HomeMy WebLinkAboutChapter 24 - 19896
ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 24
From the
CODE
of the
Town of
SOUTHOLD
GENERAL CODE PUBLISHERS CORP.
§ 24-1 ALARM SYSTEMS § 24.-1
Chapter 24
ALARM SYSTEMS'
§ 24-1. Purpose.
§ 24-2. Definitions.
§ 24-3. License required; authority; applications.
§ 24-4. Fees.
§ 24-5. (Reserved)
§ 24-6. Suspension or revocation of licenses.
§ 24-7. Records to be kept and provided.
§ 24-8. General provisions.
§ 24-9. Special provisions.
§ 24-10. Penalties for offenses.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of
Southold 8-25-87 as Local Law No. 14-1987: Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Police Department — See Ch. 18.
Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code — See Ch. 45.
§ 24-1. Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards and controls of
the various types of fire, intrusion, holdup and other emergency
signals from fire and police alarm services that require Fire
Department or police responses, investigation or safeguarding of
property at the location of an event reported by a signal which is
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§ 24-1 SQUTHQLD CODE § 24-2
transmitted by telephone, or ..radio to the Police or Fire Department
from a -central station as hereinafter defined.
§ 24-2. Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply -
ALARM AGENT [Repealed 4-5-88by L.L. No. 6-1988]
ALARM INSTALLATION — Any fire or police alarm device
or.,aggregation of fire or police alarm devices installed on or
within a single building or on or within more than one (1)
building or area adjacently located on a common site at a
specific location.
BUSINESS LICENSEE — Any business, firm, corporation
or other commercial entity which is in the business of owning,
operating, maintaining, installing; leasing or selling a fire or
police alarm device, or system of fire or police alarm devices,
,"ihich business, firm or corporation or other commercial entity
is an owner, operator, provider of maintenance service,
installer, lessor or seller of said device, or system of devices,
subject to the license requirements of this chapter.
CENTRAL ALARM STATION — Any facility operated by a
private firm that owns or leases a system of fire or police
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 'or Fire Department
when appropriate.
DIAL ALARM. — Any fire or police alarm device which is a
telephone device or telephone attachment that automatically or
electronically selects a telephone line connected to a central
alarm station or police headquarters and reproduces a
prerecorded message to report a criminal act or other
emergency requiring the Police or Fire Department.
DIRECT ALARM — Any fire or police alarm device
connected directly by leased telephone wires from the specified
location to police headquarters or the Fire Department.
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§ 24-2 ALARM SYSTEMS § 24-2
EMERGENCY ALARM Any fire .or police alarm device
designed to be actuated by a fire. criminal act or other
emergency at a specific location or by a victim of a holdup,
robbery or other emergency or criminal act at a specified
location.
FALSE EMERGENCY ALARM — Any signal actuated by
an emergency alarm to which the Police or Fire Department
responds which is not the result 'of a fire, robbery or other
crime or emergency.
FIRE DEPARTMENTS — Buildings owned by the Fire
Districts of Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold, East Marion or
Orient.
FIRE OR POLICE ALARM "DEVICE —'Any device which,
when actuated by a fire, criminal act or other emergency
requiring Police or Fire Department response, transmits a
prerecorded message or other signal by a telephone, radio or
other, means to a central alarm station or directly to the Police
or Fire Department or produces an audible. or visible signal
designed to notify persons . within audible or visible alarm
range of the signal, except. for residential smoke detectors/
alarms.
INTRUSION — Any entry into an area or ,building equipped
with one (1) or more police -and fire alarm -deAces by any
person or object whose entry actuates a police alarm. device.
LICENSING AUTHORITY — The Town of Southold or its
designated agent.
POLICE HEADQUARTERS — Police , headquarters and
other enclosures housing privately or publicly owned -equip-_
ment serving the police.
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD — All of the Town of Southold,
excluding Fishers Island.
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§ 24-3 SOUTHOLD CODE § 24-3
§..24-3.4: License required; authority; applications.
A. It shall be unlawful for any business, firm, 'corporation or
other commercial entity to operate, maintain, install, lease or
sell a fire or police alarm device or devices, or system of fire or
police -alarm devices, as defined by the terms of this.chapter,
without .first . obtaining a license as hereunder provided.
[Amended 4-5-88 by L.L. No. 6-19881
B. Authority to grant licenses and permits.
(1) The licensing authority is hereby authorized to grant a
revocable license to any business, firm, corporation or
other commercial entity, authorizing said business, firm,
corporation or other commercial entity to do business in
the Town of Southold by performing any or all of the
following . functions: owning, operating, maintaining,
installing; leasing or selling a fire or police alarm device
or devices or system of fire or police alarm devices.
