(A) Notification of alarm activation. The Fire Department shall be notified of the activation of any alarm.
(B) Faulty alarms. Whenever an alarm issues as a result of improper installation or improper maintenance, the alarm issuer may be assessed a $50 penalty per piece of responding frrefighting apparatus for each faulty and/or false alarm recorded within any calendar year after the occurrence of the second faulty and/or false alarm requiring Fire Department response. Said penalty shall be paid by the alarm user to the Clerk-Treasurer who shall deposit the funds in the Non- Reverting Fire Fund.
(1) If the above fine is not paid within 30 days of its due date, then in addition to said penalty, there shall be a late fee of $25.
(2) Any alarm company, alarm user, or any other individual or party affected by and subject to a fine under this section shall have the right to appeal the fines and penalties to the Town Council by requesting such an appeal in writing within 30 days of the issuance of the fine. Parties must be notified of this right to appeal at the time the fine is issued.
(3) The Town Council shall have the discretion to waive such fines when in its sole discretion it determines it is in the best interest of justice and the public interest.
(C) False alarms.
(1) For the purposes of this section, a fire alarm shall be deemed and construed as being any act as follows: the giving, signaling, or transmission to any public fire station or company or to any officer or employee, whether by telephone, electronically, alarm system, spoken word, or otherwise, of information to the effect that there is a fire, at or near the place indicated by the person or alarm system signaling or transmitting such information.
(2) Whenever a false alarm issues, the alarm issuer may be assessed a $50 penalty per piece of responding firefighting apparatus for each false and/or faulty alarm recorded within any calendar year after the occurrence of the second false and/or faulty alarm requiring the Fire Department's response. Said penalty shall be paid by the alarm user to the Clerk-Treasurer who shall deposit the funds in the Non-Reverting Fire Fund.
(3) If the above fine is not paid within 30 days of its due date, then in addition to said penalty, there shall be a late fee of $25.
(4) Any alarm company, alarm user, or any other individual or party affected by and subject to a fine under this section shall have the right to appeal the fines and penalties to the Town Council by requesting such an appeal in writing within 30 days of the issuance of the fine. Parties must be notified of this right to appeal at the time the fine is issued.
(5) The Town Council shall have the discretion to waive such fines when in its sole discretion it determines it is in the best interest of justice and the public interest.
(6) It shall be unlawful for any person to tamper with or injure any fire alarm equipment maintained for the purpose of transmitting fire alarms to the Fire Department.
(7) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the sounding of any signal essential for the carrying on of any fire drill. The Fire Chief or his/her designee must be notified at least 24 hours in advance of when a fire drill is to take place.
(D) Alarm signage.
(1) When an alarm system is not directly connected to an approved monitoring station, a permanent sign shall be posted above external alarm. The sign shall read, in three-inch white letters on dark background:
WHEN ALARM SOUNDS
CALL 911
CALL 911
or, in an area not served by 911:
WHEN ALARM SOUNDS
CALL EDINBURGH FIRE DEPARTMENT
CALL EDINBURGH FIRE DEPARTMENT
(E) Fire extinguishing systems. Automatic fire extinguishing systems, as defined by 675 IAC 22-2.5-3(b), shall be installed if required by the Building Code and the Fire Code. They shall be installed as required by the Building Code and Fire Code.
(F) Emergency information forms. Businesses may provide emergency contact information to the Fire Department by completing the emergency information form that is available at the Fire Department.
(Ord. 2019-18, passed 11-21-19; Am. Ord. 2023-17, passed 11-13-23)