[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township
of Maplewood: Art. I, 12-3-1974 by Ord. No. 1438
as Ch. XII of the 1974 Revised General Ordinances; Art. II, 7-1-1997
by Ord. No. 2032-97. Sections 75-4 and 75-5 amended at time
of adoption of Code; see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III. Other amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-3-1974 by Ord. No. 1438
as Ch. XII of the 1974 Revised General Ordinances]
Any occupier of property within the township may connect an automatic
fire alarm system upon his premises with the township fire alarm system upon
obtaining a permit and complying with the requirements, rules and regulations
herein prescribed and upon payment of the prescribed fees and charges.
[Amended 3-3-1987 by Ord. No. 1714]
A.
Before any occupier of property within the township shall
install a fully automatic fire detection and alarm system upon his premises
for connection with the township fire alarm system, the occupier shall submit
to the Chief Inspector of the Bureau of Fire Prevention an application on
a blank form furnished by the Chief Inspector giving the location and character
of the premises to be so protected and such other data as shall be pertinent
to a determination of compliance with the requirements hereinafter set forth.
B.
Only the devices and equipment for automatic detection
and signaling the occurrence of fire within the premises of the applicant
and for connection to the township fire alarm system as have been approved
by the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:18-1, shall be acceptable
to the Bureau of Fire Prevention. Proof of the required approval shall be
furnished by the applicant and must accompany the application. Upon compliance
with the foregoing requirements and payment of the license fee to the Chief
Inspector, he shall issue a permit for installation and connection.
Upon the issuance of the permit and the installation of a private fire
detection and alarm system of the approved type upon the premises covered
by the permit and connection with the master fire alarm box of the type in
use by the township upon the exterior wall of the building so protected, or
one (1) of them installed upon a pole located between the building and street
line, the township shall connect the master alarm box with the township fire
alarm system.
[Amended 3-3-1987 by Ord. No. 1714; 8-1-1995
by Ord. No. 1977]
The applicant and occupier of the premises shall pay an annual license fee as provided in Chapter 123, Fees. Each license shall expire one (1) year from the date of its issuance but may be renewed for succeeding years upon payment of the annual fee. The township reserves the right to revoke the license and to discontinue the connection to the municipal fire alarm system at any time upon thirty (30) days' notice, in writing, to the applicant of its intention to do so. Should any breakdown, derangement or any faulty condition occur in the automatic fire detection and alarm system which would prevent the proper functioning of the township's fire alarm system, the township shall have the right to disconnect the applicant's fire alarm apparatus from the township's system without notice but shall promptly thereafter give notice to the holder of the permit. When the faulty conditions have been corrected by the applicant, the applicant's system shall be again connected with that of the township.
[Amended 3-3-1987 by Ord. No. 1714; 8-1-1995
by Ord. No. 1977]
The applicant shall pay for the installation of the connection with the township fire alarm system a minimum charge as provided in Chapter 123, Fees, plus any additional charge that may be required, and also furnish the wire, this installation being for the connection from the master fire alarm box on the applicant's building or pole to the nearest street pole and for a distance along the street poles not exceeding two (2) pole sections to the alarm system of the township. If additional work is required to run the wires to the township fire alarm circuit, an additional charge as provided in Chapter 123, Fees, shall be made. The connection from the township alarm system to the terminals provided in the approved master alarm box on the applicant's building shall be made by the township, but all necessary wire to make this connection shall be furnished by the applicant, and such wire shall be in accordance with township specifications. If poles are to be installed on the property of the applicant, the poles shall be provided and installed by the applicant. Upon completion of the connection, all wires on poles in the streets shall become the property of the township. At such times as the township may revoke the license and disconnect the master fire alarm box from the township's fire alarm system, the township may remove the connection, and the applicant shall remove the master fire alarm box from the outer wall of the building or from the pole.
The master fire alarm box on the applicant's building will be tested
periodically by the township as to its functioning with the township circuit
only. Its operation within the privately owned circuit shall not be the responsibility
of the township. The township, its officers, employees and representatives
shall at all times have free, clear and unobstructed access to the master
fire alarm box on the applicant's building along the line of the connection
from the township fire alarm system for the purpose of making, maintaining,
repairing or supervising the same and for the purpose of testing the township
circuit, provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed to obligate
the township in any manner to test, maintain, repair or supervise the applicant's
automatic detection and fire alarm system.
The applicant shall at all times maintain his automatic fire detection
and alarm system in perfect working order and, by acceptance of the permit,
waives any right of action which he may have or which might otherwise arise
in law or in equity for any damage resulting from any cause whatsoever by
reason of the connection of the applicant's system with the township's
fire alarm system.
[Amended 3-3-1987 by Ord. No. 1714]
All apparatus, equipment, devices, cables, wiring and conduits in the
system, its completed installation and the operation, repair, maintenance,
testing and supervision of the same shall be in full compliance with the New
Jersey Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:18-1 and with the applicable ordinances
of the township. Test, measurements and inspections shall be made in accordance
with the provisions of the aforesaid standards, and certified copies of the
tests shall be delivered to the Fire Department each calendar month.
The holder of the permit shall at all times prevent and refrain from
allowing any growth, short circuits, shunts, foreign services and exposures
or any other troubles in its fire alarm apparatus which might be detrimental
to the township's fire alarm system.
