[Adopted 4-14-1998 by Ord. No. 2074[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the repeal of former Art. III, Alarm Installation and Use, adopted 6-11-1991 by Ord. No. 1757, as amended.
A. 
The following definitions apply for purposes of this article:
ALARM SYSTEM
Any device designed for the detection of an unauthorized entry on the premises, unlawful act, fire or any emergency that alerts a Municipal organization of its own commission or occurrence and when activated gives a signal, either visual, audible or both, or transmits or causes to be transmitted a signal.
APPROVED
Meeting the requirements of this article and approved by the Municipality.
CENTRAL STATION SYSTEM
A system or group of systems, the operations of which are signaled to, recorded in, maintained and supervised from an approved central station, in which there are competent and experienced observers and operators in attendance at all times whose duty it shall be, upon receipt of a signal, to take such action as shall be required under the rules established for their guidance. Such systems shall be controlled and operated by a person, firm or corporation whose principal business is the furnishing and maintaining of supervised protective signaling service and who has no interest in the protected properties.
COMMUNICATION CENTER
That building or portion of a building used to house the central operating part of the alarm system, usually the place where the necessary testing, switching, receiving, retransmitting and power supply devices are located, and is the public safety answering point of the Municipality.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATOR
An electronic device which is interconnected to a telephone line and is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit a coded signal.
HOUSEHOLD WARNING SYSTEM
A system of devices that produce an audible alarm signal in the household for the purpose of notifying the occupants of the presence of an emergency so they may evacuate the premises.
LOCAL SYSTEM
A system that gives a signal, either visual, audible, or both, on the interior or exterior portion of the property/business but does not leave that structure/business by wire or radio wave to a remote receiving location.
MEDICAL ALARM
Any device which, when activated, gives a signal, either visual, audible, or both, or transmits or causes to be transmitted a signal to signify the need for emergency medical services personnel.
NUISANCE ALARM
Any alarm signal that alerts a Municipal organization which is not the result of an actual or threatened emergency requiring their immediate response. Nuisance alarms include negligently or accidentally activated signals; signals which are the result of faulty, malfunctioning or improperly installed or maintained equipment; signals which are purposely activated to summon emergency services in nonemergency situations; and alarm signals for which the actual cause is not determined. Alarms occurring within the first three months of initial installation of a system due to system malfunction shall not be considered nuisance alarms, provided that the Municipal Fire Official is presented with sufficient evidence to verify that the causes of these alarms are being investigated, and corrective action is being taken.
PROPRIETARY PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM
A protective signaling system under constant supervision by competent and experienced personnel in a central supervising station at the property protected. The system includes equipment and other facilities required to permit the operators to test and operate the system and, upon receipt of a signal, to take such action as shall be required under the rules established for their guidance by the authority having jurisdiction. The system shall be maintained and tested by the owner, personnel or an organization satisfactory to the authority having jurisdiction. Noncontiguous properties under a single ownership may be considered as the property and be connected to a single central supervising station.
PUBLIC FIRE SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
A Municipal fire alarm system, telephone facilities and Fire Department radio facilities, all of which fulfill two principal functions: that of receiving fire alarms or other emergency calls from the public and that of retransmitting these alarms and emergency calls to fire companies and other interested agencies.
PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINT
A communication center that serves the consolidated incoming and outgoing communication needs of the emergency medical service, the fire service, the police service and other emergency services of the Municipality.
REMOTE STATION PROTECTIVE SIGNALING SYSTEM
A system of electrically supervised circuits employing a direct circuit connection between signaling devices at the protected premises and signal-receiving equipment in a remote station, such as a Municipal communication center or fire alarm headquarters, or other location acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.
SINGLE-UNIT SIGNALING EQUIPMENT
Any self-contained sensing and signaling device which does not send a signal by wire or radio waves.
TAPE DIALER
An electronic device which is interconnected to a telephone line and is programmed to select a predetermined telephone number and transmit a prerecorded voice message of an alarm condition.
B. 
