RSS 2.0 FeedAugust 12, 2010, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Freeport Board approves alarm ordinances
Ammendments to village code intends to be a cost cutting measure.
Freeport trustees amended the Village Code relating to fire and police alarms with the intention of eliminating false alarms and cutting costs by preventing unnecessary calls for emergency responses. The new ordinance also requires, for the first time, permits for the installation of alarms and imposes penalties for turning in false alarms.
Deputy Village Attorney J. Barrington Jackson presented the new ordinance in a public hearing at Monday’s Village Board meeting. It was the result of efforts by a committee of police, fire department and village officials brought about by an acute number of false alarms from certain business locations over the past year.
Mr. Jackson said the law gives the police and fire departments the authority to issue a report to the owner of the premises where the alarm was activated on “immediate action that is required,” such as correcting installation problems and changing the location of an alarm to prevent accidental activation. Separate permits would be required for fire alarms and “intrusion” (or burglar) alarms.
They would have to be monitored by a central station to validate the alarm before it is turned in for an emergency response by the police or fire departments, Mr. Jackson explained. In the event of an alarm turning out to be false, a “civil fee” would be levied after the first call. The fee would be paid to the Village Clerk’s office. For those turning in malicious reports, the particular department can bring legal action in Village Court that would involve “substantially higher penalties.” For “pernicious offenders” (repeat violators) turning in three false alarms within an 18-month period, fines would range from $250 up to $1,000. The fee schedule for obtaining permits consists of $50 for the initial permit for one year and $125 for a three-year permit.
A “sub-permit” would be required for additional protection for both a police and fire alarm, at an additional annual cost of $50 (another $125 for three years). Renewal fees would be for the same amounts. Mr. Jackson told The Leader that businesses and homeowners with alarms would have four months to comply with the new ordinance. Outside alarms that can be heard only in the immediate area and are not connected to the police or fire departments are not subject to the ordinance.
Former Fire Chief Jimmy Butler, a member of the committee that developed the ordinance, said the new law “puts some teeth into it for the Fire Department.” He cited one business on Sunrise Highway, in existence for only four months, that has turned in 20 alarms because its device was installed in the wrong location and was easily triggered. Trustee Robert Kennedy cited another case of a business turning in 170 alarms in a one-year period. The law also authorizes police to deactivate alarms, including car alarms that have been activated for at least 15 minutes. Another measure under the new law that officials hope to implement in the near future would call for businesses to install electronic “key boxes” outside of their premises. That would allow building access to police or firefighters with an electronic key that would be password-protected. This would eliminate the need for forced entry if the owner was not physically present on the premises at times other than business hours.
Energy savings
Under their regular agenda, board members approved a New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) state energy program grant of $355,027 for the installation of solar panels at the Fire Department’s headquarters. The department’s utility bill would decrease by 20%. No matching funds from the village are required. Mayor Andrew Hardwick cited the efforts of state Assembly Deputy Speaker Earlene Hooper in obtaining the grant.
In other actions, trustees approved the following:
- A $117,000 contract to Marfi Construction Inc. of Brooklyn for replacement of the Freeport Memorial Library roof. Following words of praise from resident Alan Jay about the low cost of the repairs, Mr. Kennedy said the replacement could have cost more than $1 million if it had been bonded.
- A $209,525 contract to Westbury Paper Stock Corp. of Westbury for disposal of inorganic material.
- An $87,842 contract to Island Fence of Uniondale for the annual fence contract.
- Acceptance of a $110,097 contract to Stasi Brothers Asphalt of Westbury for the 2009 asphalt paving contract.
Although no public comment was scheduled, at the end of the meeting, resident LaBrenda Thomas pleaded with the board to install a traffic light on Babylon Turnpike at Woodside Avenue, where a fatal traffic accident occurred August 3 that killed a 16-year-old Freeport boy, Komari Franklin. Her son, the victim’s friend who also was in the car, was uninjured. Mayor Hardwick said he had been in contact with Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano about addressing the situation. The mayor said the funeral for the victim would be Friday at Zion Cathedral at 6 p.m.
