[HISTORY: Adopted by the City of Amesbury
as Art. 12 of the 1990 Bylaws. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire
