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Public Safety Committee advances nuisance-alarm ordinance
Summary
The Middletown Public Safety Committee voted to advance a proposed ordinance that would require property owners or lessees to maintain fire alarm systems, allow warnings and meetings for repeat false alarms, and permit prosecution under the penal law for repeated offenses; the committee moved the draft forward by voice vote.
The Middletown Public Safety Committee voted to advance a draft ordinance intended to reduce repeated false fire-alarm responses by allowing warnings, meetings with property owners and, in some cases, prosecution. Chair called the item for discussion and, after members debated definitions and enforcement mechanics, asked the committee to move the draft forward; members responded "Aye" and no opposition was recorded.
The proposal states that "each and every fire alarm system in the city of Middletown shall be properly maintained by the owner or the lessee of the subject property," and provides that the fire chief or fire inspector may issue written warnings and schedule meetings with owners after repeat nuisance alarms. The draft also says that repeated failures can "constitute an offense within the penal law" and that the commissioner of public works or the mayor would have discretion over whether charges are filed in Middletown city court. Fire Chief (identified in the meeting as the person called to present) said he had reviewed the latest draft and "I got the last version that mister Smith wrote up, and I I agree with everything in it."
