[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Newfield 7-14-1987 by Ord. No. 87-3 (Ch. 73 of the 1991 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 102.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 130.
This chapter shall be known as the "Alarm Ordinance."
A. 
The purpose of this chapter is to protect the emergency services of the community from misuse.
B. 
This chapter governs all alarm systems, requires permits, establishes fees, provides for punishment of violations and establishes a system of administration.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM BUSINESS
The business by any individual, partnership, corporation or other entity of selling, leasing, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing any alarm system or causing to be sold, leased, maintained, serviced, repaired, altered, moved or installed any alarm system in or on any building, structure or facility.
ALARM SYSTEM
An assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, arranged to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity requiring urgent attention and to which the police are expected to respond.
ALARM USER
The person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind in control of premises wherein an alarm system is maintained.
BOROUGH OF NEWFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT
The facility used to receive emergency information from the public.[1]
FALSE ALARM
An emergency alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional acts to which the Police or Fire Department responds, including malfunction of the alarm system. The definition excludes alarms caused by malfunctions of the indicator at the police station; malfunction, testing or repairing of telephone equipment or lines; acts of God, such as earthquakes, floods, windstorms, thunder or lightning; an attempted illegal entry of which there is visible evidence; the user acting under a sincere belief that a need exists to call the Police or Fire Department; a call to police canceling the alarm by giving the proper identification number prior to arrival of the Police or Fire Department. If a doubt exists as to the cause of a false alarm, the Chief of Police shall resolve it in favor of the alarm user. Multiple alarms received by the Borough of Newfield Police or Fire Department before the system can be deactivated within a reasonable period of time shall be considered a single alarm.[2]
[1]
Editor's Note: The former definition of "coordinator," which immediately followed this definition, was deleted at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
All alarm users shall obtain an alarm user's permit for each premises from the Chief of Police of the Borough of Newfield upon the effective date of this chapter or prior to use of an alarm system. Application for the alarm user's permit will be filed with the Chief of Police. Each permit shall bear the signature of the Chief of Police. The permit shall be physically upon the premises using the alarm system and shall be available for inspection by the Chief of Police or officers in the Borough of Newfield Police Department.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
A. 
Every alarm business selling, leasing or furnishing to any user an alarm system which is installed on premises located within the area served by the Borough of Newfield Police Department shall furnish that user with instructions that provide information to enable the user to operate the alarm system properly and to locate and obtain service for the alarm system at any time.
B. 
Every alarm business selling, leasing or furnishing to any user an alarm system which is installed on premises located within the area serviced by the Borough of Newfield Police Department shall:
(1) 
Be required that each alarm system installed be provided with standby battery power which shall automatically and immediately take over in the event of a power failure.
(2) 
Be required to provide an automatic audible alarm cutoff within 15 minutes of initial activation of any audible alarms installed to all alarm systems.
(3) 
Be required to notify the Borough of Newfield Police Department prior to conducting any tests upon any alarm system whereupon such test would cause emergency information to be received by the Borough of Newfield Police Department.
In the event that the Borough of Newfield Police Department records five false alarms within a permit year for an alarm system, the Chief of Police shall notify the alarm user in writing that seven or more false alarms within the permit year shall be deemed a violation of this chapter and shall subject the user to penalties as set forth in § 65-7, Violations and penalties.
Any alarm user or alarm business who or which shall be found to have violated any of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, and/or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days. The violation of more than one section of this chapter shall constitute separate offenses and shall be prosecuted accordingly. Any such fine or imprisonment shall be in the discretion of the local Municipal Judge before whom such alarm user is convicted.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).