[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees
of the Village of Southampton 3-10-1972 by L.L. No. 1-1972. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish
standards and controls for the various types of fire, intrusion, holdup
and other emergency signals from fire and police alarm devices that
require Fire Department or police response, investigation or safeguarding
of property at the location of an event reported by a signal which
is transmitted by telephone or radio or which is otherwise relayed
to the Police or Fire Department by an alarm device requiring investigation
or other action by any person acting in response to a signal actuated
by an alarm device, including such devices already in use within the
village.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
Any fire or police alarm device or aggregation of fire or
police alarm devices installed on or within a single building or on
or within more than one building or area adjacently located on a common
site, at a specific location.[1]
Any facility operated by a private firm that owns or leases
a system of fire or police alarm devices, which facility is manned
by operators who receive, record or validate alarm signals and relay
information about such validated signals to the Police or Fire Department
when appropriate.
Any fire or police alarm device which is a telephone device
or telephone attachment that automatically or electronically selects
a telephone line connected to a central alarm station or police headquarters
and reproduces a prerecorded message to report a criminal act or other
emergency requiring Police or Fire Department response.
Any fire or police alarm device connected directly, by leased
telephone wires, from a specific location to police headquarters.
Any fire or police alarm device designed to be actuated by
a fire, criminal act or other emergency at a specific location or
by a victim of a holdup, robbery or other emergency or criminal act
at a specific location.
Any signal actuated by an emergency alarm to which the Police
or Fire Department responds, which is not the result of a fire, holdup,
robbery or other crime or emergency.
Any device which, when actuated by a fire, criminal act or
other emergency requiring Police or Fire Department response, transmits
a prerecorded message or other signal by telephone, radio or other
means to a central alarm station or directly to the Police or Fire
Department or produces an audible or visible signal designed to notify
persons within audible or visible alarm range of the signal.
Any entry into an area or building equipped with one or more
police alarm devices by any person or object whose entry actuates
a police alarm device.
The Village Police Department with respect to police alarm
devices and the Village Fire Marshal with respect to fire alarm devices.
[Amended 5-10-2007 by L.L. No. 4-2007]
Police headquarters and other enclosures housing privately
or publicly owned equipment serving the Police or Fire Department.
[1]
Editor's Note: The definitions of "alarm agent,"
which immediately preceded this definition, and "business licensee,"
which immediately followed this definition, were repealed 8-12-1994
by L.L. No. 5-1994.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
A.Â
The licensing authority is hereby authorized to grant
a revocable permit to any owner of property located within the Village
of Southampton, or the lessee thereof, to operate, maintain, install
and modify a fire or police alarm device.
B.Â
All presently existing fire or police alarm devices
and systems of fire or police alarm devices and present owners and
lessees of premises having such devices or systems must comply with
all provisions of this chapter by May 1, 1972.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
Applications for permits shall be made as follows:
A.Â
Owner or lessee permits. Any property owner or lessee
of property in the Village of Southampton having on his or its premises
a fire or police alarm device or system of fire or police alarm devices
shall apply to the licensing authority, on a form to be supplied by
the licensing authority, for a permit to own or otherwise have such
a device on his or its premises. The application shall contain provisions
relating to the device or system of devices installed or to be installed
on the premises. Application for permits for fire or police alarm
devices existing in premises on the effective date of this chapter
must be made to the licensing authority by May 1, 1972. No such device
may be installed on the premises of the owner or lessee after the
effective date of this chapter prior to the licensing authority's
having issued a permit to such owner or lessee, and no presently existing
fire or police alarm device shall be modified after the effective
date of this chapter prior to the licensing authority's having issued
a permit to such owner or lessee. Such permit need not be obtained
on an annual basis but shall be obtained each time a device or system
is to be installed or modified.
[Amended 4-10-1992 by L.L. No. 4-1992; 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
The Board of Trustees may establish a permit
fee for owner or lessee permits by resolution. If a permit fee is
established, such fee may be amended from time to time by resolution
of such Board.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
A.Â
Any applicant whose application for a permit has been
denied by the licensing authority may appeal such denial, in writing,
to the Board of Trustees within 30 days after the date of denial and
may appear before such Board at a time and place to be determined
by such Board in support of such appeal. The decision of such Board
shall be final.
B.Â
The Board of Trustees, after a hearing at which the
holder of a permit shall be given an opportunity to be heard, may
revoke a permit for violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
Written notice of the time and place of any such hearing shall be
given to such holder, which notice shall include or be accompanied
by a statement reciting the ground or grounds for revocation to be
considered at such hearing.
