[Adopted by Ord. No. 82-210 (Sec. 4-5 of the 1996 Revised General
Ordinances)]
For the purpose of this article, the following
terms, phrases, words, and their derivations shall have the meaning
given herein. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in
the present tense include the future, words in the plural number include
the singular number, and words in the singular number include the
plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely
directory.
ALARM AGENT
Any person employed by an alarm business whose duties include
the altering, installing, maintaining, moving, repairing, replacing,
selling, servicing, responding to, or causing others to respond to
an alarm device.
ALARM BUSINESS
Any business operated by a person for the profit which engages
in the activity of installing, leasing, maintaining, repairing, replacing,
selling, servicing, or responding to an alarm device, or which causes
any of these activities to take place.
ALARM SYSTEM
The combination of sensory apparatus and related hardware
which, when activated by the appropriate stimulus, produces a signal
making known the existence of an emergency situation normally involving
the criminal act and requiring immediate investigation and response
by a law enforcement agency, alarm agent, or other person or agency.
AUTOMATIC DIALING SERVICE
Refer to an alarm device which automatically sends over regular
telephone lines by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice
message or coded signal indicating the existence of the emergency
situation that the alarm system is designed to detect.
CENTRAL STATION
A communication center receiving signals from an alarm signaling
device which is operated for its subscribers. Such central location
is maintained and supervised on a continuous basis by trained operators
and guards who will take appropriate action upon receipt of an emergency
signal from an alarm signal device including the relaying of such
information directly to the Police Department communications center
and/or the dispatching of guards to the subscriber's premises.
FALSE ALARM
The activation of an alarm device not justified by a real
emergency. Such terminology does not include alarms caused by hurricanes,
tornadoes, earthquakes, or other such conditions.
INTERCONNECT
To connect an alarm system to a voice-grade telephone line,
either directly or through a mechanical device that utilizes a standard
telephone, for the purpose of using the telephone line to transmit
an emergency message upon the activation of the alarm system.
LICENSED ANSWERING SERVICE
Refers to a telephone-answering service providing, among
its services, the service of receiving on a continuous basis through
trained employees, emergency signals from an automatic dialing service,
and thereafter immediately relaying the message by live voice over
special trunkline to the communications center of the Police Department.
LOCAL ALARM SYSTEM
Refers to a signaling system which when activated causes
an audible and/or visual signaling device to be activated in or on
the premises within which the system is installed.
MODIFIED CENTRAL STATION
A communication center which receives alarm signals by a
central alarm and is operated by an alarm business for its subscribers.
Such modified central station is not listed by Underwriter Laboratories
(UL).
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
POLICE CHIEF
The Chief of Police of the Township of Manchester, or his
designated representative.
PROPRIETOR ALARM
An alarm device not under contract with an alarm business
for any response to an emergency signal when the alarm is activated.
REMOTE SIGNALING SYSTEM
An alarm signaling system which, when activated by an alarm
device, transmits a signal from an alarm-signaling device to a central
location, other than the Police Department, where appropriate action
is taken to investigate and respond to the signal.
SUBSCRIBER
A person who buys, leases, or otherwise obtains an alarm
signaling system and thereafter contracts with or hires an alarm business
to monitor and/or service the alarm device.
TELEPHONE COMPANY
The utility that furnishes telephone services to the Township
of Manchester, namely New Jersey Bell Telephone Company.
Automatic dialing devices installed on any premises
within the Township that will be responded to by members of the Police
Department shall meet the following minimum standards, as determined
by the Police Chief; and such standards may from time to time be modified
by the Police Chief:
A. The contents of the recorded messages to be transmitted
by the device must be intelligible and in a format approved by the
Police Chief as appropriate for the type of emergency being reported.
All such messages shall be subject to review prior to the beginning
of any such installation.
B. No device shall deliver an emergency message to the
Police Department more than three times as the result of a single
stimulus of the alarm device.
C. The message transmitted shall not exceed 30 seconds
in length.
D. The time gap between delivery of each message must
fall in the range of from 10 to 12 seconds.
E. All such devices shall be capable of transmitting
an emergency message to two or more separate locations, so that, upon
activation, any message may be sent not only on a special trunkline
or a telephone line serviced directly by telephone company operators,
but also a location where an authorized person is available to respond
to the emergency message, and to open the premises on which the device
is installed.
F. Every reasonable effort shall be made so that the
sensory apparatus and hardware comprising such devices shall be adjusted
to minimize false alarms.
G. The sensory apparatus and hardware comprising such
devices shall be maintained by the owner or lessee in such physical
condition that false alarms will be minimized. Alarms displaying trouble
signals to the Township monitoring equipment must be repaired within
24 hours after receiving notice from the Police Department that such
trouble signal is being received.
Any business or financial institution that is
required by the regulation of a federal government agency issued pursuant
to the Bank Protection Act of 1968, as amended, to have installed
on their premises appropriate alarm devices for notifying the Police
Department that a burglary or robbery is occurring, may have an alarm
device installed to operate in the following way:
A. By transmission of the emergency signal through an
intermediary alarm business. The alarm device may be connected by
a signal line to a central station, modified central station, or a
licensed answering service. Any alarm agent on duty at such an intermediate
location who receives an emergency signal indicating that a burglary
or robbery is occurring in such an institution shall immediately report
the signal to the Police Department, by direct line in case of a central
station, or by a special trunkline if a modified central station or
a licensed answering service, using a number designated by the Police
Chief.
