Source: https://ecode360.com/8363996
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 12:27:20+00:00

Document:
§ 98-1 Notice to replace old units.
§ 98-2 Time frame for replacement.
§ 98-3 Costs to be borne by property owner.
§ 98-4 Maintenance of new units.
§ 98-8 Responsibility of alarm user; penalties for offenses.
§ 98-10 Failure to pay fines.
Fire alarm systems — See Ch. 161.
All private property owners of an emergency alarm master box manufactured by Walter Kiddie Co., which box has been determined not to be in good working order by the Superintendent of Alarms, shall be notified in writing, certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, by the Director of Public Works that their old emergency alarm master box shall be replaced with a new unit manufactured by Signal Communications of Woburn, Massachusetts.
Said old emergency alarm master box shall be replaced within 60 calendar days of the receipt of said notice. Failure to replace the old emergency alarm master box with the new unit manufactured by Signal Communications of Woburn, Massachusetts shall cause said private owner to be off the City of Middletown's system.
All costs for the price of the new unit and installation of the same shall be borne by the private property owners.
The new units manufactured by Signal Communications of Woburn, Massachusetts, shall be maintained by the Public Works Department, Superintendent of Alarms.
Editor's Note: See Ch. 161, Fire Prevention, for provisions dealing with false fire alarms.
Any device which, when activated, transmits any signal to a monitoring facility, or produces an audible tone and/or visual signal, which results in the notification of police personnel and to which police personnel are expected to respond.
Any natural person, business, corporation, union, association, firm, partnership, committee, club or other organization or group of persons on whose property (owned, rented or leased) an alarm device is owned, operated, used or maintained.
Any facility operated by a private firm that owns or leases a system of 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 and/or fire stations.
A telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically or electronically selects a telephone line connected to the police station and produces a signal or reproduces a prerecorded message to report a criminal act or other emergency requiring police response.
Any alarm device which transmits a signal over leased telephone lines to a private central alarm station.
Any alarm signal resulting from activation of an alarm device to which the police respond which is not the result of a crime or other emergency.
Any action by any alarm user owning, leasing, operating or controlling an alarm device installed in any dwelling building or place in the City of Middletown, or any action by any agent or employee of, or anyone in privity with, said person, which results in the unintentional activation of said alarm device when no police emergency exists.
Any unintentional activation of any alarm device caused by a flaw in design or installation of or the improper maintenance of the device. This shall not include any activation caused by violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to the control of the alarm device user.
The person delegated by the alarm user to respond to an alarm activation. The keyholder may be the alarm user or any agent thereof.
Any alarm device not connected to the central alarm station which, when activated, causes an audible and/or visual signaling device to be activated on the exterior of the premises within which the device is installed.
Any alarm device in which activation of the alarm signal is initiated by the direct action of the alarm user.
An individual, a business, a corporation, union, association, firm, partnership, committee, club or other organization or group of individuals.
The alarm user, permittee, or person depending upon any alarm device to notify the police agrees to be responsible for the alarm's operation and maintenance and to hold and save harmless the City of Middletown, its agents, or employees from any liability whatsoever in connection with such alarm device or the operation of the same.
It shall be a violation of this article to allow any alarm device to be activated by error, mistake or malfunction in any dwelling, building, or place when no emergency exists, which results in the response of the Police Department.
It shall be the responsibility of the alarm user, permittee or person depending upon any alarm device to provide the name or names of a keyholder or keyholders to the Middletown Police Department. It shall be the responsibility of the alarm user, permittee, or person depending upon any alarm device to ensure a keyholder response to every alarm activation. The failure to provide a keyholder response shall result in a fine of $50. No written warning will be provided.
If a keyholder is present at the scene when the police respond to a false alarm, he or she will not be penalized until there have been three false alarm signals to the police in the same calendar year for the same alarm device. However, the Chief of Police or his/her designee shall notify the responsible alarm user and issue a written warning after the first and second false alarms that a third false alarm signal, in the same calendar year, will result in a fine of $50. For the third false alarm and each additional false alarm thereafter in one calendar year, the Chief or his/her designee will issue a citation by mail requiring the alarm user to pay the City of Middletown the sum of $50. The Chief or his/her designee shall collect the fine(s) due for the false alarm occurrence(s) and shall deposit said funds in the City's general fund.
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former § 98-9, Penalties for offenses, and redesignated former §§ 98-10 and 98-11 as §§ 98-9 and 98-10, respectively.
Any person who is aggrieved because of the imposition of a fine under this article may appeal to the Chief of his/her designee, within 10 days of the imposition of such fine, by applying to the Chief of Police or his designee in writing. Any person requesting a hearing shall be given written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. Such hearing shall not be held less than 15 days nor more than 30 days from the date of the mailing of the notice.
A person wishing to contest a notice of violation shall appear at the hearing and shall have the right to present evidence. The Chief or his/her designee shall conduct a hearing in order and form as he/she deems fair and appropriate. The rules regarding the admissibility of evidence shall not be strictly applied, but all testimony shall be given under oath or affirmation. The Chief or his/her designee shall announce its the decision at the end of the hearing.
Hearings will be at the Middletown Police Department.
If any person fails to pay within 30 days of the receipt of notice of any fine or charge imposed, it shall be the right of the City of Middletown to pursue civil remedies or to send the overdue fine to the City's collection firm.

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