C.Â
If a permit is revoked by the Board of Trustees, operation
and maintenance of the alarm installation at such premises shall thereafter
constitute a violation of this chapter.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
A.Â
It shall be the duty of every owner of property having
an alarm installation on such premises to maintain such alarm installation
in good working order and condition. Such owner shall be responsible
for all malfunctions of such alarm installation.
B.Â
It shall be the duty of every business or commercial
entity installing and/or maintaining an alarm installation in the
Village of Southampton to keep complete and accurate records with
respect to installation and/or maintenance of such alarm installations.
C.Â
It shall be the duty of every business or commercial
entity installing security or fire alarm systems to obtain and maintain
in effect a license therefor from the Secretary of State of the State
of New York.
D.Â
It shall be the duty of every business or commercial
entity installing and/or maintaining an alarm installation in the
Village of Southampton to comply with rules, regulations and standards
promulgated pursuant to this chapter regarding the quality, efficiency
and effectiveness of alarm installations.
A.Â
Limitation. No fire or police alarm device shall be
connected to or use any telephone line connected to police headquarters
except those lines authorized by the licensing authority. The owner
of any such fire or police alarm device which is connected either
directly or indirectly to police headquarters by a telephone line
which has not been authorized for use for such purpose as aforesaid
on and after May 1, 1972, shall be in violation of this chapter and
be subject to the penalty provisions hereof.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
B.Â
Intentional false alarm. It shall be a violation of
this chapter to intentionally cause a false holdup alarm, and any
person who does intentionally cause a false holdup alarm shall be
subject to the penalty provisions hereof.
C.Â
False emergency alarm charges.
[Amended 1-21-1983 by L.L. No. 3-1983]
(1)Â
Any owner of property having an alarm installation
on such premises and any lessee of such premises or other user of
such alarm installation shall pay to the village a charge for each
and every false emergency alarm to which the Police or Fire Department
responds, as follows:
[Last amended 10-9-2008 by L.L. No. 10-2008]
(2)Â
The above charges shall be paid to the Village Treasurer.
Failure to pay any such charges shall subject such owner, lessee or
user to the penalty provisions of this chapter. The village is also
authorized to collect any such charges by civil action.
(3)Â
Failure to pay any such charge shall constitute a
ground for revocation of the permit for the alarm installation on
such premises.
[Added 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
D.Â
Installation and maintenance. The installation and
maintenance of fire or police alarm devices permitted by this chapter,
including the connection to police headquarters, shall be made at
no cost to the village. The owner or lessee shall be responsible for
the maintenance and service of his or its fire or police alarm device
equipment and shall be responsible for all malfunctions of his or
its equipment.
E.Â
Change of location. If the location of police headquarters
should be changed at any time, the village shall not be responsible
for any expense incurred by the owner or lessee or business or commercial
entity for moving alarm systems or reconnecting such systems to the
relocated police headquarters.
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
F.Â
Removal of unlawful equipment. In addition to any
other remedy provided by law, the licensing authority, whenever it
shall have knowledge of the use of any fire or police alarm device,
cabinet or attachment or telephone terminal which is not operated
or maintained in accordance with the provisions of this chapter or
which is contrary to regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter,
after notice and hearing by the licensing authority, may order the
removal of the same from police headquarters, and it shall be unlawful
to disobey such order.
G.Â
Rules, regulations and enforcement. The licensing
authority shall promulgate reasonable rules, regulations and standards,
which shall be approved by the Board of Trustees, that may reasonably
be necessary for the purpose of assuring the quality, efficiency and
effectiveness of fire or police alarm devices and alarm installations
owned, operated, maintained, installed, leased or regulated under
this chapter and to facilitate the administration of this chapter.
The licensing authority shall administer and enforce the provisions
of this chapter. The aforesaid rules, regulations and standards shall
be set forth in writing, and copies shall be available for applicants.[1]
[Amended 8-12-1994 by L.L. No. 5-1994]
A.Â
Central alarm station systems. The licensing authority
is hereby authorized to prescribe the location and the manner of installation
of private or regular business telephone lines into police headquarters
from a central alarm station for the express purpose of providing
direct telephone communication between a central alarm station and
police headquarters for use in reporting holdup alarms.
B.Â
Direct alarm systems. The licensing authority is hereby
authorized to prescribe the location and the manner of installation
of all cabinets, accessories, connections and equipment of an approved
direct alarm system within police headquarters for the purpose of
providing a direct alarm system where the visible and audible signals
therefrom may be readily seen and heard by police or fire personnel.
C.Â
Exceptions. None of the provisions of this chapter
shall apply to a fire or police alarm device or devices installed
in a motor vehicle or trailer.
[Amended 1-29-1982 by L.L. No. 1-1982; 7-11-2002 by L.L. No. 1-2002; 8-13-2020 by L.L. No. 7-2020]