(2) (Reserved)'
(3) The licensing authority is hereby authorized to grant a
revocable permit to any owner of property located within _
the Town of Southold, -or the lessee � thereof, to operate,
maintain, install and modify a fire or police alarm device.
C. Applications for licenses and permits. Applications for licenses
and permits shall be made, as follows:
(1) All businesses, firms, corporations or other commercial
entities which are in the business of owning, operating,,,,
maintaining, installing,, leasing or selling a-, fire or police
alarm device or devices, or system of fire or police alarm
device or devices, who desire to conduct business in the
Town of Southold shall apply to the licensing authority,
for a business license, on a form to be supplied by.the
licensing authority. The application shall contain specific
provisions relating to the quality, efficiency -and effective-
ness of the device or system of :devices owned or to be
i Editor's Note: Former Subsection B(2), regarding alarm agent licenses, was repealed 4-5-
88 by LL No. 6-1988.
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§ 24-3 ALARM SYSTEMS § 24-4
operated, maintained, installed, leased or sold by the
business licensee; testing procedures involved; and any
other information the licensing authority shall determine
to be law.
(2) Such business license shall be issued for a one-year
period, on a calendar -year basis or a part thereof, and no
license shall extend beyond December 31 of each year.
Notwithstanding this provision, a person having a
business license may conduct such .business through
January 31 of the year following the expiration of his
business license.
(3) (Reserved)'
(4) Any property owner or lessee of property in the Town of
Southold having on his or its premises a fire or police
alarm device, or system of fire or police alarm devices,
shall apply to the licensing authority for a permit to own
or otherwise have such device on his or its premises. The
application shall contain provisions relating to the device
or system of devices installed or to be installed on the
premises. No such device may be installed on the
premises of the owner or lessee and no presently existing
fire or police alarm device complying with the provisions
of this chapter shall be modified after the effective date of
this chapter prior to the licensing authority's having
issued a permit to such owner or lessee. Such permit shall
be valid for a period of one (1) year from issuance and
must be renewed upon expiration. [Amended 11-14-89
by L.L. No. 21-19891
§ 24-4. Fees. [Amended 4-5-88 by L.L. No. 6-1988; 11-14-89 by
L.L. No. 21-1989]
License and permit fees shall be as follows:
A. Business license: one hundred dollars ($100.) per calendar year
or part thereof.
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C(3), regarding alarm agent license applications, was
repealed 4-5-88 by L.L. No. 6-1988.
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§ 24-4 SOUTHOLD CODE § 24-6
B. Owner or lessee permit.
(1) Initial permit: twenty-five dollars ($25.).
(2) Renewal permit: ten dollars ($10.).
§ 24-5. (Reserved)'
§ 24-6. Suspension or revocation of licenses. [Amended 4-5-88
by L.L. No. 6-19881
A license issued under this chapter may be suspended or revoked by
the licensing authority after notice and hearing by the licensing
authority for the violation of any of the provisions of this chapter or
any regulation or regulations promulgated by the licensing authority
pursuant to this chapter, and any license or identification card issued
hereunder shall be surrendered immediately to the licensing authority
upon such suspension or revocation. No part of a license fee shall be
refunded when a license is suspended or revoked. Any applicant
whose application for a license or permit has been denied or any
business licensee, owner or lessee whose license has been suspended or
(Cont'd on page 2407)
I Editor's rote: Former § 24-5, User fees, was repealed 11-14-89 by L.L. No. 21-1989.
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§ 244 ALARM SYSTEMS § 24-8,
revoked by the licensing authority may appeal such denial, suspension
or revocation in writing to the Town Board . at a time and place to be
determined by the Town Board in support of his or its contention that
the license should not have been denied, suspended or revoked.
§ 24-7. Records to be kept and provided.
Every business, firm, corporation or other commercial entity
conducting the business of owning, 'operating, installing, leasing or
selling fire or police alarm devices within the Town of Southold shall
maintain complete and accurate records of all installations of alarm
systems in the Town of Southold and shall provide such -records on a
monthly basis for the licensing authority. .
24-8. General Provisions.
A. Restrictions. No fire or police alarm device shall be connected .
directly to the Town of Southold police headquarters ,or any.
Fire Department without the express 'written.consent of the--
Chief of Police -or Board of Fire Commissioners, respectively.
B. Direct alarm system. Any private firm engaged in the
business of burglar alarms or"fire alarms and licensed by the
Town of Southold- will operate a facility which is manned by. a
trained operator who receives, records and validates alarm
signals and relays information about such validated signals to.,
the. Southold Town Police Department or Fire Department. on
a special telephone number set aside for the express purpose of
receiving such information. All central station alarm facilities
shall have the capability to electronically supervise all 'alarrn
systems so that a trouble signal is'indicated should -there be a.
fault with any alarm system. The operator -of any central,_
alarm compariywhich calls' police headquarters or ,the Fire
Department to report an actice`alarm will identify himself. or
herself by name and the name of the company and will provide
accurate directions to -the protected premises at',which -the
alarm is sounding. The central alarm company shall further
provide the name of the caretaker who is - responsible - for
resetting an activated alarm if the property owner or lessee of
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§ °24-8. SOUTHOLD' CODE § 24-8
the property,, is away. In the event that the caretaker is
.unavailable; the alarm company shall be responsible for
resetting an activated alarm.
C. Audible alarm device. Any property owner or lessee of
property in:the Town of Southold, shall, prior to the installation
Of an audible signal designed to notify persons within the
audible. range;: of the signal, obtain a permit for same. Any
such alarm a device which operates on house current must be
equipped' -with a standby battery- power.,supply sufficient for at
least twenty-four (24)- hours. Any such- alarm device will
incorporate -a-. device whereby the system i Nvill automatically
shut off"and/or reset the audible .alarm after the alarm has
sounded;, fora a maximum period of thirty (30) minutes. All
property, owners or lessees having such alarm devices on their
premiseat, shall further. be required to, provide the Police
Department- and Fire Department with the name of a person
who carie: respond to the premises within-, a reasonable - time:
Said persowshall have the capability of securing or. in the -case
of fire; opening up said premises for inspection by the Fire
Department'. Every such audible • alarm: device must be.
equipped!. with a switch to silence the audible alarm.
D. Intentional, false alarm. It shall be a violation of this chapter to,
intentionally cause a false holdup alarm, and any person who,
does intentionally cause a false holdup alarm shall be subject,
to the penalty provisions hereof..
E..Chargm for false emergency alarms.
(1) Any owner or lessee of 'property* having a fire or police
alarm -device, or system of fire or'police alarm devices, on .
-his' or its premises on the.effectivedate of this chapter
and- any user of services, or equipment ' furnished by a
licensee under this " chapter shall ' pay to the..Town of
Southold a charge for each and every false 'emergency. .
alarm to which. the .Police or Fire -Department responds
in each calendar year, as follows: .
(a): First and second -false emergency alarm, each
calendar year: no charge.
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§ 24-8 ALARM SYSTEMS § 24-9
(b) Third and all subsequent false emergency alarms,
each calendar year: one hundred dollars ($100.).
(2) The above charges shall be paid to the Town Clerk of the
Town of Southold. Failure to pay any such charges shall
subject -such owner, lessee or user to the penalty
provisions of this chapter.
F. Rules, regulations and enforcement. The licensing authority
shall promulgate rules, regulations and standards which shall
be approved by the Town Board that may be necessary for the
purpose of assuring the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of
fire or police alarm devices and alarm •installations owned,
operated, maintained, installed, leased or sold by a licensee
under this chapter and to facilitate the administration of this
chapter. The licensing authority shall administer and enforce
the provisions of this chapter. The aforesaid rules, regulations
and standards shall be set forth in writing, and copies shall be
available for applicants.,
§ 24-9. Special provisions.
A. Central alarm station systems. The licensing authority is
hereby authorized to prescribe the locations and the manner of
installation of regular business telephone lines into police
headquarters from a central alarm station for the express
purpose of providing direct telephone communication between
the central alarm station and police headquarters for use - in
reporting alarms.
B. Exceptions. None of the provisions of this chapter shall apply
to a fire or police alarm device or devices installed in a motor
vehicle or trailer.
C. Severability. If any part or parts of this chapter are for any
reason held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the
validity of the remaining portions of this chapter. The Town
Board hereby declares that it would have passed the local law
enacting this chapter and each section, subsection, sentence,
clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one
(1) or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases
might be declared invalid.
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.§ 24-10 SOUTHOLD CODE § 24-10
§ 24-10. Penalties for offenses. [Amended 4-5-88 by L.L. No. 6-
19881
Any person, firm or corporation who does not pay any charge or fee
established in this chapter shall be subject to a fine not in excess of
two hundred fifty dollars ($250.) for each offense. A separate offense
shall be deemed committed, upon each day during which a violation
occurs or is committed, and such violation shall be construed as a
violation against this chapter.
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