Notice of Public Hearing 7/15 - Proposed Amendment to New Shoreham General Ordinances Chapter 5 Fire

Notice of Public Hearing

Proposed Amendment to New Shoreham General Ordinances

Chapter 5 Fire Prevention and Protection, Article IV Fire Alarms, Section 5-72 through 5-83

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road

Block Island, RI 02807

7:00 p.m.

 

The New Shoreham Town Council will consider amendments to the General Ordinance.  New proposed language is UNDERLINED and proposed deleted language is in strikeout.   The proposed language may be altered or amended prior to the closure of the public hearing without further advertising, as a result of further study or because of the views expressed at the public hearing. Any alteration or amendment must be presented for comment in the course of the hearing.

§ 5-72. Definitions. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-72]

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

FIRE ALARM ADVISORY BOARD — Refers to a board comprised of the town manager, a member of the fire department, a member of the police department and a fire alarm business representative the town’s Alarm and Communications Officer.

FIRE ALARM BUSINESS — Refers to either a fire alarm service provider or fire alarm monitoring company, or both as defined below.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM — Refers to equipment or devices located on a premises within the town, which equipment or devices are designed to detect monitor and annunciate smoke, fire, or activation of a fire suppression system, or other supervisory or trouble condition for the purpose of initiating an appropriate response to the condition. Residential smoke alarms are exempted from this definition.

MUNICIPAL FIRE ALARM (MFA) MONITORING SYSTEM (MFAMS) — Refers to the equipment in place at the town police department that receives signals from a fire alarm system that causes the dispatcher to and notifyies emergency personnel.

NUISANCE OR FALSE FIRE ALARM — Refers to the activation of any fire alarm system, which results in a response by the fire department, caused by mechanical failure, malfunction, improper installation, lack of proper maintenance, negligence or intentional misuse by the owner, its employees or agents, or any other response for which the fire department personnel are unable to determine the apparent cause of the alarm activation. Alarms resulting from BI Power Company power company failures will not be considered nuisance fire alarms.

QUALIFIED FIRE ALARM TECHNICIAN — Refers to any person who inspects, installs, repairs or performs maintenance on fire alarm systems. This person shall be:

1. Factory trained and certified;
2. National Institute of Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Fire Alarm Level II certified; or

(3)(2)  Licensed or certified by the state.

 

 

REPORT OF SERVICE/REPAIR — Refers to appropriate documentation in a format acceptable to the town that verifies proper repairs or maintenance haves been performed by both the fire alarm business and/or owner.

§ 5-73. Promulgation of rules and regulations. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-73]

The town manager and fire chief may jointly issue promulgate rules and regulations relating to alarms systems to implement this article.

§ 5-74. Requirement for registration of monitored alarm systems. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-74]

Any commercial or residential fire alarm system that is monitored by either the town's municipal fire alarm monitoring system or another monitoring facility must be registered by the owner with the town. All monitored fire alarm systems not previously registered must be registered within fifteen (15) days of the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived.

§ 5-75. Municipal fire alarm monitoring. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-75; amended 8-21-2024 by Ord. No. 2024-17]

1. The town established a municipal fire alarm monitoring system at the police department under the guidance of the state fire marshal's office. This system is a polling radio system to which each commercial monitored alarm system must be connected.
2. All municipal and commercial premises designated by the state fire marshal's office must be connected to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system.
3. For commercial premises, the only alarms that shall be monitored via the municipal monitoring system are as follows: fire, fire supervisory and, for those premises with active wet sprinkler systems, water flow, and low temp. All other alarms that owners choose to have monitored must be transitioned to another monitoring facility. Any alarms not on the approved list that are transmitted to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system will be subject to a fine for each offense, payable to the Town of New Shoreham. (Fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office.)
4. For commercial premises that have radio boxes installed, all digital dialer alarm communications to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system must cease as of July 1, 2011. For commercial premises that have not yet installed a radio box, all digital dialer communications to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system for alarms not allowed in accordance with subsection (c) of this section, must cease as of July 1, 2011. Any alarms not on the approved list that are sent to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system will be subject to a fine for each offense, payable to the Town of New Shoreham. (Fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office.)