Definitions not defined in this article shall be as defined in NFPA 72 (1993).
The Eastern Regional Communication Center (ERCC) is hereby established as the recognized remote station protection signaling system of the Municipality, public fire service communication system of the Municipality and the public safety answering point of the Municipality.
Single-unit signaling equipment is exempt from the provisions of this article.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity engaged in selling, installing and/or maintaining any alarm system in the Municipality of Monroeville or engaged in monitoring any non-BOCA fire alarm system of the Municipality shall obtain an annual permit from the Municipality of Monroeville to engage in such activity. Said permit shall contain the identity, the principal place (address) of business and telephone number of the permittee, the identities of all employees doing work in the Municipality and the name of the permittee's bonding company, if any. The annual fee for said permit shall be $250, except that the fee may be waived in the case of those entities installing and/or maintaining their own proprietary alarm system which is not required by the provisions of the 1996 BOCA Building and Fire Prevention Codes. All subject systems shall be reported to the Municipality.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity having a listed central station and desiring to monitor any BOCA-required fire alarm system in the Municipality of Monroeville shall apply for an annual permit from the Municipality of Monroeville to become an approved central station of the jurisdiction. Said permit application shall contain the identity, the principal place (address) of business and telephone number of the permittee, the identities of all employees doing work arising in the Municipality and the name of the permittee's bonding company, if any. The annual fee for said permit shall be $250. A recognized central station of the jurisdiction shall provide at no cost to the Municipality two separate methods of retransmitting signals to the Public Safety Communications Center of the Municipality. One of the retransmission means shall be supervised so that interruption of retransmission circuit communication integrity will result in a trouble signal at the central station. The retransmission means shall meet the requirements of Section 4-3.4.4.2 of NFPA 72 (1993).
A. 
The retransmission means may be supervised but are not limited to:
(1) 
A supervised circuit (channel) provided with suitable voice-transmitting, receiving and automatic recording equipment. The circuit may be a telephone circuit that cannot be used for any other purpose, is provided with a two-way ring-down feature for supervision between the Municipal Public Safety Communications Center and the central station with terminal equipment located on the premises at each end and twenty-four-hour standby power provided.
(2) 
Other means may be approved when equivalency can be shown to the Fire Official, and such means is approved by the Fire Official and Eastern Regional Communication Center.
B. 
All approved central stations of the jurisdiction shall meet the requirements of this section regardless of the number of alarm systems within the Municipality being monitored by any recognized central station.
C. 
No central station shall be eligible for approval by the Municipality unless it is listed by an approved agency.
D. 
Each approved central station shall, by January 31 of each year, reapply for approved central station status. The application shall be in a form as prescribed by the Fire Official of Monroeville in consultation with the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communications Center. The annual permit fee shall be $250. Each annual renewal request shall be accompanied by a detailed list of all clients serviced within the Municipality and a registration fee of $25 per client. Each client list shall contain the name, address and telephone number of each client as well as each client's emergency contact names and phone numbers.
E. 
Each approved central station terminating monitoring service of a client, for any reason, shall notify the Monroeville Fire Official and the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center within 10 days of such termination. Upon termination of the monitoring service of a fire alarm system required to be monitored by the 1996 BOCA Building Code, the Monroeville Fire Official shall also be notified of such termination by the central station. Failure to follow this procedure will result in withdrawal of central station approval.
Any person, firm, partnership, corporation or other entity installing, owning, possessing and/or using an operative alarm system in the Municipality of Monroeville shall register said system with the Municipality of Monroeville and receive a permit for said system as required by the Fire Prevention Code and/or Monroeville Police Department. The permit shall contain the name, principal address and telephone number of the permittee, address where the alarm is installed, the type of alarm system, identity and address of the signaling equipment manufacturer and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons to contact in an emergency. The registration permit fee shall be $100, and the permit shall be effective for the duration of the possession and/or use of the system by the original permittee.
Specific requirements pertaining to the connection of various types of alarm systems to the Municipal Public Safety Communications Center shall be as follows:
A. 