Nothing contained in this Article shall in any manner be construed to
obligate the township to furnish any services to the holder of the permit
with reference to its fire alarm apparatus or its connection with the township's
fire alarm system or to make the township liable for any interruptions or
for damage to any conduits, conductors, apparatus or equipment of the holder
of the permit due to any conditions thereof, whether caused by an act of the
township's officers, employees or representatives or the acts of others
or the action of the elements.
The holder of the permit shall indemnify and save harmless the township
from all costs and expenses resulting from damage to the fire alarm system
of the township by reason of any negligence of the holder of the permit or
the agents or employees of the same.
[Adopted 7-1-1997 by Ord. No. 2032-97]
The purpose of this article is to provide standards, procedures and
regulations for various types of burglar, fire and other private alarm systems
or warning devices which require a response by the Police Department, Fire
Department or any other township agency.
The provisions of this article shall apply to any person, other than
the township, who operates, maintains or owns any local or private system
designed to summon the Police, Fire Department or other township agency to
any location in response to the signal of any type of emergency alarm. No
person shall have premises protected by a private alarm or warning device
unless the alarm system or warning device is registered in accordance with
this article.
As used in this article, the following terms shall include the meanings
given herein:
The component of the communications console in the township's
law enforcement building which indicates the existence of any emergency.
The activation of a local alarm or private alarm system other than
those to which the local alarm or private alarm system was designed or intended
to respond with the testing of alarms required by law or practice without
prior notice to the Police Department, Fire Department or other township agency.
Any device installed to serve an improved property and designed to
sound an alarm by a bell, horn, siren or other noise-making instrument located
upon the property where the device is installed and audible beyond the limits
of the property in the event of the presence of fire, smoke or similar hazards,
unauthorized entry, the commission of an unlawful act or any one or more of
the foregoing, but is not connected to the panel in the law enforcement building.
Any system installed to serve an improved property and deigned or
used for detection of fire, smoke or similar hazards, the detection of unauthorized
entry, the commission of an unlawful act, or the detection of any one or more
of the foregoing, or for reporting any emergency, which system communicates
or causes the communication of information to the Township Police or Fire
Department. A private alarm system includes, but is not limited to, any one
of the following types:
LEASE LINE SYSTEMProvides direct connection by a telephone lease line from a specific location to the alarm panel or alarm register with a visible or audible signal.
TAPE DIALER SYSTEMAutomatically selects a telephone trunk line and then reproduces a prerecorded message to a special telephone device rather than to the alarm panel or alarm register.
TELEPHONE CALL SYSTEMAutomatically alerts a person, beyond the limits of the property served, who is engaged in the business of relaying information by telephone to the Township Police Department or Fire Department or reacting independently of the Police or Fire Department.
ALARM SOUNDING SYSTEMAutomatically sounds an audible alarm, but is not otherwise connected to any third person or location.
Every person who installs, maintains or uses a private alarm system
or local alarm to serve an improved property within the township:
A.
Shall maintain it in good repair and proper working condition;
B.
Shall meet the standards which may be promulgated by
the Chief of Police or Fire Chief to prevent faulty systems or devices; and
C.
Shall not suffer such private alarm system or local alarm
to admit or sound a false alarm and shall promptly correct or disconnect any
faulty system or device upon notice from the Chief of Police or Fire Chief
that the system or device is sounding false alarms.
Every local alarm and private alarm system shall be equipped with a
cutoff mechanism which will terminate the sound after 15 minutes. If the sound
does not terminate after 15 minutes of notification of the Police or Fire
Department, the Police or Fire Department shall have the right to use minimal
necessary force to disconnect the sounding device. Neither the Police Department,
Fire Department nor Township of Maplewood shall be liable for damage caused
incidental to disconnecting any warning device.
The township and the Township Police and Fire Departments shall not
assume any responsibility whatsoever to any person with respect to the adequacy,
operation or maintenance of the alarm panel or any private alarm system or
warning device. No action taken by either the township or the township's
Police or Fire Departments pursuant to the provisions of this article shall
create any liability upon either the township or the Township's Police
or Fire Departments by reason of any failure of any private alarm system or
warning device, any failure to respond to any private alarm system or warning
device.
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall, upon conviction,
be subject to the following penalties:
|
False Alarms
| |
|---|---|
|
Number of False Alarms Within a Calendar Year
|
Penalty
|
|
Upon 1st through 3rd
|
Warning
|
|
Upon 4th or 5th
|
$ 25.00
|
|
Upon 6th
|
50.00
|
|
Upon 7th
|
75.00
|
|
Upon 8th and each thereafter
|
100.00
|
|
Sounding Device Violation (§ 75-16)
| |
|---|---|
|
Number of Violations Within a Calendar Year
|
Penalty
|
|
Upon 1st through 3rd
|
Warning
|
|
Upon 4th or 5th
|
$ 25.00
|
|
Upon 6th
|
50.00
|
|
Upon 7th
|
75.00
|
|
Upon 8th and each thereafter
|
100.00
|
A.
The alarm panel shall be maintained at the will of the
Township Committee and is subject to termination at any time by cancellation
of the system by resolution duly adopted by the Township Committee.
B.
Any individual permit issued hereunder may be revoked
at will by the Township Committee upon recommendation of the Township Business
Administrator, Chief of Police or Fire Chief, provided that 30 days'
notice is given in writing to the vendor.
