[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of
the City of Northampton as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 6-18-1992 (Ch. 14, § 14-20, of the 1977
Code); amended in its entirety 12-2-1993]
[Amended 2-1-2007; 3-17-2022 by Ord. No. 21.355]
If any residence or place of business has an intrusion alarm which results in a notification to the Northampton Police Department of a false alarm at said residence or place of business, the owner of the property or the tenant in possession, whomever has control of said alarm, shall be subject to a fine as set forth in Chapter 40, Enforcement, for each false alarm after the first false alarm.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The activation of an alarm by any cause other than the detection
of an intrusion or an attempted intrusion.
[Adopted 6-15-2000 (Ch. 11, Art. V, of the 1977 Code)]
This article shall be known as the "City of
Northampton Fire Alarm Ordinance."
The purpose of this article is to provide a
municipal fire alarm system, allowing alarm users a voluntary means
of compliance with the supervision requirements of the State Building
Code (780 CMR).
This article shall control the following:
A.
The lease, purchase, and donation of a municipal fire
alarm system.
B.
The establishment of fees for connection to the municipal
fire alarm system.
C.
The connection of alarm equipment to the municipal
fire alarm system.
D.
The establishment of requirements for Fire Department
key boxes, emergency information, and signage.
Where there is a conflict between this article
and the State Building Code, or other state code or General Law, the
provisions of the State Building Code, other state code or General
Law shall control, but only to the extent of said conflict.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any person on whose premises an alarm system is maintained
within the City except for alarm systems on motor vehicles or proprietary
systems. Excluded from this definition and from the coverage of this
article are central station personnel and persons who use alarm systems
to alert or signal persons within the premises in which the alarm
system is located. If such a system employs an audible signal emitting
sounds or a flashing light or beacon designed to signal persons outside
the premises, such a system shall be within the definitions of "alarm
system" as that term is used in this article and shall be subject
to this article.
Corporation, partnership, sole proprietor or other legal
entity selected by competitive bid to furnish, install, and maintain
the Northampton municipal fire alarm system.
The municipal approving authority which is responsible for
response to the specific alarm signal that the system is designed
to transmit.
The City of Northampton.
Emergency medical care and ambulance services offered within
the City of Northampton.
An activation of an alarm system due to mechanical failure,
malfunction, improper installation or negligence of the user of an
alarm system, his employees or agents or any act which produces any
signal resulting in the response of the Fire Services when in fact
there has been no medical emergency or detection of fire, smoke, heat,
water flow or other condition designed to be detected by a fire, security,
or emergency medical alarm system. Excluded from this definition is
activation of alarm systems caused by natural disasters.
The Chief of the Northampton Fire Department.
A secured key box manufactured by Knox Company, Irvine, CA,
or other company, approved by the Fire Chief, and located on the exterior
of all structures with fire alarm systems to which only the Fire Department
has keyed access.
A sworn Fire Department person designated by the Fire Chief
to provide the lead role in fire alarm and fire prevention matters.
The Northampton Fire Department.
An illustrated representation of the structure which must
be posted at both the fire alarm control panel and at the fire alarm
annunciator. This representation must be permanently mounted in a
protected enclosure and conform to the standards outlined in this
article.
The computerized instrumentation on the alarm consoles at
the receiving terminal of a signal that, through both visual and audible
signals, indicates activation of an alarm system, securing of an alarm
signal and which indicates supervisory trouble. These receiving units
will be located at each fire station and in the public safety communications
center.
A legal notice issued by the Fire Chief under state law regulation
or this article which indicates noncompliance with state law, regulation
or this article. This is also known as an "order of notice."
Anything, which annoys, injures or endangers the comfort,
repose, health, or safety of any considerable number of persons of
any community or neighborhood.
The primary public safety answering point (PSAP) for the
City.
[Amended 4-16-2009]
A.
The City
shall maintain a municipal life safety alarm system which shall be
the sole life safety alarm system for the City of Northampton. The
life safety alarm system shall be UL-listed and mirror the requirements
of CMR 780 (State Building Code), and shall have the ability to transmit
data to a redundant or secondary location. This equipment shall be
maintained and operated in the Northampton Public Safety Communications
Center. Secondary to a bid process, an alarm company authorized by
the manufacturer of said equipment shall be selected to maintain,
service, repair, and/or upgrade the alarm receiving, communication
equipment and billing for the alarm monitoring as requested by the
Fire Chief.
