[Adopted 7-21-1986 by Ord. No. 32-86 (Sec. 5-14 of the 1973 Revised General Ordinances)]
The Township Council does hereby find and declare that:
A. 
The occupants of numerous residential, commercial and industrial establishments in the Township of Old Bridge have found it desirable to make provision for the installation, upon their premises, at their own cost and expense, of alarm systems for emergencies, such as burglar, fire and like alarms.
B. 
There is a growing number of alarm companies that sell or lease such alarm systems entering into contracts with such occupants for the installation, operation and maintenance of such alarm systems and providing for the connection to the individual alarm system so installed by them to a central location or to an alarm panel installed in the Township of Old Bridge Department of Police.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
C. 
The number of private enterprises engaged in the alarm business, each with its own system and equipment, has resulted in conditions that, if not remedied, will lead to an unnecessary drain on the manpower, time, space facilities and finances of the Township of Old Bridge and its Police Department and the deterioration of the quality of service to persons subscribing to the alarm services and inequities among the alarm businesses in the Township of Old Bridge.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
The purpose of this article is to provide standards and regulations for various types of local alarms, burglar, fire and other emergency alarm devices, whether by direct line, telephone or other means, actuating devices at the Old Bridge Police Headquarters requiring a response by the Police Department or Fire Department.
The provisions of this article shall apply to any person, other than the municipality, who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon the Police or Fire Department to any location in response to any type of alarm signal. The terms of this article shall in no way prohibit alarm companies from providing services by private sources to other offices within or without the Township of Old Bridge so long as such activity is not connected to the alarm panel. Any person having premises protected by a local alarm shall be responsible for the registration thereof.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ALARM DEVICE
Any type of alarm system actuating equipment in the alarm panel or alarm register providing warning of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other peril.
ALARM PANEL
That component installed in the console of the law enforcement building containing alarm indications and designations.
ALARM SYSTEM
The installation in one or more buildings of one or more devices or local alarms for the express purpose of giving visual or audible warning, or both, of an emergency such as burglary, intrusion, fire or smoke.
CENTRAL OFFICE ALARM
Any alarm device which, when activated, transmits a signal to a remote location indicating an alarm condition. This type of alarm may or may not have a local bell, depending on its design.
COMMUNICATIONS CONSOLE
The console or control panel of devices giving visual or audio indications, or both, and general communications located within the confines of the Department of Police.[1]
DIAL ALARM
That type of device that employs an automatic dialing system precoded to connect with a special telephone in the law enforcement building rather than to the alarm panel.
DIRECT ALARM CONNECTION
Any alarm device which, when activated, transmits a signal directly to the alarm panel at police headquarters via telephone lease lines.
FALSE ALARM
The actuation of an alarm system by causes other than those to which the alarm system was designed or intended to respond. Testing of the alarm system without prior approval of the Department of Police shall be considered a "false alarm."[2]
LICENSEE
The person obtaining the license to install, operate and maintain the alarm panel at the Old Bridge Police Headquarters.
LOCAL ALARM
Any alarm device which, when activated, sounds a warning bell at the location of the alarmed premises and does not transmit any type of signal to another location.
PERMITTEE
Any person owning or leasing an alarm device of any type within the Township of Old Bridge.
PERSON
Includes any natural person, partnership, corporation or association or any other legal entity.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
A. 
There is hereby established an alarm panel licensee which will be granted a license upon the recommendation of the Township Council.
B. 
Any such licensee shall have exclusive use and control of the alarm panel which shall be installed in the communications console in the law enforcement building in accordance with the specifications, except for use by the Police Department of the Township of Old Bridge. Such licensee shall be responsible, at no cost to the Township of Old Bridge, for the furnishing, installing, operating and maintaining of said panel containing equipment and being of a design approved by the Director of Police of the Township of Old Bridge. Said licensee shall locate said panel, if necessary, under the supervision of the Director of Police at no cost to the Township of Old Bridge.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
A. 