 

5. The town has a contract with a service provider to maintain and support the municipal fire alarm monitoring system. All radio box purchases and installations must be coordinated through the building official and checked out by the building official and the contracted service provider before a connection to the municipal fire alarm monitoring system is approved. It is the responsibility of the town manager to develop and maintain detailed procedures and forms for this process.  The Town’s E-permitting system shall be utilized for the creation of a new MFA subscriber, or one converting from a Digitize system to an AES system. An electrical permit must be acquired for the conversion, and an MFA form must be submitted identifying the required data identified below:

 

6. Registration for town monitoring requires:
7. The name(s), address of the premises, mailing address (if different from the address of the premises), business and home telephone number of the owner, lessee, operator, manager or person in possession of the premises wherein the fire alarm system and radio master box (RMB) is installed.;
8. The name, address, email address, and telephone number of a minimum of two persons who can be notified in the event of the activation of the fire alarm system via the radio box RMB, who shall be capable of responding to the premises within one hour, and who are authorized to enter the premises to ascertain the status thereof.;
9. The name, address, email address, and telephone number of the fire alarm business which has contracted to install the radio box RMB and proof of proper state licensing/registration.
10. The name, address, email address, and telephone number of the fire alarm business(es) which has contracted to maintain the operation of the fire alarm system and/or radio box RMB and proof of proper state licensing/registration.
11. The name, address, email address, and telephone number of the fire alarm business which has contracted to perform periodic testing of the fire alarm system and radio box RMB and proof of proper state licensing/registration.
12. Application for an electrical permit for radio box installation.

 

(7)(6) Application Electrical permit for an RMB radio box that provides detailed information regarding the fire alarm system and alarm zones to be monitored. The fire alarm control panel must be rated for commercial connected applications in accordance with NFPA 72 and UL 864.

 

        (8)(7) An annual monitoring fee. (Fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office.)

 

(g)(d) Any change in contact information, fire alarm business and/or technicians authorized to work on the fire alarm system required must be communicated to the town immediately via an update to Town’s E-permitting system. The police department Alarm and Communications Officer will not accommodate any technician working on an alarm system for which they do not have a valid license on file.

§ 5-76. Nonmunicipal fire alarm monitoring. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-76]

1. For premises monitored by a facility other than the town's municipal fire alarm monitoring system, the owner is responsible for ensuring that neither the police department nor the fire department are listed with the monitoring facility as first responders to any alarm.
2. The owner shall be required to re-register whenever there is a change in the fire alarm business(es) responsible for maintaining, servicing, testing and/or monitoring any portion of the fire alarm system.
3. Registrations shall not be transferable from one premises to another or from one owner to another.
4. Registration is required prior to activating fire alarm system monitoring.
5. The registration form shall include the following information:
6. The name(s), address of the premises, mailing address (if different from the address of the premises), business and home telephone number of the owner, lessee, operator, manager or person in possession of the premises wherein the fire alarm system and monitoring equipment is installed;
7. The name, address and telephone number of the fire alarm business which has contracted to service the fire alarm system and proof of proper state licensing/ registration. A legible copy of current license must be provided with the registration;
8. The name, address and telephone number of the fire alarm monitoring business which has contracted to monitor the fire alarm system;
9. If other than the town's municipal monitoring system, certification that neither the police department nor fire department is listed as alarm points of contact or responders with the fire alarm monitoring business;
10. The date the registration is signed or the fire alarm system monitoring is placed in operation for any reason; and
11. Any other documentation that is required by adopted codes or town procedures.
12. When any of the registration information has changed, it shall be reported to the town immediately.
13. The owner shall complete and deliver the fire alarm monitoring registration in the required format to the town before the fire alarm system monitoring is activated.

§ 5-77. Registration of fire alarm monitoring companies. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-77]

1. Registration with the town shall be required for all fire alarm monitoring companies monitoring any fire alarm system within the town.
2. The registration form shall include the following information:
3. The name(s) and addresses of the premises that the company is under contract to monitor and the specific alarms being monitored.
4. For each premises, the names and cell phone numbers of at least two on-island persons who will be available to respond in the event of the activation of the fire alarm system, who shall be capable of responding to the premises within one hour, and who are authorized to enter the premises to ascertain the status thereof;
5. Any other documentation that is required by adopted codes or town procedures.

 

§ 5-78. Registration of fire alarm service companies. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-78]

1. Registration shall be required for all fire alarm service companies responsible for maintaining and/or testing municipal, commercial and/or residential fire alarm systems.
2. Registration information shall include:
3. The name(s) and addresses of the premises that the company is under contract to maintain.
4. A copy of the company's business license, if applicable.
5. The names and a copy of the valid license for all technicians authorized by the company to work on fire alarm systems.
6. Acceptance of the requirement that a technician notify the police department before beginning work on an active alarm system and that the police department will verify that they have a valid license on file.
   100. Changes in registration information, including license renewals, shall be filed promptly with the town.