(1)
The
bid process will be based on a firm's ability to provide service,
repair, response time, programming and maintenance of the system.
The bid will be a percentage of revenue collected, which will be billed
to the Fire Department quarterly.
(2)
In
consideration of this compensation, the firm selected will configure,
program, test, inspect, maintain and repair said equipment for the
duration of the agreement. All costs, including replacement parts,
and labor will be contained within the bid price. Any single repair
exceeding $5,000 of equipment will be the responsibility of the City.
In this case, the vendor will bear the cost of the initial $5,000,
and the City will be invoiced for the amount exceeding $5,000. Equipment
to be maintained will include alarm system receivers, radio receivers,
computer equipment and fire station alerting systems.
B.
The municipal
life safety alarm system will utilize current technology of digital
dialers which transmit alarms over telephone lines, transitioning
the system to wireless two-way transmitting of alarms. Alarms will
be transmitted from subscriber's location utilizing radio transceivers
to transmit signals through a radio matrix back to the Northampton
Public Safety Dispatch Center. Current subscribers will still be able
to utilize digital dialers utilizing telephone lines. Alarm system
transition will be as follows: for the years 2009 to 2014, digital
dialers and wireless transmitting will be accepted; in the year 2015,
the entire system will transition to wireless transmitting of alarms.
C.
System
components installed in all alarm systems or additions to existing
systems shall conform to the written alarm specifications of the Northampton
Fire Service and this section. In addition, all systems shall be compatible
with the alarm-receiving equipment and consist of equipment designed
for the use for which it was intended and shall be approved for such
use by an independent testing laboratory and the authority having
jurisdiction. Existing alarm systems shall be maintained in accordance
with current National Fire Protection Association Standard 72.
D.
Bid specifications
will outline response time for service, programming, maintenance and
the billing parameters of alarm system.
E.
Other methods
of connection will be accepted, provided they meet the requirements
of CMR 780. The fee for this service is as set forth in Chapter 174,
Fees, and shall be adjusted annually by CPI unless said adjustment
is waived by the Public Safety Committee, along with a percentage
fee paid to an outside vendor as determined through the bidding and
negotiation process.
F.
Billing
for the monitoring service will be quarterly, billed in advance, with
proceeds deposited in the Fire Department fire alarm revolving account.
The firm selected to do the billing will invoice all nonmunicipal
alarm users one quarter in advance. Housing Authority properties will
be billed at 50% of the current rate for monitoring. The billing firm
will invoice the City for a percent bid of actual revenue collected
on a quarterly basis.
A.
The alarm company shall collect an annual fee as set
forth in Chapter 174, Fees, with an annual adjustment equal to the
consumer price index, for all nonmunicipal accounts. The Fire Chief
shall approve this fee, review an annual report, and forward the report
to the Fire Committee.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
B.
Each nonmunicipal subscriber will be required to pay
a programming fee as set forth in Chapter 174, Fees, for all new connections
payable to the Fire Department Revolving Fund. First-time connections
will be done free of charge.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
C.
Each nonmunicipal subscriber will be required to pay
the alarm company for services rendered with respect to the municipal
alarm-receiving equipment. Such services shall be set forth in the
form of a written contract between the alarm company and each subscriber.
After recovery of the initial capital outlay for the alarm receivers,
interest and ongoing expenses, the alarm company shall return 1/2
of all fees collected to the Fire Service for deposit into a revolving
fund to be utilized to maintain and upgrade this system, fire service
safety, data and communications systems and other equipment utilized
to receive and respond to these alarm signals.
D.
Fire alarm permit and inspection fee as set forth
in Chapter 174, Fees.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
E.
Fire alarm reinspection fee as set forth in Chapter
174, Fees.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
F.
Any user of an alarm system which transmits a false alarm in excess of three in a twelve-month period shall be assessed a fine in accordance with Chapter 40, Enforcement.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
G.
All false alarm fees assessed under this section shall
be paid to the City Collector pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D,
as the same may be amended from time to time, and deposited into the
Fire Department Revolving Account.
H.
Upon failure of the user to pay two consecutive fees
assessed hereunder within 60 days of assessment, the Fire Chief may
pursue court action pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D, as the
same may be amended from time to time.
