The Townsend Fire-EMS Department maintains a direct municipal fire alarm monitoring system for automatic fire alarms that is available to customers town wide. Monitoring is conducted in partnership with the Patriot Regional Communications Center (PRCC), utilizing Cellular Multi-Path IoT Radio Boxes and Low-Band Radio Alarm Transmitters compatible with the towns receiving system to ensure reliable signal transmission. This wireless monitoring system replaced the towns aging legacy 100 milliamp hard wired municipal telegraph alarm system that was available to property owners for connection.
While there is No Requirement that property owners must connect to the municipal system it does provide a direct connection 24-hours a day to the Patriot Regional Communications Center Dispatchers at a relatively low annual cost bypassing traditional central station alarm monitoring. Property owners may wish to utilize the Town’s fire alarm monitoring system as an alternative to legacy systems currently utilizing POTS line (Plain Old Telephone Service) alarm dialers in cases where telephone lines are scheduled to be disconnected by the telephone company or where new POTS service becomes increasingly unavailable. Property owners may also opt to utilize both traditional central station alarm monitoring and the Town’s municipal system for added redundancy in the case of service outages or weather events.
Compatible Radio Box equipment may be purchased by the customer directly from the manufacture and is installed by the the customers fire alarm contractor. The Fire and EMS department will only provide assistance with commissioning and testing of alarm signals to the monitoring station after installation is completed by a MA licensed electrical or systems contractor.
Property owners with commercial or residential automatic fire alarm systems connected to the town system are required to comply with Chapter 6 (“Automatic Fire Alarm Systems”) of the Town of Townsend By-laws.
Connection & Information Requirements
Before any automatic fire alarm system is connected to the Townsend Fire and EMS master box network, system owners must submit a request to the department along with required emergency contact and property information.
Required Submission Details:
- Property owner name, address, and home/work contact numbers.
- Physical street address of the building and master box location.
- Names and contact info of protected businesses or occupants.
- At least two (2) emergency contacts available 24 hours a day, authorized to respond to alarm signals and provide property access.
- Additional Information (Requested):
- Name of Installation Contractor and contact information.
- Model of alarm transmitter chosen.
- Zone information and descriptions for all alarm zones to be transmitted. (All alarm zones received that are not properly labeled with a description or transmitted in Contact-ID format with a zone type will be dispatched as a general fire alarm activation and elicit a fire department response)
- The Fire and EMS Department will issue a “Box Number”
Updating Information: Property owners must report any contact or property updates to Townsend Fire – EMS within 30 days of a change. Failure to update contact information within this window may result in a fine of $50 per day.
Fees & Annual Maintenance
All master box connection fees are directed into the Town’s Fire Alarm Maintenance Account to support system infrastructure. Municipal Town of Townsend properties are exempt from these fees.
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
| New Connection Fee | $100 | Due at the time of initial system connection |
| Annual Monitoring Fee | $100 | Due July 1 of each calendar year (Prorated for new connections) |
System Testing & Malfunction Fines:
To maintain operational readiness and prevent unnecessary emergency dispatching, connected alarm systems must be properly maintained.
Testing Notification Requirement:
Always contact Patriot Regional Communications Center at 978-433-2737 prior to conducting any testing, repair, or maintenance on your fire alarm system. Any false alarm caused by unannounced testing or maintenance work may be recorded as a system malfunction and assessed under the fee schedule below.
If you wish to conduct testing of an alarm transmission all the way threw to the dispatch center you must provide prior notification and remain in contact with the dispatch center during any such testing.
Malfunction Fine Schedule:
A malfunction includes accidental system activations, faulty control panels, sprinkler pressure surges, or unannounced system testing.
- 1st through 3rd Malfunction: No charge. (Written notification will be sent via certified mail upon the 3rd malfunction)
- 4th Malfunction: $50 fine
- 5th and Subsequent Malfunctions: $100 fine per occurrence
Failure to pay outstanding malfunction fines within 30 days following an administrative notice may result in system disconnection.
Prohibited Alarm Systems:
Nothing in the towns bylaw or fire department regulations prohibits the use of traditional 3rd party central station alarm monitoring or other monitoring solution specified by the MA building code so long as it complies with the requirements of NFPA 72 Chapter 26, and the MA Building Code. Building owners or contractors installing new fire alarm systems should reach out to the fire prevention office prior to system commissioning to ensure that the proper contact phone numbers are provided to the central station alarm monitoring company for the Patriot Regional Communications Center. Building owners may chouse to utilize central station alarm monitoring, the Department’s municipal system or both at their discretion.
A true “Central Station” service must be certified by an independent, nationally recognized testing laboratory:
- Certificate of Service: Many Massachusetts local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) require the fire alarm contractor to provide a UL Certificate (or Certificate of Compliance) for the protected property upon final inspection.
- UL Listing (UUFX): Central station monitoring facilities must hold a valid UL 827 listing for central station service (or FM Approval).
- Fire Alarm Signals: Must be retransmitted immediately (typically within 90 seconds of signal receipt) to the local public safety dispatch/PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point).
The town bylaw does prohibit automatic telephone tape dialers, direct auto-dialers to department phone lines, or audible-only systems (all no longer manufactured or installed) where municipal master box connectivity is required. Existing non-compliant systems must be converted within 60 days of official notice.
Appeals & Liability
- Appeals: Any property owner who wishes to appeal a fine or action taken under this by-law may submit a written appeal to the Townsend Select Board within 10 days of the action.
- Liability: Property owners are responsible for all costs associated with installing and maintaining their fire alarm systems. The Town of Townsend assumes no liability for system failures or signal interruptions related to municipal alarm monitoring.
For questions regarding master box hookups, radio or cellular box specifications, or updating your emergency contact roster, please contact the Townsend Fire-EMS Department at 978-597-8150 M-F 8AM – 4PM .
The full text of the town bylaw can be accessed here: Chapter 6Automatic Fire Alarm Systems
The MA Building Code can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/massachusetts-state-building-code-780-cmr