All fire-signaling protective annunciating devices, units or systems as required by the 1996 BOCA Basic Building and Fire Prevention Codes shall be connected to the recognized remote station protective signaling system of the Municipality at the Eastern Regional Communication Center (ERCC) by means of approved central stations only.
B. 
All fire-signaling protective annunciating devices, units or systems not required by the 1996 BOCA Basic Building and Fire Prevention Codes may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication Center by means of an approved method.
C. 
All holdup alarms shall connect to the Eastern Regional Communication Center. Holdup alarms may be connected by approved central station only.
D. 
Any burglary alarm may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication Center by means of an approved central station or other central stations.
E. 
Any emergency medical alarm may connect to the Eastern Regional Communication Center by means of an approved central station or other central station.
F. 
In the event that one given alarm system reports more than one type of alarm condition by means of a single connection, then only one permit shall be required for that connection.
A. 
Alarm equipment shall meet standards established by the Underwriters' Laboratory, Factory Mutual Insurance Association, Factory Insurance Association or National Fire Protection Association. Any commercial fire alarm installer shall certify system installation, in writing, to the Fire Official before placing said system into service. Such written certification shall be in the form of Figure 1-7.2.1, Fire Alarm System Certification and Description Certificate of NFPA 72 (1993 Edition). All fire alarm systems shall be under the supervision of a responsible, qualified person or organization satisfactory to the Fire Official, who shall, under contractual agreement, make all inspections, tests and repairs promptly. Said person or organization shall comply with all applicable laws, licenses, ordinances, rules or regulations.
B. 
No commercial fire alarm system shall be approved for service by the Fire Official until he is presented with a written copy of a contractual agreement (between system owner and qualified service provider) which states required service maintenance and testing is to be provided and at what scheduled time periods. Said maintenance agreement shall be for a minimum five-year period and shall be renewable. The service maintenance company (or person), and the fire alarm system owner shall notify the Fire Official upon the cancellation, expiration or nonrenewal of any fire alarm service maintenance agreement. Failure to notify the Fire Official of any change in status of a fire alarm service maintenance agreement/contract shall result in a fine of $25 per day, to be assessed against the fire alarm system owner, for each day until evidence of a new agreement/contract is presented to the Fire Official. Upon first issuance, or renewal of any service maintenance agreement, a copy shall be forwarded to the Fire Official.
No fire alarm may be installed contrary to the provisions of the 1996 BOCA Basic Code, Fire Prevention Code and NFPA Standard 72 of 1993. No alarm may be installed contrary to the provisions of the National Electrical Code NFPA 70 (1996). Further, all local alarms shall be equipped with an automatic reset after 1/2 hour of alarm status and have another secure means of being reset. No tape dialers may be sold, installed or used in Monroeville which are programmed to dial the Eastern Regional Communication Center number.
A. 
If there are more than two nuisance alarms per ninety-day period from a fire alarm system, the Fire Official may assess a fine pursuant to this section, against an alarm system owner for the third and any subsequent nuisance alarms according to the following schedule:
(1) 
Third nuisance alarm: $75.
(2) 
Fourth nuisance alarm: $150.
(3) 
Fifth nuisance alarm: $300.
(4) 
Sixth nuisance alarm and any subsequent nuisance alarm: $600.
B. 
