[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
The purpose of this Chapter 17 is to:
a.
Create standards, procedures and controls for all types of intrusion,
burglar, fire and other emergency alarm devices (as defined hereinbelow),
which are designed to summon assistance from the police department,
fire department, or any other municipal emergency department, agency,
service, or official;
b.
Reduce the increasing number of false alarms generated within the
township, directly or indirectly, reported to and responded to by
employees, agents or officers of the township, or by any volunteer
emergency services of the township.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings
indicated:
Shall mean any signal or message received by, or made known
to, the emergency services (as defined hereinbelow), and to which
they respond, when such signal or message was directly or indirectly
brought about or produced by an alarm device or temporary/short term
alarm.
Shall mean a member of the Bedminster Township Police Department
responsible for implementing the provisions of this chapter with full
authority and discretion to enforce this chapter. He/she shall prepare
all documents and establish all rules and regulations as is necessary
to ensure efficient record keeping and management of the provisions
hereof. He/she shall have the power to issue summons in accordance
with this chapter.
Shall mean any person who is employed by any business, firm,
corporation or other commercial entity for the business of owning,
operating, maintaining, installing, leasing, or selling alarm devices
whose duties include any of the following: selling, maintaining, leasing,
servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, moving or installing in
or on any building, place or premises any alarm device with the township.
Shall mean any licensed business, firm, corporation, or other
commercial entity which is in the business of owning or operating,
maintaining, installing, leasing, or selling alarm devices or a system
of alarm devices, which business, firm, corporation or other commercial
entity is an owner, operator, provider of maintenance service, installer
or lessor or seller of said alarm devices or a system of alarm devices.
Shall mean any device or mechanism used or designed for detection
and warning of unauthorized entry or actions, fire, smoke, carbon
monoxide, flood, or other perils, including local alarms and automobile
alarms, but specifically excluding temporary/short term alarms (as
defined hereinbelow).
Shall mean agencies, both paid and volunteer, that respond
to an emergency or call for service due to an alarm, which shall include,
without limitation, the Bedminster Police Department and its Auxiliary
Police Force, the Far Hills-Bedminster Volunteer Fire Department,
the Pottersville Volunteer Fire Department, the Far Hills-Bedminster
First Aid Squad, any neighboring emergency service entity responding
on behalf of any township emergency service, and any agency providing
service for the benefit of any township emergency service.
Shall mean any alarm activation which was not the result
of criminal activity or other emergency.
Shall mean any alarm device, which, when activated, does
not produce an audible/visible signal beyond the boundaries of the
premises, designed to notify persons within audible or visible range
of the signal that a criminal act or other emergency is occurring
or has occurred.
Shall mean alarms that assist persons who are elderly, recovering
from surgery or in assisted living situations, which are monitored
by non-profit organizations, medical facilities, or other similar
organization.
Except as otherwise provided herein, it shall be unlawful for
any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company,
or any other entity to operate or maintain an alarm device, not including
local alarms, without annually registering the alarm device with the
township.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Any individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability
company, or other entity that owns, operates, or maintains an alarm
device shall register same with the alarm administrator by completing
the required registration forms. The registration forms shall indicate:
a.
The name, address and telephone number of the owner and user of the
alarm device.
b.
The location of the alarm device(s) within the building.
c.
The name and address of the installer of the alarm device.
d.
The name and phone number of the alarm company.
e.
The alarm owner's account numbers.
f.
The phone number of the central alarm station.
g.
The specific type of alarm device.
h.
A list of two names, addresses and telephone numbers of persons to
be contacted in the event of an alarm, other than the a44pplicant,
who have sufficient knowledge of the alarm system.
i.
State license and certificate by alarm system installer or engineer
(for initial installations).
j.
Any other information deemed necessary by the alarm administrator.
|
All information shall be held in strict confidence, and shall
not be subject to the New Jersey State Open Public Records Act ("OPRA"),
N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1, et seq.
|
[Ord. #5-17, S 2; Ord. #2010-017, S 2]
Registrations must be filed by no later than 60 days after the
adoption of this chapter for all existing or new alarm installations
and shall be accompanied by a yearly fee of $20 per alarm system payable
to the township, including new installations and changes of ownership.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Each registration shall expire on January 31st of each year.