I.
All fees collected for smoke detector or fire alarm
permits and inspection services shall be paid to the Fire Department
Revolving Account.
A.
Every municipal fire alarm system user shall submit
to the Fire Prevention Officer the names and telephone numbers of
at least two other persons who can be reached at any time, day or
night, and who are authorized to respond to an emergency signal transmitted
by an alarm system and who can open the premises wherein the alarm
system is installed. In addition, said user shall provide current
information relative to hazardous operations and access keys.
B.
All alarm users of emergency medical or nonresidential
fire alarm systems shall equip the alarmed premises with an approved
Fire Department key box of sufficient size to hold all pertinent data
and provide the Fire Department access to the facility in compliance
with state law. All Fire Department key boxes are to have a red locator
strobe light centered over them and shall contain a complete set of
access keys and a typewritten laminated list of emergency contacts.
In the event that the facility has a contingency plan, a copy of this
plan shall be stored on site in a Fire Department key box approved
by the Fire Prevention Officer.
C.
A graphic representation of the structure in conformance
with the following requirements shall be fabricated as approved by
the Fire Chief and permanently mounted next to both the annunciator
panel and the FACP. All graphics are to utilize the following graphic
color-coding system as follows:
D.
All graphics shall indicate the location of the fire
alarm annunciator panel, the fire alarm control panel, the sprinkler
riser, and the Fire Department connection. In addition, the wording
"You are here" in one-fourth-inch lettering with an arrow pointing
to the annunciator location shall be required.
E.
All graphic representations shall be framed or mounted
behind a secured piece of clear, fire-retardant polycarbonate or Lexan.
A.
Prior to the initiation of any fire alarm system installation
or alteration, the firm contracted by the alarm user shall apply to
the Fire Chief for a fire alarm permit (527 CMR 10.03(15), an electrical
permit (527 CMR 12) from the Electrical Inspector, and a building
permit (780 CMR) from the Building Commissioner. At the time of fire
alarm permit application, the contracted company will submit fire
alarm prints that are drawn to scale and utilize current design and
engineering standards. The Fire Chief or his designee shall have 30
days to review, comment on, issue a fire alarm permit or reject the
plans. All plans submitted must include the specifications of all
devices that the contracted firm proposes to install. If the Fire
Chief or his designee rejects these plans, he must reference in writing
the basis of the rejection.
B.
At the completion of the fire alarm system installation,
the fire alarm contractor shall obtain a final electrical inspection
by the Inspector of Wires, perform a one-hundred-percent test as outlined
by NFPA 72 of all initiating and control devices. At the completion
of this testing process, the fire alarm contractor shall furnish the
Fire Chief or his designee with a letter of one-hundred-percent testing
and request a final inspection for system approval. The first inspection
will be provided, as part of the fire alarm permit fee, and each reinspection
will be performed at an additional fee per inspection.
A.
When emergency messages are received by the Public
Safety Communications Center that are a result of a false alarm, the
Fire Chief shall order the immediate maintenance pursuant to 527 CMR,
in such a manner as to reduce the occurrence of false alarms.
B.
After the Fire Services have recorded three separate
false alarms within any twelve-month period from an alarm system,
the Fire Chief shall notify the alarm user by certified mail of such
fact and require said user to submit within 15 days after receipt
of such notice certification indicating that the problem has been
identified and corrected.
C.
In the event that the Fire Chief records four or more
false alarms in any twelve-month period related to fire alarm system
failure. The Fire Chief may order the replacement of the system or
component, as necessary to prevent the occurrence of false alarms.
A.
Whoever shall violate, or cause or permit any person in their employ to violate any provision of this article shall be punished by a fine as set forth in Chapter 40, Enforcement.
[Amended 2-1-2007]
B.
Each day during which the said violation continues
shall constitute a separate offense.
C.
The Fire Chief shall cause any person violating this
article to receive a notice as required by MGL c. 40, § 21D,
as the same may be amended from time to time.
D.
All fines assessed under this section shall be paid
to the City Collector pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D, as the
same may be amended from time to time and deposited into the Fire
Department Revolving Account.
E.
Upon failure of the user to pay two consecutive fines
assessed hereunder within 60 days of assessment, the Fire Chief may
pursue court action pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D, as the
same may be amended from time to time.
