[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of South Berwick 5-9-1988.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction — See Ch. 60.
This chapter shall be known as the "Town of South Berwick Alarm Systems
Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to establish appropriate guidelines for
the installation of alarm systems for notification of the Town of South Berwick
Police and Fire Departments.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
A system including any mechanism, equipment or device designed to
automatically transmit a signal, message or warning from a private facility
to any of the Town's public alarm systems and shall include telephonic alarm
systems designed to operate automatically through the use of public telephone
facilities.
[Amended 8-26-1991]
No person shall operate or maintain an alarm system which automatically
transmits, directly or indirectly, a signal, message or warning to Police
or Fire Departments without first obtaining a permit.
A.
Applications for permits to install or operate an alarm
system shall be filed with the Chief of Police on forms supplied by the Town,
together with an application fee of $10 for the first year. Permits shall
be renewed and information contained in the permit applications updated on
January 1 of each year. There shall be an annual renewal fee of $3. Federal,
state, county or local government agencies who operate alarm systems shall
be exempt from payment of a fee. Alarm users shall ensure that all information
submitted in an application is kept current. Any changes made to any alarm
system equipment, termination, point or list of persons to be notified in
the event of an alarm shall be reported to the Chief of Police, in writing,
within 10 days of such change.
B.
The Chief of Police shall approve such application if
the applicant meets the criteria outlined in this section.
(1)
The use of said alarm system will not interfere with
the orderly conduct of Town business.
(2)
The user's alarm system receiver equipment is compatible
with the Franklin dialer receiver or the system maintained in the South Berwick
dispatch center. If the system is not compatible with the South Berwick alarm
system and another system is installed which is not connected to the Town's
monitoring system, the Town will not assume any liability of the installation,
maintenance and performance of the alarm system. The alarm user shall sign
a waiver releasing the Town from liability.
(3)
The person installing the system shall maintain an adequate
service organization to repair, maintain or otherwise service alarm systems
sold or leased by him and must be licensed under 32 M.R.S.A. § 17.
(4)
No person shall install, operate or maintain a telephonic
alarm system which automatically transmits a signal, message or warning to
the Town's Police or Fire Department telephone lines, except to such telephone
number or numbers as designated by the permit issued under the provisions
of this chapter.
(5)
The Police Chief or Fire Chief may impose other reasonable
conditions on the exercise of said permits. The Town Manager shall retain
final authority to approve the reasonableness of any other conditions.
The Chief of Police or the Fire Chief shall have the right to inspect
or cause to be inspected by the system installer any alarm system on the premises
where it is intended to function prior to issuance of any permit for operation
of such a system and may inspect or cause an inspection by the system installer
or by a qualified individual in alarm systems installations at any time after
the issuance of a permit to determine whether it is being used in conformity
with the terms of the permit and the provisions of this chapter. Information
related to any alarm system shall be maintained in a confidential manner and
the release of such information by any member of a concerned department shall
be a violation of this chapter.
The Chief of Police may revoke any permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, after giving written notice to the permit holder and an opportunity for the permit holder to be heard, if he determines that the alarm system installed pursuant to said permit has been installed, maintained or operated in violation of the provisions of this chapter or of any term or condition of said permit or for failure to pay the fee specified in § 54-4A.
[Added 8-26-1991]
In addition to constituting grounds for permit revocation under § 54-6, failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a civil violation punishable by a fine in the amount of $100 payable to the Town of South Berwick. Each day a violation continues after notice to correct the violation shall constitute a separate violation.