A renewal application shall be filed with the alarm administrator
by no later than January 31st of each year.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
The registration fee shall be waived for any township, county,
state or federal government agency, but all other provisions of this
chapter shall apply.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Registration fees for any alarm registered after the 31st of
January shall not be pro-rated. There is no reimbursement for alarms
that are removed, cancelled or terminated prior to the end of the
registration year.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Upon registration hereunder, a decal will be issued, which exhibits
a registration number and year of registration, whereby the property
owner is to display on the front door or primary entrance, or closest
visible location thereto, so that it is visible to emergency services
upon arrival to the premises.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Upon registration hereunder, the registrant hereby agrees to
hold harmless the township and its departments, agencies and officials
from any liability or damages suffered as a result of or arising out
of improper or faulty installation, operation or maintenance of any
alarm device of the registrant. No action taken by the township, or
its emergency services, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter
shall create any liability upon the township, emergency services,
or any other township department, agency or official by reason of
any failure of any alarm device or any failure to respond to any emergency
or any act or omission or commission in connection with any alarm
device.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
The property owner shall provide his or her alarm company/central
station and the alarm administrator with written notice of any change
in the information provided in the registration application within
10 business days of the change.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Any building, commercial or residential, in which an alarm device
is installed, shall display the assigned 911 system number (official
street address number or name), in such a manner that the number/name
is easily visible from the road.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
No alarm device shall be registered, unless the alarm device
conforms to the standards set forth in this chapter and all state
standards.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
This Section 17-3 shall not apply to automobile alarms, temporary/short term alarms, or local alarms; but all other sections of this chapter shall apply to same.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
All alarm agents and alarm businesses presently conducting or
intending to conduct business within the township shall register with
the alarm administrator prior to conducting business. The alarm administrator
shall provide the alarm agent or alarm business with the requisite
registration application forms, which shall require the following
information:
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
For false alarms within any 12 month period, the following penalties/summons
will apply:
a.
For the first false alarm, a written notice from the alarm administrator
confirming the false alarm shall be issued.
b.
For the second false alarm, a written notice from the alarm administrator
confirming the false alarm shall be issued.
c.
For the third false alarm, a fine not to exceed $50 shall be imposed.
d.
For the fourth false alarm, a fine not to exceed $200 shall be imposed.
e.
For the fifth false alarm, a fine not to exceed $250 shall be imposed.
f.
For any false alarm in excess of five, the registered owner of the
alarm device, or their designated representative, shall be issued
a summons, be required to make a court appearance, and be subject
to a fine of not less than $500 and not to exceed $1,250, or such
other relief the court may deem appropriate.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Fines under this Section may be joint and several against all
persons owning an alarm device and any alarm company or occupant of
a premises in which an alarm device is installed.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
The alarm administrator shall cause to be investigated each
false alarm and shall maintain records of each such event.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
All summonses are answerable to the Bedminster Township Municipal
Court.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Any violations of any section of this chapter for which there
is no prescribed penalty shall result in one or more of the following
at the discretion of the Judge of the Municipal Court of the Township
of Bedminster: a fine not to exceed $1,250, imprisonment for a period
not to exceed 90 days, or community service not to exceed 90 days.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
All alarm devices shall be installed and maintained in accordance
with all applicable municipal and governmental laws, ordinances and
requirements.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Upon notification by emergency services that an alarm device
was activated, the owner or designated representative of the premises
from which the alarm was received shall promptly report to the alarm
device location, if so requested. Noncompliance with this provision
may result in notification by the township to the premises owner of
discontinuance of response to future alarms from the subject premises.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
For any audible sounding alarm device that continuously or constantly
sounds, disturbing the quality of life for neighbors, and there is
no key holder available or other means to disconnect the audible system,
the police department may authorize an alarm device vendor, locksmith
and any other appropriate contractor to disconnect the audible alarm
device. Any and all expenses incurred shall be the responsibility
of the alarm device owner. Should it be impossible to disconnect the
alarm device, a reduced response to the sounding alarm by the appropriate
emergency service will be performed without liability to the township
or the township's emergency service.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
If emergency service responds to an alarm or any emergency call
and has reasonable belief that someone inside the building or on the
property is in need of emergency services, forced entry is permitted.
The property/alarm owner will be responsible for the damages caused
during entry, if any.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
No emergency service personnel shall be responsible for setting
and/or resetting of any alarm device.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
It is understood that this chapter does not supersedes or preclude
any penalties, rule or regulations promulgated by the State Fire Code,
N.J.A.C. 5:70-1, et seq. and the Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C.
5:23-1, et seq., and should this section be found to conflict with
the State Fire Code or the Uniform Construction Code, the State Fire
Code and/or Uniform Construction Code will take precedence.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
If the alarm administrator has reason to know that a registered
alarm device is not working properly, the alarm administrator shall
notify the township fire official that such alarm is not working properly.
[Ord. #05-17, S 2]
Alarm devices that use or are connection to an automatic phone
number dialing device to deliver recorded messages concerning emergency
or other conditions directly to township owned or emergency services'
phone number, not administered through an alarm business and/or alarm
agent, including, but not limited to any Bedminster Township Police
Department phone number, are prohibited.
