[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Moosic 9-13-2022 by Ord. No. 7-2022.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 72, Alarms, adopted 11-10-2020 by Ord. No. 19-2020, which repealed former Ch. 72, Alarms, adopted 8-14-2003 by Ord. No. 14-2003.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
Any other property other than a residence.
FALSE ALARM ACTIVATION
Any emergency alarm which is activated by inadvertence, negligence, or an intentional or unintentional act to which the Borough of Moosic Police, Fire, or EMS respond. This includes alarms caused by malfunction of the alarm system and testing of alarms without proper notification of the proper emergency service organization.
RESIDENCE
A single-family dwelling, a duplex, or a two-family dwelling.
A. 
Graduated fee: residence. Should any fire alarm, medical alarm system, burglar alarm system or any other emergency alarm system cause multiple false alarms to occur during a twenty-four-month period, then a graduated service charge shall be levied against the owner or lessee of the said system in accordance with the following schedule during the said twenty-four-month period, beginning January 1, 2021, and running every calendar year thereafter:
(1) 
First to third false alarm: no service charge.
(2) 
Fourth through eighth: $250 per each alarm activation.
(3) 
Ninth through 12th: $500 per each alarm activation.
(4) 
Over 12: $1,000 per each alarm activation.
B. 
Graduated fee: commercial property. Should any fire alarm, medical alarm system, burglar alarm system or any other emergency alarm system cause multiple false alarms to occur during a twenty-four-month period, then a graduated service charge shall be levied against the owner or lessee of the said system in accordance with the following schedule during the said twenty-four-month period, beginning January 1, 2021 and running every calendar year thereafter:
(1) 
First false alarm: $750 service charge.
(2) 
Second false alarm: $1,500.
(3) 
Third false alarm: $2,250.
(4) 
Fourth and over: $3,000 per each alarm activation.
Alarms caused by an act of God, such as earthquakes, flood, windstorm, thunder or lightning shall be exempt from this chapter. The responding agency (Police, Fire, EMS) ranking official will act as the determining factor as to the classification of the alarm being considered false or in violation of this chapter.
It shall be illegal to discontinue any alarm system currently in operation to circumvent any or all parts of this chapter.
All new alarm or revised systems of any type installed in the Municipality of Moosic shall be designed and installed as to current applicable codes (residential and commercial) for installation of the particular type of alarm system. All new or revised alarms must be inspected and registered into the Lackawanna County Communications Center CAD system by the appropriate emergency service authority (Police, Fire, EMS) responsible for the type of alarm system.
The Greenwood Hose Company will be responsible for keeping records on each activation for fire and EMS, and Moosic Police Department will maintain records for burglar alarms, and upon any one property reaching a level of the graduated fee schedule, the Hose Company and/or Police Department will notify the Borough Code Officer. The Borough Code Officer will be advised as to the number of alarm activations that have occurred and the fee which should be billed to the owner of the property.
The responsible party will be promptly billed within 10 days, and payment will be considered current if received in a thirty-day period from the date of billing. Any billing open and not paid within these limits shall be considered past due and turned over to the Moosic Police Department or the Code Enforcement Officer for issuance of a citation in violation of this chapter which will allow for collection of the chapter amounts and court costs associated with the violation.
Moosic Borough will maintain a listing of all commercial properties that have fire alarm/suppression systems. All commercial facilities having such an alarm system will be required annually to have the system maintained and serviced by a qualified alarm installation company to ensure proper operation. An inspection report from the qualified company must be provided to Moosic Borough 715 Main St Moosic, PA 18507 prior to April 1 of each calendar year.
All facilities are required to maintain a current list of at least a minimum of four employees that can accept an after business hours call from emergency personnel to be immediately available to respond to the facility in question to deal with an alarm condition. This same list must be provided to the Greenwood Hose Co. No. 1 3727-41 Birney Ave Moosic, PA 18507 for entry into the Lackawanna County 911 Center database. Any changes to this listing must also be provided within 10 days of the change to the same.
A. 
Penalties. Any person, organization and/or company violating § 72-8 and § 72-9 of this chapter shall be subject to summary enforcement proceedings and, upon being found guilty thereof shall subject the violator to a fine of $1,000 for a third offense. Upon default in payment of a fine and upon a guilty finding of a third or subsequent offense, the violator may be subject to a term of imprisonment up to the maximum allowed by law for a summary offense. Each day that a violation continues or each section of this chapter that is found to be violated shall be considered a separate violation.
B. 
All offenders convicted of violating this chapter shall also pay the costs of prosecution and the Borough's attorney fees.
C. 
Any person guilty of a violation of the within chapter may also be subject to civil proceedings for damages and/or injunctive relief by the property owner and any entity injured or damaged by such violation.
All ordinance and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed. All parts of the original ordinance are hereby replaced and revised.