§ 10-8. False alarms.

(a)

It is the duty of every property owner/occupant to maintain fire alarms on his property and keep them in working order so as to avoid false alarms and activation in response thereto by the town's fire department and/or the Fire Protection District of the Parish of West Feliciana, both referred to collectively herein after as "fire department."

(b)

False alarms occurrences and activation in response thereto by the fire department to the same structure within any continuous twelve-month period shall subject the property owner/occupant to warnings and/or civil fines by the fire department as set forth herein below:

(1)

First occurrence: a verbal warning.

(2)

Second occurrence: a written warning.

(3)

Third occurrence: a civil fine, fifty dollars ($50.00) for residential and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for commercial.

(4)

Fourth occurrence: a civil fine, one hundred dollars ($100.00) for residential and two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for commercial.

(5)

All subsequent occurrences: a civil fine, two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for residential and five hundred dollars ($500.00) for commercial.

(c)

If multiple false alarms occur within twenty-four (24) hours (forty-eight (48) hours on weekends and holidays) only one (1) occurrence will be counted. This is to give the owner/occupant time to have the system serviced.

(d)

The owner/occupant shall have one hundred sixty-eight (168) hours from the time of the occurrence to pay any civil fine assessed pursuant to this article. Payments shall be made to the town clerk at the town hall. Failure to pay the fine within the time allowed shall result in the disconnection of all utilities served by the town to the subject property.

(e)

Disconnection of utilities as required herein shall take place after the owner/occupant has been given written notice of the disconnection and an opportunity for a hearing. The hearing must take place no later than five (5) days of said notice.

(f)

In the case of an absentee owner/occupant, the fire chief shall submit to the town clerk evidence of efforts to contact the absent owner/occupant. Said evidence shall serve the purposes of due process, and disconnection of utilities shall be made no earlier than five (5) days after the date of the last effort to contact the absentee owner/occupant.

(Ord. No. 2016-1, 4-14-16)