The Fire Official shall be notified, in writing, of any chargeable nuisance alarm by the Fire Chief within three days of its occurrence. Notice of citation regarding any nuisance alarm shall be given to the system owner in writing. For the sixth and any subsequent alarm from a particular alarm system (in any ninety-day period), the Fire Official may assess an additional fine of $300 for each day after the date of such nuisance alarm, until the fire system owner provides satisfactory evidence of the suspected cause determination and attempted repairs. Satisfactory evidence shall be in written form from a qualified alarm service company and shall state the suspected causes and attempted remedies. With respect to any nuisance alarm for which an alarm system owner is cited, such owner shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Fire Official according to the procedures established in Section 121.0 of Ordinance No. 2021[1] and Section F-113.0 of Ordinance No. 2022[2] and/or the legal procedures as established by law for proceedings at the Pennsylvania Local District Court level. The imposition of any such additional daily fines shall be suspended during the pendency of any appeal proceedings. If a fire alarm system owner appeals under Ordinance No. 2021,[3] Ordinance No. 2022[4] and/or at the Pennsylvania Local District Court level, then any fines shall be held in abeyance until final resolution of the appeal process; if any appellant is successful in such appeal process, no fine shall be assessed; if the appellant is unsuccessful in such appeal process, total fines shall be calculated from the day of the filing of the formal appeal and all days preceding the formal appeal. There shall be a fine assessed of $50 per occurrence for the unauthorized resetting of an alarm system from an alarm to a secure condition. Any nuisance alarm from a non-fire system shall be subject to the penalties established by Ordinance No. 1928 of 1995.[5]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 162, Building Construction, Art. I, Buildings and Structures.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 206, Fire Prevention.
[3]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 162, Building Construction, Art. I, Buildings and Structures.
[4]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 206, Fire Prevention.
[5]
Editor's Note: See Art. I, Burglar Alarms, of this chapter.
The Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center, Monroeville Fire Official or Municipal Fire Chief may order a test of a fire alarm system at any time; the Chief of Police or the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center may order a test of any non-fire alarm system at any time during normal business hours or after a real or nuisance alarm has occurred.
In addition to other authority, with 30 days' written notice, the Monroeville Fire Official or Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center, after consultation and approval from the Monroeville Fire Official, may revoke or suspend any fire alarm system permit issued pursuant hereto upon determining that:
A. 
The application for the permit contains a statement of material fact which is false;
B. 
The permittee has failed to comply with the provisions of this article or other related administrative regulations, ordinances, resolutions or statutes; or
C. 
An alarm system is negligently installed, used or maintained. More than 12 nuisance alarms within any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period shall be one measure of negligent use and/or maintenance.
In addition to other authority, with 30 days' written notice, the Chief of Police or the Executive Director of the Eastern Regional Communication Center, after consultation and approval from the Monroeville Chief of Police, may revoke or suspend any non-fire permit issued pursuant hereto upon determining that:
A. 
The application for the permit contains a statement of material fact which is false;
B. 
The permittee has failed to comply with the provisions of this article or other related administrative regulations, ordinances, resolutions or statutes; or
C. 
An alarm system is negligently installed, used or maintained. More than 12 nuisance alarms within any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period shall be one measure of negligent use and/or maintenance.
Upon 30 days' notice, in writing, from the Fire Official to comply with the provisions of this article regarding fire alarm systems, any person, firm, partnership or corporation failing to meet the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine of $300 per day upon being found in violation of this article after a hearing before the Local District Justice. Upon 30 days' notice, in writing, from the Chief of Police to comply with the provisions of this article relating to non-fire alarm systems, any person, firm, partnership or corporation failing to meet the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine of $300 per day upon being found in violation of this article after a hearing before the Local District Magistrate. This section shall not apply to orders pertaining to nuisance alarms as permitted by § 151-14 of this article.
Nothing in this article shall be construed, interpreted or applied to abrogate, nullify or abolish any law, ordinance or code adopted by the Municipality governing the construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy and maintenance of alarms specifically provided herein when any provision of this article is found to be in conflict with any building, zoning, safety, health or other applicable law, ordinance or code of the Municipality existing on the effective date of this article or hereafter adopted, the provision of which established the higher standard for the promotion and protection of the safety and welfare of the public shall prevail.
The effective date of this article shall be July 1, 1998, or 90 days after enactment, whichever comes last. The Monroeville Fire Official may grant an extension not to exceed 90 days to any alarm system failing to meet the full requirements of this article by that date. Such requests for an extension must be made in writing and state the reasons for the request. Such request must be approved by the Fire Official. Failure to comply with this article in the stipulated time period shall be subject to the penalties as set forth in this article.