Source: https://ecode360.com/10524145
Timestamp: 2019-03-20 15:47:22
Document Index: 164820844

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 96', '§ 96', '§ 96', '§ 96', '§ 96', '§ 96', '§ 4']

Borough of Highland Park, NJ Alarm Systems
§ 96-1 Purpose; short title.
§ 96-2 Scope.
§ 96-4 Registration of permits.
§ 96-5 General regulations.
§ 96-6 False alarms; violations and penalties.
§ 96-7 Fees and fines.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Highland Park by Ord. No. 1171 (§ 4-7 of the 1987 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards and regulations for various types of intrusion, burglar, fire and other emergency alarm devices activating a local alarm requiring response thereto by the Police Department, Fire Department or other municipal agency.
This chapter shall be known as and may be cited as the "Highland Park Emergency Alarm Ordinance."
The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any person who operates, maintains or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon the Police, Fire Department or other local municipal agency to any location in response to any type of alarm signal.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1211]
Any type of alarm system providing warning of intrusion, fire, smoke, flood or other peril, but does not include interior smoke alarms installed within an individual dwelling unit intended to alert only the occupant of a room or dwelling. Alarm devices located in the common areas of multifamily dwellings are specifically included in this definition.
An officer or member of the Police or Fire Department of the Borough of Highland Park.
The type of device using telephone lines to transmit an alarm.
Any alarm activated by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional act of someone other than an intruder and shall also include alarms caused by malfunctioning of the alarm device or other relevant equipment, but shall not include intentional false alarms subject to penalty under the Disorderly Persons Law.[1]
Any alarm or device which, when activated produces a signal, including but not limited to store burglar alarms activating bell devices. Such alarm produces an auditory or visual signal discernible beyond the property boundaries.
Any natural person, partnership, corporation, or association.
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 2A:169-1 et seq.
All local alarms, alarm devices, dial alarms and installations shall be registered with the Police Department of the Borough of Highland Park. Any person who owns or operates an alarm device, dial alarm or a local alarm shall make application for the continuation thereof in writing to the Chief of Police, within 90 days of the effective date of this chapter, which application shall contain, at minimum, the location of the device, the owner of the device, the name of the installer of said device, the type of device, maintenance provisions, provisions relating to false alarms and testing procedures, a list of persons to be contacted in the event of an alarm, and other information as may be required by the Chief of Police.
Upon issuance of a permit hereunder, the holder shall pay the permit fee prescribed by the Borough Council.
Any person presently having or proposing to install a dial alarm system shall register with the Chief of Police and use special emergency telephone lines for dial alarm calls, so as not to create undue congestion on the regular police or fire telephone lines.
The Chief of Police may designate a line and number for the use of dial alarms when sufficient lines and numbers are available.
Any permittee shall by acceptance of the permit be deemed as having consented to inspection of the premises on which said alarm devices are installed at reasonable hours by the Chief of Police or the Fire Chief or their designated representatives.
Any person performing any work on or in a vicinity of an alarm device and which may result in causing a false alarm shall notify the Fire and Police Department prior to commencing such work. The owner or occupant of the property at which such work is being performed shall notify all workmen of the existence of an alarm.
All permittees are required to maintain any alarm device, dial alarm or local alarm which they may own or lease in good working order and to meet all local and state fire, electrical and building codes as they apply to alarms.
All audible local alarms shall be equipped with a time relay or battery to limit the sounding of alarms to 15 minutes or less.
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.
The sensory mechanism of dial alarms shall be adjusted so as to suppress false indications and not to be activated by impulses due to pressure changes in water pipes, short, flashes of light, wind, noise, rattling or vibration of doors or windows or other forces unrelated to general alarms.
Investigations. In the case of false (fire or intrusion) alarms which summon the Police or Fire Department to investigate, the Police Chief or designee shall cause an investigation to be made and shall keep a record of such false alarms on file. Such record shall be prima facie evidence of the contents thereof.
Penalties for false alarms. In any permit year the following penalties shall apply:
For each of the first and second false alarms, a written warning of the content of this chapter shall be given.
The third and any subsequent false alarm in the same calendar year will constitute a disorderly persons offense.
In the event of a fourth or subsequent false alarm, an investigation may be conducted by the Police Department. Where the investigation of the Police Department discloses continued abusive or negligent operation or maintenance of an alarm device and a disregard for the taking of remedial steps to avoid false alarms, the Police Chief or his designee may require disconnection of the device for a limited or permanent period; provided, however, that the owner or the user of the device shall be given notice of the intended disconnection.
In the event any person subject to the provisions of this chapter is directed by the Chief of Police or his designee to disconnect an alarm system or correct defect in an alarm system and fails to comply with such directive within seven days of same, such person shall be subject to the penalties contained herein for each false alarm received after the expiration date of the seven-day period until such time as the system is disconnected or the defects are corrected.
In a residential facility, the Chief of Police or his designee may require installation of battery detectors or a fire watch if a danger exists upon disconnection.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1213; Ord. No. 1296]
Permits shall be issued June 1 of each year and shall expire at midnight the following May 31.
Permit for alarm:
Fifty dollars for year of registration;
Five dollars per year thereafter.
Said fees shall be in effect for renewals starting in 1992 and new installation upon the effective date of the ordinance.
Fines shall be as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, General Penalty.[1]