[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Netcong as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Police Department — See Ch. 54.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 140.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 157.
[Adopted 6-13-1989]
The purpose of this article is to establish regulations governing the operation and maintenance of certain alarm systems within the Borough of Netcong and to provide penalties upon conviction for violations of any of the provisions set forth herein.
For purposes of this article, certain words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any mechanical, electrical or electronic device which is designed or used for the detection of an unauthorized entry into a building, structure or facility or for alerting others about the existence of any other condition requiring the response of police, fire or ambulance personnel, including audible alarms and subscriber alarms.
AUDIBLE ALARM
A device that emits an audible signal from the premises that it is designed to protect.
FALSE ALARM
An alarm signal necessitating response by the Netcong Borough police, fire or ambulance personnel, where a police investigation fails to discover an emergency situation.
SUBSCRIBER ALARM
An alarm system that is terminated by direct connection to the Netcong Borough Police alarm panel.
A. 
It shall be the responsibility of all persons, entities, firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems within the Borough to provide current information to the police consisting of the names and telephone numbers of responsible persons who may be contacted in case of an alarm or who are authorized to provide service to the alarm system. Such responsible persons must be available on a twenty-four-hour-a-day basis. This information shall be filed with the police when the alarm system is initially placed into service and must be revised immediately whenever changes are necessary.
B. 
All persons, entities, firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems which have not provided such required information to the police as of the date of adoption of this article must do so within 90 days thereafter.
Audible alarms must be silenced within 60 minutes after a designated responsible person is notified to do so by the police, or the alarm system may be equipped with a timing device that will automatically silence the audible alarm within 60 minutes after it is actuated.
A. 
In the case of all responses by police, fire or ambulance personnel as a result of an actuated alarm system, the Chief of Police shall cause an investigation to be made as to the source or cause of the alarm. A record of such alarms shall be kept on file. Based on said investigation, the Chief of Police shall determine whether an alarm is a false alarm.
B. 
Where the investigation of the Police Department discloses that the maximum permissible number of false alarms pursuant to this article has been exceeded and there has been a failure to take sufficient remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the Chief of Police may require disconnection from the police alarm panel for a limited or permanent time, provided that no such disconnection shall occur without giving the individual or business entity involved an opportunity to show cause before the Chief of Police why such action should not be taken.
[Amended 7-8-1999 by Ord. No. 99-15]
A. 
It shall be the responsibility of all persons, entities, firms, corporations or other groups that maintain alarm systems within the Borough to prevent the transmission of false alarms through a program of training and periodic inspection and maintenance of the system. The maximum permissible number of false alarms from any one location shall be as follows:
(1) 
Two false alarms in any twelve-month period.
B. 
A number of false alarms in excess of these standards shall constitute a violation of this article.
C. 
In any twelve-month period, the following penalties shall apply:
(1) 
For the first and second false alarms, a written warning shall be issued by the Netcong Borough Police Department.
(2) 
For the third and fourth false alarms, a fine of $100 each shall be paid to the Borough.
(3) 
For the fifth or subsequent false alarm, a fine of $500 per false alarm shall be paid to the Borough.
D. 
Any penalties imposed pursuant to this section shall be paid in addition to any fines imposed upon conviction of a violation of this article. A failure to pay any penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall constitute a violation of this article.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to:
A. 
The general alerting alarms that may be used by fire companies, ambulance squads or civil defense agencies to summon response of their members.
B. 
Alarm systems affixed to motor vehicles.
[Amended 8-10-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-20]
Any person, firm, or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article shall be subject to such penalties as are provided for in Article I of Chapter 1 of the Code of the Borough of Netcong.