Loading...
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 2401 12-25-89 § 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 For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply - ALARM AGENT [Repealed 4-5-88by L.L. No. 6-1988] ALARM INSTALLATION — Any fire or police alarm device or.,aggregation of fire or police alarm devices installed on or within a single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. 2402 ' 12-25-89 § 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. 2403 s - 25 - ea § 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. 2404 5-25-88 § 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. 2405 12-25-89 § 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. 2406 12-25-89 § 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 ,2407 5-25-88 § °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. 2408 6-25-88 § 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. 2409 5-25-88 s:` .§ 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. 2410 5-25-88