[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of Haverford 4-13-2015 by Ord. No. 2748.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Administration of government — See Ch. 4, Part 4, Article XII, Departmental Organization, Department of Police.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 86.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch.
45, Alarm Systems, which comprised Art. I, Connection of Systems to
Police Department, adopted 2-14-1972 by Ord. No. 1456, as amended;
Art. II, Required Fire Alarm and Sprinkler Systems, adopted 3-11-1974
by Ord. No. 1548, as amended.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any device which emits a warning designed to attract attention
to a fire, smoke, harmful gas, criminal act or other emergency requiring
the police to respond.
A series of automatic devices located in certain buildings
which cause alarm devices to activate when such automatic device detects
an abnormal buildup of heat or detects visible or invisible products
of combustion. Such alarm devices will indicate that evacuation of
the building is required and response of the Fire Department is necessary.
A series of pipes containing water or, in certain areas or
cases, containing compressed air and equipped with automatic devices
that will discharge water directly on a fire when an abnormal or predetermined
amount of heat is present.
An organization designed to receive and record fire alarm
signals from certain buildings, 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
to notify the proper emergency responders.
Any signal to which the police respond which is not the result
of a burglary, fire, robbery or similar emergency.
A series of fire alarm stations located in certain buildings
that, when activated manually, will cause a series of alarm devices
in said building to activate, indicating that evacuation of the building
is required and response of the Fire Department is necessary.
An individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation,
company or organization of any kind.
It shall be required that any property owner or lessee of a
property that installs an automatic or manual alarm system first register
such system with the Township Department of Code Enforcement before
putting the system into operation. The alarm user registering as required
in this section shall complete the registration form provided by the
Township, which shall include the alarm user's name, the address
of the property where the alarm system has or will be installed and
at least two other persons who can be reached at any time and who
are authorized to respond to an alarm and who can open the premises
in which the alarm is installed. The alarm user shall inform the Township
of any change in the information required by this section as soon
as practicable.
False alarms endanger the public safety by committing emergency
vehicles, personnel and other resources to investigate a nonemergent
matter. The activation of any automatic fire alarm system, automatic
sprinkler system or manual fire alarm system where the emergency responder
determines that such alarm is unwarranted is hereby declared a public
nuisance.
A.
It shall be a violation of this chapter to cause a false alarm.
B.
The provisions of this chapter pertaining to false alarms shall extend
to local audible alarms as well as a device connected to a central
station monitoring agency as defined.
C.
Audible alarms must be equipped with a timing mechanism which disengages
the audible alarm after 15 minutes.
D.
The police officer responding to an alarm which he determines to
be false shall promptly issue a false alarm violation notice to the
person in whose name the alarm device is registered.
E.
A fee fixed by resolution of the Board of Commissioners and amended
from time to time shall be charged against any person in whose name
an alarm installation is registered for a false alarm.
Any person, firm, corporation or business that shall knowingly
cause a false alarm shall be subject to a fine in accordance with
the penalty provisions of this chapter.
Any person, firm, business or corporation who fails to pay a
false alarm fee referenced in this chapter within 10 days of receipt
of written notice thereof shall be subject to the penalty in accordance
with the penalty provisions of this chapter. Notice shall be sent
by certified mail to the owner, occupant or other agent responsible
for the alarm system within 15 days of the false alarm incident.
All manual fire alarm systems, automatic fire alarm systems
and/or automatic sprinkler systems shall be maintained in good operating
condition at all times. The Department of Codes Enforcement shall
inspect any installed alarm and/or sprinkler system in any building
subject to a periodic fire inspection in order to determine that the
system is reliable and is not subject to false alarms because of its
lack of quality or maintenance.
In the event the Codes Enforcement Officer finds the system
to be substandard, he shall notify the owner(s) in writing of such
system that it must be immediately repaired to prevent false alarms
or failure. The failure of the owner to take corrective action ordered
by the Codes Enforcement Officer within the period of time prescribed
in the written notice will subject the owner to the penalty provisions
of this chapter.
Any person, firm, or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this chapter, upon conviction thereof, in an action brought before
a magisterial district judge in the manner provided for the enforcement
of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs
and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment
not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this chapter continues
or each section of this chapter that shall have been found to have
been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
