposing them to unnecessary hazards and risks, wasting taxpayer funds and possibly depriving other citizens who may need such emergency services. This chapter is intended to minimize, if not eliminate, false alarms by regulating alarm systems within the Village.

§ 56-3 Definitions; word usage.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ALARM DEVICE

Any device which, when activated, transmits a signal to Police Headquarters, the Rockland County Fire Control Center, a private central alarm station or produces any audible or visual or telephone signal to which the Police Department and/or the Fire Department is expected to respond.

ALARM INDICATOR PANEL

Any device located within the Police Department Headquarters of either Piermont or Orangetown or the Rockland County Fire Control Center which indicates the status of each direct alarm.

ALARM INSTALLER

Any person who installs alarms on any premises (except automobiles) located in the Village of Piermont.

ALARM SYSTEM

Any alarm device or combination of alarm devices located at a specific building, business, structure, residence or address.

ALARM USER

Any person, business or entity on whose premises an alarm device is located within the Village of Piermont.

CENTRAL ALARM STATION

Any private or commercial entity which receives signals from alarm devices within the Village of Piermont and relays information pertaining to said alarm devices to Police Headquarters or the Fire Control Center.

DIALER ALARM

A telephone-interfaced device that automatically connects to Police Headquarters or the Fire Control Center and transmits any signal or impulse indicating that an alarm system has been activated or an emergency condition exists within the Village of Piermont.

FALSE ALARM

The activation of an alarm system which is determined by responding Police and/or Fire Department personnel not to have been caused by or as the result of a crime or emergency condition.

FIRE CHIEF

The Chief of the Piermont Fire Department.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Piermont Fire Department.

PERSON

Any natural person, firm, entity, business or organization of any kind.

POLICE CHIEF

The Chief of the Piermont Police Department.

POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Piermont Police Department.

VILLAGE

The Village of Piermont.

Word usage. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the plural number indicate the singular number and words in the singular number shall indicate the plural number. Further, a masculine pronoun shall include the feminine. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.

§ 56-4 Exceptions.

Excluded from the provisions of this chapter is any alarm device installed in or on a motor vehicle. Also excluded from the provisions of this chapter is any device designed to alert the occupants of any building of an emergency condition therein, and which does not produce any audible or visual external signal or internal signal perceptible from outside the building in question.

§ 56-5 Alarm-user permits.

[Amended 5-7-1996 by L.L. No. 6-1996]

Every alarm user shall obtain an alarm-user permit for each alarm system said alarm user owns, controls or operates within the Village of Piermont.

Applications for alarm-user permits shall include the following information:

(1)

The applicant's name and address.

(2)

The address of the protected premises.

(3)

The applicant's home and business telephone numbers.

(4)

The type of emergency the alarm system is designed to detect.

(5)

The name and address of the person that sold, installed, responds to and/or maintains the alarm system.

(6)

The names, addresses and telephone numbers of at least two persons who can be reached at any time to disconnect the system.

The alarm user shall notify the Police Department, Fire Department or Fire Control Center of any changes in the above information prior to the change taking effect.

The information contained in the alarm-user permit shall be maintained by the Police Department or Fire Department and its inspection restricted to those department officers specifically assigned to alarm-system-related duties.

Any alarm-system user who operates an alarm system without first having obtained an alarm-user permit as required herein shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.

§ 56-6 False alarms.

[Amended 5-7-1996 by L.L. No. 6-1996]

Three false alarms in any twelve-month period from any alarm system for which an alarm-user permit has been obtained shall be a violation of this chapter. Any alarm-system user who operates an alarm system without first having obtained an alarm-user permit as required herein or after having a permit suspended or revoked shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter.

§ 56-7 Cancellation codes.

A cancellation code will be available through the Police Department for every alarm-user permit. The code will give the alarm user the ability to abort any alarm activation. Alarm signals that are promptly and properly aborted by code will not be charged against the alarm-user permit as a false alarm.

§ 56-8 Minimum alarm system requirements.

Each alarm system within the Village of Piermont must be equipped as follows before an alarm permit can be issued:

The alarm system shall contain an automatic audible-signal cutoff device so that the maximum time any alarm shall cause an externally audible signal to be emanated does not exceed 30 minutes per activation.

The alarm system shall be equipped with a standby power source sufficient to maintain the system in a state of readiness for a least six hours in the event of a power failure.

Automatic dialer devices upon a single stimulus shall not exceed two separate calls to the Police Department, and no such call shall exceed one-minute interval between calls, with the second call clearly identified as such.

The contents of any recorded message to be transmitted to the Police Department must be intelligible and in a format approved by the Chief of Police as appropriate for the type of emergency being reported.

Automatic dialer devices shall be connected to the Police Department telephone number assigned by the Police Department for this purpose.

§ 56-9 Alarm-installer registration.

No person shall install an alarm (unless said installation is for his personal use) without first registering with the Piermont Police Department.

Such registration shall be on forms provided by the Police Department and shall include the person's name, firm name, address, telephone number, criminal record (if any) and Rockland County Consumer Protection Board license number. If such person is a corporation, the information required shall be set forth for the principals of the corporation.

§ 56-10 Penalties for offenses.

[Amended 5-7-1996 by L.L. No. 6-1996]

Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50 for the first offense, not less than $100 for the second offense and not less than $150 for the third and subsequent offenses.

§ 56-11 Compliance required.

Within 60 days of the effective date of this chapter, every alarm user shall obtain an alarm-user permit and bring every alarm system into compliance with the requirements of this chapter.

§ 56-12 Enforcement and administration; appeals.

The Piermont Police Department shall be the agency responsible for the enforcement and administration of this chapter. When the Police Department ascertains that a person has caused or permitted the happening of a false alarm, said person shall be notified in writing of such violation.

The holder of any alarm-user permit charged with a false alarm as described hereto may appeal said charge in writing to the Village Board within 20 days of notification of the charge. False alarm charges may be waived by the Village Board after consideration of said appeal.