HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd 1993-11 AlarmsORDINANCE NO. 11-93
AN ORDINANCE OF THE VILLAGE OF NORTH PALM BEACH, FLORIDA REVISING
ARTICLE X ALARMS OF CHAPTER 19 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE
VILLAGE; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF
ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND, PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE VILLAGE COUNCIL OF NORTH PALM BEACH,
FLORIDA:
Section 1. Article X Alarms of Chapter 19 of the Code of
Ordinances of the Village is hereby revised to read as follows:
ARTICLE X. ALARMS''
Sec, 19-207. Def- nitionc.
For the purpose of this article, whenever any of the following
words or terms are used herein, they shall have the meaning
ascribed to them in this section.
Alarm system means any device which is used in a building or
premises for the detection of unauthorized entry, burglary, or any
other criminal activity or fires, and which when activated emits
a sound signal, or message to alert others, whether emitted on or
off the premises or to the central office of an alarm business.
Alarm
selling,
altering,
building
business means any
leasing, monitoring,
replacing, moving
place or premises.
person engaged in the business of
maintaining, servicing, repairing,
or installing any alarm for any
Alarm user means any person . using an alarm
controlling a premises or building, or a portion
building, served by an alarm and shall include
joint
owner, tenant in common,
tenant
or occupying and
of a premises or
any part owner,
in partnership, joint tenant
or tenant by the entirety of the whole or a part of a building
having an alarm system.
who
the
Property owner means the person, if other
possesses legal ownership to the building
alarm system is installed.
Permitted alarm means all those alarms
entry or in response to criminal activity
alarms activated solely by an act of nature
faulty maintenance, installation or use.
than the alarm user,
or premises, in which
activated by illegal
or fire and includes
not contributed to by
False alarms means all activated
public safety department, which do not
including, but not limited to,
inadvertence, neglect, accident,
maintenance.
Person
corporation.
alarms,
qualify
alarms
faulty
responded to by the
as permitted alarms,
activated through
installations or
means an individual, partnership,
Calendar year means the time span from January 1 through
December 31.
Sec. 19-208. Alarm system permit required.
association or
(a) No person shall have an alarm system installed to be
operational, or use an existing alarm serving a premises or a
building, or portion thereof, occupied or controlled by such a
person, unless an alarm permit has been issued hereunder, and is
in force, authorizing the use of such alarm. The alarm permit
shall constitute a regulatory license. For any alarm system
existing prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which
this article derived, an alarm permit application shall be made
within sixty (60) days from notification by the Village to the
alarm user.
Sec. 19-209. Application for alarm system permit.
(a) Alarm - Applications for alarm system permits shall
made to .the director of public safety on forms provided by
public safety department. The application shall be signed by
alarm user and shall provide the following information:
(1) Name, address and telephone , number of the alarm user;
(2) Address and telephone number of the alarm user's premises
or building to be served by the alarm;
be
the
the
(3) The name, address and telephone number of the person or
persons in charge of the premises or building served by
the alarm;
(4)
If not
number
the alarm user, the name, address and telephone
of the property owner.
(5) The names, address and telephone numbers of two
persons that shall respond to assist public safety
personnel at the site of the alarm in case of problems.
These persons must be available for. twenty-four (24) hour
per day contact and respond within one(1) hour if
requested. These persons are required to possess the
authority to access and inspect the premises in order to
evaluate any problems and make an officialreport if
necessary.
the permit number with each permit issued. The alarm
post the initial decal prominently on or near the front
to the premises such that the permit number provided
is visible from outside the structure.
(6)
(7)
The name, address and
entity installing the
The name, address and
entity monitoring the
telephone number of the person or
alarm;
telephone number of the person or
alarm;
(8) The name, address and telephone number of the person or
entity providing maintenance and repair service to the
alarm;
(9)
(b) An
after any
Upon such
charge or
An agreement by the alarm user, binding upon the alarm
user's heirs and successors in interest, to promptly pay
or lawfully contest any penalties assessed against the
alarm user for an excessive number of false alarms as
described in this article.
amended application shall be filed within ten (10) days
change in the information provided in the application.
amendment, a new alarm permit shall be issued without
fee.
(c) Failure to comply with any items in Sec. 19-209
(b), shall result in a service fee of $25.00 per incident.
shall be assessed at time of discovery unless, it
disclosed at time of permit renewal.
Sec. 19-210. Term of permit; fee; nontransferable.
(a),
This
and
fee
is being
(a) An individual alarm system permit shall be issued to single
family residences.
(b) An individual alarm system permit shall be issued to any
occupant of a multi -unit dwelling or commercial building
to install a personalized alarm system within the building
permitted for is controlled by a single person or entity
or leasing within the building, that may already possess
system permit as described in Sec. 19-210. (c).
(c) In multi -unit structures, whether residential or commercial,
an individual alarm system permit shall be issued for an alarm
system that is used as a common alarm system throughout the
premises.
(d) The alarm system permit shall be issued the
the director of public safety prior to the alarm
placed into service. The fee for this permit is
($10.00) and shall be renewed each calendar year.
wishing
already
residing
an alarm
alarm user by
system being
ten dollars
(e) The public safety department shall issue a decal specifying
user shall
entrance
on the decal
1
(f) Any alarm system permit issued pursuant to this article
shall not be transferable or assignable and shall cover only one(1)
building or premises.