Every person desiring to install an alarm system within the Township of Old Bridge shall make application to the Director of Police for a permit to do so. The application shall be in such form as the Director of Police shall prescribe and shall set forth all information required by the Director to enable him to effectively carry out his public safety responsibilities. As part of said application, the permittee shall provide an agreement to release the Township of Old Bridge and its officers, agents and employees from any and all liability or damages which may flow or result from any and all actions of said Township of Old Bridge and its agents, servants or employees and, further, to indemnify and save harmless the Township of Old Bridge and its officers, agents and employees for or on account of any acts or omissions directly or indirectly related to the installation, operation or maintenance of the alarm panel and alarm register and the connection of the applicant's alarm system thereto.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
B. 
Upon compliance by the applicant with all of the provisions of this section, the Director of Police shall issue to the applicant a permit for the alarm system applied for.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
C. 
The permittee shall pay to the Township of Old Bridge a processing fee of $10 with each alarm application submitted. If any person has an alarm system in existence at the time of passage of this subsection, said person shall have until December 31, 1986, to make application to the Director of Police for a permit for said alarm system without payment of the processing fee.
[Amended 9-2-1986 by Ord. No. 41-86[3]]
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
D. 
Every permittee shall, by acceptance of the permit, be deemed as having consented to the inspection of the alarm system, by appointment at reasonable hours, by the Director of Police or his designated representative and shall accept the responsibility for the proper operation of the alarm system up to and including the line connection, if any, to the Public Safety Building.[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
E. 
Any person installing or maintaining unauthorized equipment shall be prosecuted for violation of this section, and each and every day the equipment is in operation shall be considered a separate violation.
F. 
Any licensee and/or permittee for an alarm shall provide for a representative to be on call for emergency repair service. In each case wherein the alarm is connected directly to police headquarters, the service shall be provided within eight hours of notification by the Police Department of any malfunction of any equipment.
G. 
In the case of false alarms, any person having knowledge thereof shall immediately notify the Police Department. In addition, in the case of false alarms, the Director of Police shall cause an investigation to be made and keep a record of said alarms on file. For such false alarms, the following penalties shall be imposed:
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord. No. 38-92[5]]
(1) 
For three false alarms in any given calendar year, a warning may be issued.
(2) 
For the fourth and subsequent false alarms in the same calendar year, an administrative charge may be made in the amount of $50 for each such false alarm.
(3) 
Where the investigation of the Police Department discloses continued abuse of the privilege of connection to the alarm panel, the Director of Police reserves the right to order a disconnection from the alarm panel for a limited or permanent time, provided that no such permit shall be revoked or suspended without giving the permittee an opportunity to show cause before the Director of Police why such action should not be taken.
(4) 
A person shall be excused from liability for a false alarm if it can be demonstrated to the investigating officer or the court that the alarm occurred because of telephone line interference or other similar reason beyond the control of the licensee and/or permittee. Failure to make necessary repairs to an alarm system shall not be an adequate excuse for a false alarm, nor shall the negligence of employees in setting or disarming the system be considered an adequate excuse for false alarms.
[5]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
H. 
Reasons for rejection of application are a prior history of excessive false alarms and/or failure to pay fees or charges.
I. 
An alarm system within the Township of Old Bridge may be equipped with a bell in accordance with § 26-12C. Nothing in this article shall prohibit the use of a siren or horn, in compliance with § 26-12C, installed prior to the effective date of this article.
A. 
Applicants desiring to connect directly to the alarm panel at police headquarters shall be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Commercial or residential alarms may be accepted.
B. 
An additional fee for this service must be paid to the alarm panel licensee at the following rates: Connection, $70; monthly maintenance, $7; high security line connection, $125; and monthly maintenance, $7.
C. 
If this system is equipped with a local bell, it shall have a time-relay or other device which will limit the operation of said bell to not more than 15 minutes.
A. 
