March 7, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Ho-Ho-Kus Borough council tables ordinance on alarm systems by Jennifer Crusco Lingering questions have led the Ho-Ho-Kus Council to table Ordinance 1003, a measure that would require individuals with alarm systems to register with the borough police department. The proposal, which would be an update to Ordinance 1001, was to have been considered for final adoption last week. Fielding a question from Mayor Thomas Randall, HoHo-Kus Borough Attorney David Bole noted that the proposed ordinance would require those who already have alarm systems to register with the borough within 45 days of the passage of the ordinance. Others would have had 30 days from the date of the installation of the alarm system to register. Bole also noted that there had been questions as to whether the proposed fees were appropriate. Under the proposed ordinance, the initial registration fee would be $100. Alarm owners would then be charged an annual fee of $25. In addition, the ordinance calls for a $10 late fee that would be charged for any alarm device or system installed prior to Jan. 30 that has not been registered with the police department. The police department would be required to keep an annual log of false alarms. Written warnings would be issued for the first three false alarms or malfunctions. Fines then progress to $50 for the fourth and fifth events, $150 for the sixth through ninth events, and $250 for the tenth and subsequent events. In addition, owners and users of alarm systems that experience more than a dozen false alarms in a calendar period may be required to disconnect that alarm for 90 days, unless the alarm is a fire alarm or is required by law. The individual concerned would also be responsible for providing a statement from the alarm service indicating that any malfunction has been corrected. “It will be work on our part to set up a database,” Ho-HoKus Police Chief John Wanamaker told Mayor Randall. The mayor asked if a dispatcher could enter the data, and Chief Wanamaker said a midnight dispatcher could be asked to do that job. However, Wanamaker said he did not want the police department to accept the money for the fees. Randall mentioned that the department responds to an average of 430 false alarms each year. However, the chief told Randall that number is on the low side. (After the meeting, Wanamaker said the average number of false alarms has been between 450 and 500 per year for the last three years.) Randall questioned whether the initial registration fee should be adjusted. He asked if $50 would be “in the ballpark.” “There shouldn’t be a fee to register,” Councilman Kevin Shea said. “We want to encourage registration.” Councilman Phil Rorty said the focus should be on the penalties, and Councilman Steve Shell suggested that a premium could be charged to anyone whose unregistered system leads to a false alarm. Randall then allowed the public to provide input on the matter. “There could be a fine for multiple false alarms over a short period,” resident Leo Strauss suggested. Borough Attorney Bole noted that the ordinance takes into account the number of false alarms that occur over a calendar year. Resident Stanley Kober asked about the rationale for the ordinance. The mayor said the goal is to establish a database of alarm system owners so contact information is available. The chief pointed out that, at times, false alarms occur in empty buildings. He said that contact information in such cases would be a help to police responders. Kober then asked if those with non-audible alarms would be required to register. “Don’t both types of alarms require the same police response?” Randall asked. Kober said no. However, Randall said an individual with an alarm system that directly alerts him or her rather than the police department might contact the police and ask them to respond. The ordinance was subsequently tabled for further review. As introduced, Ordinance 1003 includes a series of definitions pertaining to alarms, alarm systems, and false alarms; remedies for alarm malfunctions; penalties; details regarding registration; and fees. The ordinance defines an alarm as any type of “alarmactivating equipment which provides warning of burglary, intrusion, fire, flood, or other potential for harm to life or property.” Under this ordinance, medical alert devices, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors that are not connected to a central alarm station would be exempt. Alarm systems are defined as “one or more alarm devices for the express purpose of giving visual, audible, and/or electronic warning of an emergency such as burglary, intrusion, fire, flood, or other potential harm to life or property.” The definition of a false alarm is a signal that elicits an unwarranted response by emergency responders. This section of the ordinance notes that alarm signals caused by violent natural events, including lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, strong winds, power issues, or other extraordinary circumstances would not be considered false alarms.