§ 5-79. Inspection, testing and maintenance responsibilities. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-79]

5. When a fire alarm service provider plans to perform routine inspection/testing on more than one fire alarm system on a given day, then they must notify the police department forty-eight (48) hours in advance with the locations they plan to test and the approximate start and end times of testing, so that the police department can adequately prepare for the increased workload.

§ 5-80. Fire alarm activation; response. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-80]

2. A response to the activation of a fire alarm system shall result when any police officer or member of the fire department is dispatched to the premises where the fire alarm system has been activated.

 

1. In the event the fire alarm system is a monitored system, it is the responsibility of the company monitoring the fire alarm system to notify any person identified in the registration.
2. In the event the household fire alarm system is a monitored system, it is the responsibility of the fire alarm business to offer the owner the option to verify the fire alarm signal before dispatch, as allowed by adopted code.
3. In the event the household fire alarm system is a monitored system, it is the responsibility of the fire alarm business to forward cancellation of a fire alarm signal to the police department.

 

(4)(2)  In the event the fire or police department is dispatched to a monitored premises as a result of points of contact failing to respond, the owner may be subject to a fine. (Fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office.)

§ 5-81. Nuisance and false fire alarms. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-81]

1. In the event the activation of a fire alarm system is deemed by the fire department to be a nuisance or false fire alarm, the owner shall be provided with a fire alarm activation report by the town, indicating that the activation was deemed to be the result of a nuisance or false fire alarm.
2. This shall require the owner to return a completed report of service/repair within five (15) days of receipt of the fire alarm activation report to verify, to the reasonable satisfaction of the town, that:
   1. The fire alarm system has been examined by a qualified fire alarm technician; and
   2. A bona fide attempt has been made to identify and correct any defect of design, installation or operation of the fire alarm system which was identifiable as the cause of the nuisance or false fire alarm.
3. Failure to return a report of service/repair within said fifteen-day period, which is reasonably satisfactory to the town, shall result in assessment against the owner of a fee for the nuisance or false fire alarm. (Fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office.)

§ 5-82. Fees and fines (fee schedule is on file in the clerk's office). [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-82]

 

500. Nuisance or false fire alarms.

1. No fee shall be assessed for the first false or nuisance fire alarm at the same premises responded to by the fire department during each calendar year. Thereafter, the owner shall pay a fee for false or nuisance fire alarms responded to by the fire department at the same premises during each calendar year. Where the owner can show proof that the fire alarm system has been inspected since the first false or nuisance alarm and found in good working order, the fine may be waived.
2. Immediately after the fire department has recorded the first and all subsequent nuisance or false alarm violations in any calendar year from the same premises, the town shall notify the owner and/or subscriber in writing with a fire alarm activation report of such fact and instructing him/her as follows:
   1. The alarm system subscriber and/or owner or his/her authorized representative shall file with the town within three days of receipt of the notification, a plan designed to eliminate the false or nuisance alarms, which shall at a minimum include:
      1. Inspection of the alarm system by a qualified fire alarm technician and/or fire alarm business; and
      2. An alarm system procedure protocol for all employees (if the premises is a business) or members of the household (if the premises is a residence) occupants.
3. An alarm system subscriber and/or owner who fails to pay the fee or fine provided in this article within fifteen (15)0 days of written notice thereof sent by the town shall be subject to a fine for each offense.

§ 5-83. Notification and appeal. [Ord. of6-6-2011, § 5-83]

1. The town shall notify the owner and/or subscriber by certified mail of any fine.
2. Within fifteen (15) days of mailing of such notice, the alarm system owner may file a written appeal of said fine to the town manager fire alarm advisory board. The filing of an appeal stays the assessment of the fee until the town manager board makes a final decision. Said notice of appeal shall contain information to show that the alarm giving rise to the fine was not a false or nuisance alarm within the meaning of this article. Said notice of appeal shall contain a return address to which the town manager fire alarm advisory board shall send notice of his/her decision.
3. The town manager fire alarm advisory board shall consider the information filed by the alarm system subscriber and/or owner, reaffirm or rescind the false or nuisance alarm charge determination and, within fifteen (15) days of his/her receipt of said appeal, notify the alarm system subscriber and/or owner of his/her the fire alarm advisory board decision by certified mail. Such decision shall be final and shall not be subject to further appeal.

 

Posted:             June 18, 2026

Hearing:           July 15, 2026

Adopted:          

Effective:          

Posted:             

 

Attest:              Millicent Highet, MMC

                        Town Clerk