Sec 19-211. Issuance of alarm system permit.
An alarm system permit shall be issued to the alarm user by the
director of public safety within thirty (30) days after receipt of
the completed application by the director of public safety. An
alarm system permit shall be denied if:
(1) The requested information is not supplied on the
application.
(2) Material information on the application is incorrect.
(3)
Any person or entity listed on the application under items
(a) (6), (7), (8) of section 19-209 does not possess any
required occupational or regulatory license to conduct the
activities required by items (a) (6), (7), (8), unless the
person or entity is the alarm user.
The department of public safety shall give notice of the permit
expiration date and need for renewal. Application for renewal will
require a ten dollar ($ 10.00) permit renewal fee and updated
information required in section 19-209, item (a) (1-9).
Sec. 19-212. Excessive false alarms declared a public nuisance.
The emission of false alarms within the calendar year as cited
in Sec. 19-213(1) and (2) is excessive and constitutes a serious
public nuisance, and is hereby declared to be unlawful and a
violation of this section. No person shall allow, permit, cause,
or fail to prevent, the emission, for any reason, by any alarm used
by him, or any alarm serving premises or a building occupied and
controlled by such person, of more false alarms as cited in Sec.
19-213(1) and (2) within the calendar year.
Sec. 19-213. False alarm service charge; collection.
An alarm user shall pay the following fees to the village for
responses to excessive false alarms by the public safety department
within the calendar year.
(1) In a single alarm user premise, there shall be no charge
for a response to the first three (3) alarms within the
calendar year.
(2) In a multi -unit structure where an alarm system
permit has been issued for a common alarm system, the no
charge schedule of service fees reference false alarms
within the calendar year scale will be as follows:
2 - 20 units - three(3) no charge false alarms
21 - ---40----units--------four-(4)------no—charge-false---alarms
41 - 60 units - six(6) - no charge false alarms
61 - 80 units - eight(8) no charge false alarms
81 - 100 units - ten(10) no charge false alarms
101 - 120 units - twelve(12) no charge false alarms
121 or more units - fifteen(15) no charge false alarms
(3) There shall be a service fee charge of fifty dollars
($ 50.00) for response to any false alarm in excess of
the allotted no charge false alarms within the calendar
year as listed in Sec. 19-213(1) and (2).
The director of public safety shall keep a record of whenever
a false alarm has been responded to by the public safety
department, and shall note the frequency of such false alarms for
each alarm user. The public safety department shall notify each
alarm user of the service fee charges to be paid within thirty (30)
days after demand. If the alarm user fails to comply with this
notice, the public safety department will notify the Village Clerk
to send notice for the alarm user to appear before the code
enforcement board.
Sec. 19-214. Penalty.
Any person who shall violate the provisions of this article
shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as provided in section
1-8 of this code.
Sec. 19-215. Interference with public safety department
telephone trunk lines prohibited; alarm business central office
required; identification required.
(a) No person shall use or cause to be used a telephone or
electronic device or attachment that automatically selects a public
primary telephone trunk line of the public safety department or any
other department or bureau of the village, and then reproduces any
prerecorded message to report any burglary. unauthorized entry or
other emergency. Any such alarm system shall be disconnected and
its use discontinued within sixty(60) days of enactment of this
ordinance.
(b) No person shall provide alarm service system programmed to
a central alarm reception office unless it shall have the central
office staffed at all times, twenty-four (24) hours a day,
including holidays.
(c)
reporting
response
telephone
requested.
Any staff member of a private alarm service system
an alarm activation to which the public safety department
is requested shall identify himself and state the name and
number of the alarm business by which such response is
Sec.--19-216.
Audible alarms.
All alarms which may be heard in any public place shall be
equipped and maintained to automatically cut off no longer than
thirty (30) minutes after being set off.
Sec. 19-217. Enforcement through code enforcement board.
.The director of public safety may initiate action before the
code enforcement board of the village to obtain compliance with
this article. Any notices of appearance before the code enforcement
board shall be sent to both the alarm user and property owner, if
different, on the authority of code enforcement board through the
village clerk's office. The board shall have authority to place a
lien --against theproperty-served by the criminal- detection or fire
alarm systems in the amount of all service charges assessed by the
village pursuant to section 19-213 above. If the alarm user and
property owner are different, the code enforcement board shall have
authority to proceed against the alarm user who receives written
notice even though the director of public safety has been unable
to serve notice upon the property owner.
The Village may proceed by a suit in a court of proper
jurisdiction to collect such service fee charge after demand
therefore has been made by the village and the alarm user has
failed to pay same within thirty(30) days after such demand.
Sec. 19-218. Exemptions.
This article shall not apply to any alarms attached to motor
vehicles or attached to any publicly owned property.
Sec 19-219. Alarm system standards.
All alarm systems installed within
exceed the standards of, and be listed,
Inc., and the Standards of the
Association.
the village shall meet or
by, Underwrites Laboratory,
National Fire Protection
Section 2. All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in
conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect immediately
upon passage.
PLACED ON' FIRST READING THIS 8th DAY OF April , 1993.
PLACED ON SECOND, FINAL READING AND PASSED THIS 22nd DAY
OF April , 1993.
Q
MAYOR
VILLAGE CLERK (/