Town of Manchester, CT Chapter 103 Alarm Systems

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Town of Manchester as Secs. 10-61 to 10-69 of the 1996 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Noise — See Ch. 223.

STATUTORY REFERENCES

Municipal authority to regulate automatic alarm systems — See C.G.S. § 7-148(c)(7)(H)(xiv).

Notification of automatic telephone alarms required — See C.G.S. § 7-282b.

§ 103-1 Short title.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as an "Ordinance Regulating the Use of Alarm Systems."

§ 103-2 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to reduce avoidable alarm signals and to encourage the use of reliable alarm systems.

§ 103-3 Definitions.

A. For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings given herein:

ALARM SIGNALS

Defined and classified as follows:

(1) AVOIDABLE ALARM SIGNAL An emergency signal transmitted to the emergency response authority and necessitating a response by them, which can be definitely classified as resulting from one of the following causes:

(a) Intentional holdup alarm system activation by the alarm user, or persons under his direct or indirect control, with the intent to summon the Police Department, where no threat of holdup is present.

(b) Intentional burglar system activation by the alarm user, or persons under his direct or indirect control, with the intent to summon the police where no threat of burglary is present.

(c) Negligent activation of a burglar alarm by the alarm user, or persons under his direct or indirect control, when no threat of burglary is present.

(d) Negligent activation of holdup alarm system by the alarm user, or persons under his direct or indirect control, when no threat of holdup is present.

(e) Alarm system malfunction. Activation of the alarm system caused by a defect in the alarm equipment or by improper installation.

(f) Testing of the alarm system by the alarm user, or persons under his direct or indirect control, without prior notice to the alarm monitoring facility and the police of such test.

(2) UNAVOIDABLE ALARM SIGNAL An emergency signal transmitted to the emergency response authority and necessitating a response by them, which can definitely be classified as resulting from one of the following causes:

(a) Acts of God, e.g., severe storm, flood, prolonged power outage, etc.

(b) Telephone line malfunction.

(c) Attempted break-in.

(d) Actual break-in.

(e) Fire or smoke.

(f) Suspicious or unauthorized activity within neighborhood of premises.

ALARM SYSTEM

An assembly of equipment and devices (whether operated by AC current supplied by a utility company or by battery, or a single device, such as a solid state unit, which plugs directly into a one-hundred-ten-volt AC line) arranged to signal the presence of a hazard requiring urgent attention and to which police are expected to respond. In this chapter, the term "alarm system" shall include the terms "holdup alarm systems," "burglar alarm systems" and "automatic tape dialing device."

ALARM USER

Any owner or occupant on whose premises an alarm system is maintained within the Town except for alarm systems on motor vehicles or proprietary systems. If, however, an alarm system on a motor vehicle is connected with an alarm system at a premises (other than a proprietary system), the person using such a system is an alarm user. Also excluded from this definition and from the coverage of this chapter are persons who use alarm systems to alert or signal persons within the premises in which the alarm system is located. If such a system, however, employs an audible signal emitting sounds or a flashing light or beacon designed to signal persons outside the premises, such system shall be within the definition of alarm system and shall be subject to this chapter.

AUTOMATIC TAPE DIALING DEVICE

Refers to an alarm device which automatically sends over regular telephone lines, by direct connection or otherwise, a prerecorded voice message indicating the existence of the emergency situation that the alarm system is designed to detect. Specifically excluded from this definition are devices which send coded messages over regular telephone lines onto a receiver specifically designed to receive these coded signals.

BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEM

Refers to an alarm system signaling an entry into the area protected by the system.

FALSE ALARM

All of the items listed under Subsection (2) of the definition of “alarm signals.”

HOLDUP ALARM SYSTEM

Any alarm system in which a signal is transmitted that requires a police response.

B. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular number, and words in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.

§ 103-4 Registration of alarm systems required; information to be provided.

It shall be unlawful for any person to own or to occupy any building or structure where there is installed an alarm system which is used or so installed that it can be used by such owner or occupant without registering the same with the Chief of Police as herein provided. Applications for registration shall be made within 30 days of any installation of an alarm system on forms provided by the Chief of Police and shall include the following information:

A. Name, address and telephone number of owner or occupant;

B. Address of place where device is installed and telephone number at that location;

C. Name and telephone number of any other person at a different location who is authorized to respond to any emergency and open the place where the device is installed;

D. Name, address and telephone number of company responsible for servicing the alarm.

§ 103-5 Time of registration; exceptions; fees.

Such registration shall be renewed on an annual basis by the first of May of each year, provided that any new registration which is filed pursuant to § 103-4 on or before March first of any calendar year shall not be renewed until May first of the following calendar year. The fee for any registration of an alarm system and the renewal of any registration of an alarm system shall be $2 and shall be paid to the Police Department upon the filing of a registration or renewal thereof.

§ 103-6 Prohibitions; fines for false alarms.

A. It shall be unlawful for any owner or occupant to install, operate or cause to be installed or operated any alarm system unless such owner or occupant has complied with §§ 103-4 and 103-5.

B. It shall be unlawful to maintain, own or operate an alarm system which is defective or which is improperly used in that it causes excessive false alarms.

C. It shall be unlawful to install or maintain an automatic tape dialing device that is or would be connected directly to the Police Department.

D. It shall be unlawful to operate any alarm system that emits a sound beyond the boundaries of the property for any period of time in excess of 30 minutes.

E. The following shall constitute excessive false alarms under this section: six or more per registration within the first twelve-month period after the effective date thereof; four or more within each successive twelve-month period thereafter.

F. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following fines will be imposed for excessive false alarms: $25 for each of the first two false alarms which constitute offenses under this section; $50 for each false alarm which shall constitute an offense thereafter.

G. The first false alarm of any unregistered system shall not be considered a violation of this chapter; however, the alarm system owner shall have seven days thereafter within which to register said system.

H. The owner and/or the said building occupant of a new alarm system shall have 30 days from the date of installation within which no false alarm shall be charged against that system per Subsection F of this section.

§ 103-7 Additional penalties for offenses.

Any person who violates any provisions of this chapter shall be punished in accordance with § 1-2 of this Code.

§ 103-8 Revocation of permit.

An alarm system user guilty of 10 or more false alarms may have his or her license revoked. A copy of revocation shall be mailed to the alarm user by certified mail, and revocation shall be effective three days after the receipt of the revocation notice by the alarm user. The alarm user will be subject to § 103-7 if operating a system without proper registration.

§ 103-9 Existing installations.

Notwithstanding any other provisions contained herein, any police alarm systems which are installed and are in use or so installed that they can be put in use upon the effective date of this chapter (May 1, 1982) need not be registered until 60 days after the effective date of this chapter.

§ 103-10 Appeals process.

Any person accused of violating § 103-6 shall have the right to appeal from any fines imposed in accordance with § 7-152b of the General Statutes. When an appeal is timely received by the Police Department, a hearing shall be scheduled before a hearing officer who shall be designated by the Town Manager, which officer shall not be a member of the Town Police Department.