Lt. Michael Cazzari - member
Michael Klein - member
Kevin Neary - member

Alarms Appeal  Board
Town of Carmel
60 McAlpin Avenue
Mahopac, New York 10541

Telephone: (845) 628-1500
Fax: (845) 628-7085

Alarms comprise 10% to 15% of emergency calls for service.  It is estimated that 95% to 99% are false.  False alarms divert scarce public safety resources from true emergencies and waste millions of public safety dollars.  Responding to false alarms endangers police and fire department personnel and puts the public safety at risk.  Carmel Town Ordinance Chapter 37 establishes a schedule of fines for false alarms. 
 
The schedule of fines is as follows (within 12 consecutive months):
 
1.First two false alarms no fee
2.Third false alarm $15.00
3.Fourth false alarm $40.00
4.Fifth false alarm $90.00
5.Sixth false alarm $190.00
6.Seventh false alarm $290.00
7.Eight false alarm $390.00
8.Ninth false alarm $490.00
9.Tenth false alarm $590.00
10.Each additional false alarm is $100.00 per response. 
 
The ordinance defines a false alarm as "any signal actuated by a police and/or fire alarm device, devices or system of police or fire alarm devices which is not the result of natural disaster, act of God, a criminal act, fire or other emergency requiring police or fire response.  The term "false alarm" shall include human error and equipment malfunction causing the alarm to be activated and which results in police and/or fire response."

Any person, business, firm, corporation or other entity who wishes to appeal the fines imposed pursuant to Subsection A of this section may do so in writing to the Alarms Appeal Board within 30 days of the notification of the imposition of said fines. The Alarms Appeal Board consists of three members appointed by the Town Board to serve at its pleasure. One member shall be an active member of one of the Fire Departments which service the Town and the other two members shall be representatives of the general public. The Alarms Appeals Board, upon appeal, shall have the authority to affirm, amend, modify or waive the fines imposed by the permitting authority. All Board decisions shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Town Clerk.