All alarm systems which are connected directly to a central office operated by various alarm companies or local, on-site, alarm systems shall be required to submit an approved application and payment of a processing fee of $10, made payable to the Township of Old Bridge.
B. 
All central office alarm systems, when equipped with a local bell, and all local alarm systems shall have a time-relay or other device which will limit the operation of said bell to 15 minutes or less.
C. 
If any person has a central office or local alarm system in existence at the time of passage of this article, he or she shall have 60 days from the effective date of this article to register said alarm and pay the appropriate fee.
A. 
All dialer-type alarm systems shall be required to submit an approved application and payment of a processing fee of $10, payable to the Township of Old Bridge.
B. 
Dialer alarms must be the type accepted by the Federal Communications Commission and connected in a manner approved by Federal Communications Commission regulations.
C. 
All dial alarms shall be coded to dial a specific number provided by the Department of Police. In addition, the system must be coded to notify a third party, who shall be named in the registration required by this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
D. 
All dial alarms shall be capable of being disconnected by the owner to permit a call to the police switchboard in the event that a false alarm occurs.
E. 
Owners of dial alarms shall be governed by the false alarm procedures and penalties set forth in this article.
F. 
If any person has a dial alarm system in existence at the time of passage of this article he shall have 60 days in which to reprogram his equipment to comply with the terms of this article and to register the system with the Department of Police and submit the required ten-dollar processing fee.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
G. 
If any dial alarm shall hereafter be found to be in operation without being registered, the occupant of the building or other person in whose name the telephone is listed shall be sent a notice, in writing, by the Director of Police requiring compliance with the terms of this article. If the occupant or telephone subscriber shall fail to comply within 10 days after receipt of such notice, he shall be liable to the penalties as set forth in this article.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
H. 
The contents of any recorded message from a dial alarm must be intelligible and in a format approved by the Director of Police. No such message shall be transmitted more than three times as a result of a single stimulus of the mechanism. Messages shall not exceed 15 seconds, and the time gap between delivery shall be approximately 10 seconds.[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
I. 
The sensory mechanism of dial alarms shall be adjusted so as to suppress false indications and not to be actuated by impulses due to pressure changes in water pipes, short flashes of light, wind, noises, rattling or vibration of doors or windows or other forces unrelated to general alarms.
J. 
All components of dial alarms shall be maintained by the owner in good repair. When evidence exists that there has been a failure to comply with the operational requirements of this article, the Director of Police is then authorized to demand that such device be disconnected until such time as compliance with such requirements is reestablished.[5]
[5]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
K. 
This device should provide an automatic line seizure feature in the event that this line is busy with an incoming or outgoing call.
The Township of Old Bridge shall be under no duty or obligation to any permittee hereunder or to any alarm panel licensee hereunder, the alarm panel and allied equipment being maintained at will and subject to termination at any time by cancellation of the system by the Director of Police, provided that 10 days' notice is given, in writing, to said permittees.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
Whenever, under the provisions of this article, the Director of Police or any authorized representative he may have designated is empowered to make a decision with respect to the installation, operation and maintenance of any alarm equipment or with respect to the issuance or denial of any application relating thereto, any person aggrieved by said decision may, within 10 days following said decision, file a written appeal therefrom with the Business Administrator of the Township of Old Bridge, who shall conduct a hearing and affirm, modify or reverse the decision appealed from.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
The Township Council may, from time to time, promulgate rules and regulations supplementing this article in order to provide for recordkeeping and efficient management of said system.
[Amended 9-21-1992 by Ord. No. 38-92[1]]
Any person, firm or corporation which shall violate any of the terms of this article, other than the provisions governing false alarms, shall be subject to the issuance of a summons, returnable in Old Bridge Municipal Court, and shall be subject to a fine of not less than $25 nor more than the penalties set forth in Chapter 1, Article II, Penalty.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
This article shall be enforced by the Department of Police, Township of Old Bridge.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).