[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of East Cocalico 4-3-1991 by Ord. No. 1991-02;
amended in its entirety 7-5-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-04. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Key safes — See Ch. 123.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person who
operates, maintains or owns any alarm devices, dial alarm, or local
alarm designed to summon the police, any fire company, or other municipal
agencies, to any location in response to any type of alarm signal.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
A fee charged to the owner of the alarm system for each and
every false alarm activation in excess of one in any one-year (three-hundred-sixty-five-day)
period, with such period commencing on the date of the first false
alarm or the anniversary date of the first false alarm, to which the
Police or Fire Department respond. The Township Board of Supervisors
shall have the power and shall be authorized to amend the administrative
fees set forth in this chapter by resolution duly adopted.
The console or control panel of devices giving a visual or
audio response or both.
Any type of alarm system actuating equipment in the alarm
console providing warning of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood, or other
peril.
An alarm device, dial alarm or local alarm or any combination
of the same.
That type of device using telephone lines transmitting an
alarm directly to Lancaster County Control or other site.
One or more persons, appointed from time to time by the Board
of Supervisors of East Cocalico Township, to provide enforcement and
administration of this ordinance.
Any alarm actuated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional
act of someone other than an intruder and shall include alarms caused
by malfunctions of the alarm system or other relevant equipment but
shall not include alarms created by malfunction of the alarm console.
Any alarm or device which, when actuated, produces a signal
not connecting to an alarm console, such as but not limited to a store
or home burglar alarm actuating bell or horn devices. This definition
does not include vehicle alarms.
Includes a natural person, partnership, corporation or association.
Each person who is the owner or occupant of premises equipped
with an alarm device shall maintain such alarm device in good condition
and repair so as to avoid false alarms.
The police, fire, or other agency in charge of a response to
an alarm device activation shall determine after investigation if
the alarm is a false alarm. All false alarm responses shall be reported
to the enforcement officer, with a copy of the incident report attached.
The enforcement officer shall maintain a record of said false alarms
on file. For such false alarms, the Board of Supervisors prescribes
the following administrative fees designated, to partially offset
the cost of the manpower and equipment response necessitated by false
alarm. The administrative fees for false alarms shall be calculated
for each one-year period, commencing on the date of the first false
alarm or the anniversary date of the first false alarm.
Notice as required by this chapter shall be given by the enforcement
officer, or his designee, to the person occupying the premises upon
which the alarm system is located by mailing a copy of the notice,
certified mail, return receipt required, to such person at the address
where the alarm system is located. A notice may also be given by personal
service of the notice by handing a copy of the same to the occupant
of the premises upon which the alarm system is located or to an adult
resident thereof or an employee located thereon. If service is made
by personal service, the enforcement officer, or his designee, shall
file proof of service which shall be under oath and which shall designate
the person and title upon which service was made.
Payment of a response assessment fee may be waived by the enforcement
officer upon written notification by the owner of the alarm system
and verification by the enforcement officer that such false alarm
was caused by an act of nature, as to an APD which has been installed
or modified within 30 days prior to the false alarm or, the proprietor
shows written verification that the alarm has been inspected, serviced
and repaired post incident within 15 days of said incident, where
the enforcement officer, or his designee, concludes that the false
alarm resulted from good-faith user familiarization process or the
process of adjustment of mechanical malfunction.
An administrative fee shall be due and payable 10 days following
the receipt of the written notice of a false alarm, unless extended
for cause by the enforcement officer.
