[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Washington 5-8-1984 by Ord. No. 4-84. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish regulations concerning
the registering, operation and maintenance of certain alarm systems
within the Borough of Washington and to provide penalties for violations
of any of the provisions set forth herein. The terms of this chapter
shall in no way prohibit alarm companies from providing services by
private source to customers, both within and outside the municipality,
so long as the alarm panel or telephone numbers of the Police Department
are not utilized.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
Any type of alarm-actuating equipment which provides warning
of intrusion, fire, smoke, burglary, flood, health emergency, temperature
fluctuation or like perils, including dial alarms (devices using normal
telephone lines transmitting notification by telephone directly to
the police headquarters) and direct alarms (devices using telephone
lines terminating in an alarm panel located in police headquarters).
That component installed in the console in the Police Department
headquarters containing alarm indicators.
Any one or more alarm devices with apparatus, including wiring,
sensing devices and audible alarms installed for the expressed purpose
of giving visual and/or audible warning of an emergency, such as but
not limited to a burglary, intrusion, fire, smoke, flood, sudden change
in temperature, medical emergency or like peril.
A device that emits an audible signal.
An alarm signal necessitating response by the Borough Police
Department, Fire Department or Emergency Squad where an emergency
situation does not exist.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, association
or other legal entity.
A.
All alarm systems and devices shall be maintained by the owners or
users thereof in good repair and operated in a responsible manner.
When evidence exists that there has been a failure by such owners
or users to properly maintain alarm systems or devices or operate
same in a proper manner, the Police Chief is authorized to demand
that such devices be disconnected until such time as appropriate repairs
and/or modifications are made and satisfactory assurances are provided
that the system will be operated in a responsible manner.
B.
All alarm systems equipped with external audible alarms shall be
equipped with a timing device that will automatically silence the
external alarm within 10 minutes after it is activated.
C.
All alarm systems with an external audible alarm or which are connected
directly to the Borough alarm panel or an alarm dialing device indirectly
connected to the Police Department shall be equipped with an auxiliary
or backup electrical power source designed to prevent the alarm system
from being activated by a temporary power interruption or outage unless
satisfactory evidence is presented that indicates an alarm would not
be activated by a temporary power interruption or outage.
D.
Persons having an alarm device which is being tested or repaired
shall notify the Police Department before tests or repairs commence
and after completion of same so as to avoid the possibility of activating
a false alarm.
E.
Sensory mechanisms on alarm systems shall be adjusted so as to suppress
false indications and not be activated by impulses due to, among other
things, pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind,
outside noise, rattling or vibrations of doors or windows or other
forces unrelated to a general alarm condition.
F.
All dial alarms shall be coded to dial a special number at the Washington
Borough Police Department which shall be made available to registered
owners of alarm devices. No dial alarm shall dial a telephone number
other than the number designated for dial alarms as specified by the
Police Chief.
G.
The contents of any message from a dial alarm must be intelligible
and in a format approved by the Police Chief. No message shall be
transmitted more than twice as a result of a single stimulus of the
mechanism.
H.
All dial alarms must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission
and must be capable of being disconnected by the owner or user or
his designees in order to permit calls to the Police Department in
the event of a false alarm.
I.
The cost of installation and maintenance of any alarm system to the
Borough's alarm panel shall be borne by the applicant.
J.
No dial alarm shall be allowed to connect to the Police Department
special telephone number if it has the capability of seizing the line
to prevent outgoing or incoming calls once the alarm message has been
transmitted.
A.
Every person desiring to connect an alarm device to the alarm panel
shall be required to register said alarm device with the Police Department.
Dial alarms are required to be registered with the Police Department
if said alarm device will be used to notify the Police Department
of an alarm condition via the telephone lines. All alarm systems with
an exterior alarm, with the exception of automatic car alarms, are
required to be registered with the Police Department.
B.
The Police Department shall retain and maintain registration applications
which, at a minimum, shall require the name, address and telephone
number of the alarm device owner and/or user and the name, address
and telephone numbers of three persons who can be contacted to respond
if an alarm situation exists in order to secure the premises and reset
or deactivate the alarm system if necessary.
C.
No person shall maintain or operate any alarm system required to
be registered with the Police Department except in conformance with
this chapter.
D.
All registration applications must be accompanied by or have contained
herein an agreement to indemnify and hold the Borough of Washington
harmless on account of any acts or omissions relating to the operations
of the annunciator control panel and the connections of the permittee's
alarm device thereto and a consent to inspect, during normal working
hours, after reasonable notice, the premises where the alarm system
is located. The applicant shall also agree to notify the Borough Police
Department if there is any change in the information supplied in the
registration application. No charge shall be assessed for amending
a filed application. Failure to file an amended application may result
in the alarm system being disconnected and/or the owner and or user
being subject to the penalties hereinafter provided in this chapter.
The application shall contain a statement that the owner of a dial
alarm shall not disclose the special Police Department telephone number,
and any violation of this condition will constitute a violation of
this chapter and subject the violator to the penalty section contained
hereinafter in this chapter. All dial alarm applications must contain
proof of compliance with Federal Communications Commission standards.
[Amended 11-17-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
The owner or user of an alarm system required to register the
system with the Borough Police Department shall pay a one-time fee
of $50. The owner or user of a dial alarm shall be required to pay
a fifteen-dollar fee annually. Owners or users with alarm systems
connected to the alarm panel shall be required to pay a thirty-five-dollar
fee annually.
Any person owning an alarm system not in compliance with this
chapter at the time of adoption of this chapter shall, within 90 days,
make any and all necessary modifications to the system in order to
bring the system into full compliance with the provisions of this
chapter. Failure to bring existing alarm systems into compliance may
result in disconnection from the alarm panel or subject the owner
or user to the penalties contained hereinafter, or both.
The Washington Borough Police Department shall make provisions
for an alarm panel to be located within the dispatcher area. The contract
for installing and maintaining said alarm panel may be awarded from
time to time by the Borough Council. The contractor selected must
maintain the panel in good working order. The contractor shall assume
all liability and shall indemnify and save the Borough of Washington,
its officers, agents and employees, harmless for or on account of
any acts or omissions directly or indirectly related to the installation,
operation or maintenance of the alarm panel. All equipment installed
shall be approved by the Borough, and the contractor shall bear any
and all costs of installation and maintenance. In the event the contractor
fails to provide adequate service, the Borough may terminate the contract
at any time, provided that 30 days' notice is given to the contractor.
A.
Investigations. In the case of a false alarm which summons the Police
or Fire Department to investigate, the Police Chief shall cause an
investigation to be made for the purposes of ascertaining the cause
of the false alarm. A record shall be kept of each false alarm.
A.
Any individual who intentionally, willfully or maliciously destroys
or damages any alarm system or components thereof; or intentionally,
willfully or maliciously interferes with the operation of any alarm
system; or intentionally, willfully or maliciously causes or assists
in causing a false alarm shall, upon conviction thereof, be imprisoned
in the county jail for a term not to exceed 90 days or shall be subject
to a fine of not more than $1,000, or both. Each incident shall be
considered a separate violation.
B.
Any person convicted of violating this chapter shall, in addition
to the removal of the alarm from the Borough's alarm panel, be
subject to a fine of not more than $500.