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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLL 07 of 1995 Lock Boxes TOWN OF ITHACA LOCAL LAW NO. 7 OF THE YEAR 1995 A LOCAL LAW TO REQUIRE LOCK BOXES FOR CERTAIN BUILDINGS IN THE TOWN OF ITHACA Be it enacted by the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Findings. (a) The Town Board of the Town of Ithaca finds the use of alarm systems connected directly or indirectly to an agency providing fire and other emergency responses is increasing within the Town of Ithaca; and (b) On occasion such alarms have been erroneously activated when the premises are vacant or under other circumstances where the fire department or other emergency personnel have responded and have been unable to obtain access to the premises to turn off the alarm; and (b) There have been other circumstances where alarms are connected to loud noise-making devices such as bells or klaxons and it has not been possible to turn off such noise-making alarms when they have been triggered by an erroneous signal; and (c) There are circumstances where an emergency such as a fire or burglary is in progress and a non- forced entry to the premises would be desirable to react to the emergency; and (d) It would be desirable to provide for a method of access by emergency personnel under any of the foregoing circumstances in a controlled manner. Section 2. Definitions. (a) "Lock box" shall mean a device as prescribed by the Town of Ithaca or the City of Ithaca Fire Department in coordination with the Town of Ithaca Building and Zoning Enforcement Officer in which shall be placed a key to the premises on which the box is located, access to which box shall be limited and regulated so that a minimum number of persons shall have access to the key that will open the box and a record is maintained at all times as to the person or persons who may obtain access to the box. (b) "Alarm system" shall be any system by which notification of a possible fire or burglary is made, directly or indirectly, to the Fire Department, Police Department, or other emergency response entity or dispatcher or which activates an audible signal that can be heard off of the property on which the premises are located or a visual signal which can be seen off of the property on which the premises are located. 2 Section 3. Lands to which this local law applies. This local law shall apply to all areas of the Town of Ithaca outside the Village of Cayuga Heights. Section 4. Attachment of lock box. Lock boxes shall be required for all new and existing buildings, other than one or two family dwellings, that have an alarm system. Section 5. Location and attachment of lock boxes. Lock boxes shall be affixed to the structures in the manner detailed by the manufacturer and in a location established by either the City of Ithaca Fire Department or the Town of Ithaca Building Code and Zoning Enforcement Officer. Section 6. Retrofit requirement. Any building currently in existence to which this local law shall apply shall have a period ending July 1, 1996, within which to comply with the terms of this local law. Section 7. Penalty for violation. A violation of this local law is hereby declared to be a class B misdemeanor punishable in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Law relating to the commission of misdemeanors. In addition the Town Board of the Town may also maintain an action or proceeding in the name of the Town in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with or to restrain by injunction the violation of this local law, notwithstanding that this local law provides a penalty or other punishment for such violation. Section 8. Partial invalidity. In the event that any portion of this law is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected by such declaration of invalidity. Section 9. Effective date. This law shall take effect July 1, 1995.