[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village
of Wesley Hills 7-14-1992 by L.L. No. 3-1992. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
This chapter shall be known as the "Automated Alarm Systems
Law of the Village of Wesley Hills."
The Police Department of the Town of Ramapo has reported to
the Board of Trustees of the Village of Wesley Hills extraordinary
numbers of false alarms emanating from automated alarm systems. These
false alarms unnecessarily require that our Police and Volunteer Fire
Departments respond in an emergency fashion to signals which should
not have been created in the first place, depriving the citizens of
this Village from the sorely needed services of our emergency forces,
and expose the police and firemen to unnecessary hazards and risks.
Therefore, it is the intent of this chapter to reduce the occurrence
of false alarms and provide a procedure whereby those responsible
for the creation of these false alarms shall be dealt with in an appropriate
fashion. It is not the intent to discourage the use of automated equipment,
but rather to encourage the use of automated equipment that fulfills
the function it is intended to perform.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall
have the following meanings:
A mechanical, electrical, or electronic device which, when
activated, will transmit a signal which is intended to create a response
from either a Fire Department or Police Department or other emergency
service, whether or not the signal generated be audible, visible or
electronic, and whether such signal be automatic or otherwise.
Any person, firm, corporation or business entity which has
installed and/or receives compensation for service or maintenance
of a burglar or fire alarm device from a resident upon whose property
the device has been installed.
Any person, firm, corporation or business entity upon whose
premises an alarm device is installed or operating.
The Code Inspector of the Village of Wesley Hills.
A signal transmitted to either a Fire or Police Department
or a central alarm station, or an outside audible signal, indicating
that a fire or criminal act or emergency is occurring, when in fact
neither a criminal act nor fire nor emergency is occurring.
The Police Department of the Town of Ramapo.
Any building, dwelling, or residence on which an alarm device
has been installed.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any alarm installer to install an alarm
device or system of alarm devices, or for an alarm user to own, have
or maintain the same on a premises, without registering the same with
the Police Department within 10 days after the installation of said
alarm devices. Said registration shall provide the following information:
(1)
Name, home address and telephone number of the owner(s);
(2)
Business address and telephone numbers of the owner(s);
(3)
Name, address and telephone number of any person living within the
Town of Ramapo who shall be deemed to be a caretaker, handyman or
person watching the premises for the owner, if there be any such person;
(4)
Name, address and telephone number of the company which owns, leases,
rents, installs and/or maintains the automatic fire alarm systems.
B.
Each person submitting registration information shall received an
alarm device system registration permit which must be prominently
displayed on the premises where the alarm device system is located.
C.
All existing alarm users must register their alarm device or system
of alarm devices within 90 days of the effective date of this chapter.
Any alarm installer who contracts to install an alarm device
or system of alarm devices must be licensed to perform home improvement
work pursuant to a license issued by the Rockland County Office of
Consumer Protection.
It shall be unlawful for any alarm user or alarm installer to
permit or allow an alarm device to signal a false alarm, whether intentionally
or unintentionally, or whether due to malfunction or otherwise.
If an alarm device activates an outside audible signal, such
outside audible signal cannot be broadcast for more than 15 minutes
after initial activation.
This chapter shall be enforced by the Code Inspector and the
Police Department, each of which shall have the power, right and authority
to issue an appearance ticket, as the same is defined in Article 150
of the Criminal Procedure Law of the State of New York, for the violation
of any provision of this chapter.