In addition to any other requirements imposed
by this article, an alarm business shall not be granted a license
to operate on all or part of its services, a central station serving
central alarms, unless the Police Chief finds that the central station,
if operated, will meet the following minimum requirements:
A. Compliance with "Standard for Central Station Burglar
Alarm Units and Systems," (UL 611-1968) issued by Underwriters' Laboratories,
Inc. or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (2.2, 1971) and
any later edition of these standards that may be issued. Such standards
are hereby adopted and made a part of this article, and a copy of
the most recent standards shall be kept on file at the Police Department
and be available for public inspection. The service provided may correspond
to any of the several grades of service listed in the standard, but
in no event shall the owner, claim agent, or other person in responsible
control of the location wherein such system is located be present
longer than one hour at such location, after being requested to do
so by a representative of the Police Department. Such person shall
inspect the alarm system after each activation to insure proper operation.
B. Proof of compliance to part of this section shall be provided, in writing, from the alarm business through its legal representative to the Police Chief specifying the minimum acceptable standards pertaining to central stations as outlined in Subsection
A above. Such written proof shall not preclude, but shall be in addition to physical inspecting of the premises and equipment by the Police Chief or his representative and shall further be in addition to and in support of §§
89-18 and
89-19.
In addition
to any other requirements imposed by this article, an alarm business
shall not be granted to operate on all or parts of its services a
modified central station servicing central alarms, unless the Police
Chief finds that the modified central station, if operated, will meet
the following minimum standards:
A. The premises from which the services are performed
must meet any applicable fire regulations.
B. The premises from which the services are performed
must be secured in a manner approved by the Police Chief to prevent
entry by unauthorized persons.
C. A large enough number of operators must be on duty
at all times to assure that all emergency messages received will be
relayed immediately to the Police Department.
D. As soon as possible after notifying the Police Department,
the operator concerned shall notify the subscriber involved of such
action and the nature of the emergency message received.
E. The modified central station shall certify that all
equipment supervised by the modified central station shall be tested
at least every 60 days. Where a test result is unsatisfactory, the
cause thereof shall be corrected within 24 hours unless circumstances
exist that make such corrections impossible.
F. Proof of compliance to this section shall be provided, in writing, from the alarm business through its legal representative to the Police Chief specifying the minimum acceptable standards pertaining to central stations as outlined in this section. Such written proof shall not preclude, but shall be in addition to any physical inspection of the premises and equipment by the Police Chief or his representative and shall further be in addition to and in support of §§
89-18 and
89-19.
In addition to any other requirements imposed
by this article, an alarm business shall not be granted to operate
on all or part of its services a licensed answering service servicing
central alarms, unless the Police Chief finds that the licensed answering
service, if operated, will meet the following minimum standards:
A. The premises from which the services are performed
must meet any applicable fire regulations.
B. The premises from which the services are performed
must be secured in a manner approved by the Police Chief to prevent
entry by unauthorized persons.
C. A large enough number of operators must be on duty
at all times to assure that all emergency messages received will be
relayed immediately to the Police Department.
D. Emergency messages from automatic alarm devices shall
be given priority over all other messages received by the answering
services.
E. All operators shall be trained to handle emergency
messages.
F. As soon as possible after notifying the Police Department,
the operator concerned shall notify the subscriber involved of such
action and the nature of the emergency message received.
G. All subscribers of a licensed answering service shall
be required by the service to cooperate in a test of its alarm devices
at least once every 60 days to determine if the device is working
properly. The answering service shall certify that the test requirements
have been fulfilled. Unsatisfactory test results shall be reported
promptly, in writing, to the subscriber and the Police Department.
Until the device in question is again working properly, it shall be
disconnected.
H. Proof of compliance to this section shall be provided, in writing, from the alarm business through its legal representative to the Police Chief specifying the minimum acceptable standards pertaining to central stations as outlined in this section. Such written proof shall not preclude, but shall be in addition to any physical inspection of the premises and equipment by the Police Chief or his representative and shall further be in addition and in support of §§
89-18 and
89-19.
Local alarms and systems in addition to any
other requirements imposed by this article, if operated in this jurisdiction,
shall meet the following requirements:
A. Compliance with UL Standard (609-1971) and ANSI Standard
(2.1-1972), as amended.
In addition to any other information that may
be required to be supplied by the provisions of this article, the
Police Chief may require an alarm business to furnish him with certain
statistical data which may be reasonably obtained relative to specified
periods of operation after the effective date of this article. Any
operational data so furnished shall be for use only by the Township
Clerk, Police Chief, and the Police Department.
When an alarm business's service to its subscribers
is disrupted for any reason, the alarm business shall promptly notify
its subscriber and the police by telephone that protection is no longer
being provided.
[Adopted by Ord. No. 99-028 (Sec. 3-14 of the 1996 Revised
General Ordinances)]
The purpose of this article is to establish
violations and penalties for activating false alarms within the Township
of Manchester.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
FALSE ALARM
Any alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence, the unintentional
act of someone other than an intruder or the malfunction of the alarm
equipment, not due to an act of God (storm, power outage, etc.).
The Police Department shall record the date
and location of each false alarm.
Any person, corporation, partnership or other
entity who owns or controls a fire, burglary or other similar alarm
or device in the Township of Manchester which causes three false alarms
in any calendar year shall be deemed in violation of the provisions
of this article for each false alarm thereafter.
No person shall conduct any test or demonstration
of any alarm without having first obtained approval from the Chief
of Police.
The Township reserves the right to change, modify
or increase by ordinance the fees herein prescribed or the penalties
herein prescribed.