By Jenn Smith
The Berkshire Eagle
PITTSFIELD, Pa. — If someone comes to your door selling a fire and security monitoring system, don t be alarmed. Just follow the law.
The Pittsfield Fire Department has issued a notice for city residents stating that the installation of a fire alarm system, beyond a simple smoke or carbon monoxide detector, requires approval by the fire chief prior to installation under state law.
Fire Chief Robert Czerwinski said that some residents were recently approached by representatives going door-to-door trying to sell people a combination security and fire alarm system by APX Alarm, a Newton-based company.
According to the fire department advisory, the system being sold is designed to transmit an alarm activation alert to the owner s cell phone, and also sends an alert to the company s central station, which will then notify the system owner s local police or fire department.
The fire chief said the representatives soliciting neighborhoods allegedly offered residents a deal by providing and installing the equipment for free that day, with customers having to agree to pay a monthly monitoring fee.
Czerwinski said in one case, APX was cited for installing a system locally, prior to fire department approval.
A spokesman for the company said he was not aware of the citation, but that the company aims to abide by local installation standards. The fire chief said that the APX salespeople did have the proper solicitation permits from the city.
According to the Pittsfield Fire Department, a fire alarm system may also require a permit from the city wiring inspector, depending on the system type, in addition to having a system and installation plan approved prior to installation.
The notice said that all security systems installed in the city must also be registered with the Pittsfield Police Department, which requires filling out a form and a registration fee in accordance to the type of system.
Already, Massachusetts law requires all residential homes to have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed.
The press release stated, “We thank the public for their diligence in installing these life-saving warning systems. The Pittsfield Fire Department wants to ensure that the installations of these systems are properly permitted and the appropriate procedures are followed.”
For more information on alarm system installation procedures, contact the Pittsfield Fire Department s Fire Prevention Bureau at (413) 448-9764.
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