ORDINANCE# ______

AN ORDINANCE OF CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP, CAMBRIA COUNTY ESTABLISHING A SERVICE CHARGE FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONSES TO FALSE ELECTRONIC, ALARM SERVICE OR NOTIFIER ALARMS.

WHEREAS, Conemaugh Township provides police and fire protection in the Township for the safety of persons and property within the Township; and

WHEREAS, fire and police alarms are responded to on the basis of a worst possible case scenario and despite the highest concerns for safety in the use of vehicles, emergency responses involve some risk to responders and the general public; and

WHEREAS, emergency fire and police responses have the highest priority in the Police and Fire Departments and incur cost in time and materials and lost work that may have been in progress at the time of the alarm; and

WHEREAS, there have been a growing number of alarms by electronic alarm systems and alarm services which have resulted in increased costs, and increased risk to Township fire and police responders.

NOW THEREFORE, be it ordained and enacted this 7 day of July, 1997, upon advertisement and deliberation at a public meeting, the Conemaugh Township Supervisors hereby adopt the following surcharge for false electronic, alarm service or notifier alarms.

1) A service charge of $25.00 is hereby established for Police Department and Fire Department responses to false electronic, alarm service or notifier alarms, except as provided in Subsection 2) hereof.

2) There shall be no service charge for Police Department or Fire Department response to the first three false alarm responses in a calendar year.

3) There shall be no service charge when there has been no Police Department or Fire Department response to the alarm.

4) The service charge may be waived by the Police Chief or Fire Chief in the case of development of alarm conditions not reasonably attributable to the alarm service subscriber or building owner or his or her equipment. The Township will not serve as an intervenor in the case of disputes arising between the alarm service provider and any other person regarding the delivery of alarm service, the quality of the alarm system equipment or the maintenance thereof.

5) False alarms received during the first two weeks after a new alarm installation will not be counted for the purposes of Subsections 1 or 2 hereof.

6) The Township Supervisors may adjust the service charge from time to time based on the their reasonable determination of cost and other legally sufficient factors in the form of a Resolution.

7) Nothing in this Ordinance is intended to authorize a person to deliberately cause an alarm signal to be initiated without advance permission of the 911 Center and notification of either the Police or Fire Department. Deliberate false alarms will be prosecuted under the Criminal Code.

Adopted on the date set forth above.

CONEMAUGH TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS

By: Bernard Podlucky, Chairman

By: Thomas Morder, Vice Chairman

By: Lawrence Marhefka, Supervisor

ATTEST:

_______________________________(Seal)

John Peshock, Township Secretary

Adopted Monday July 7, 1997

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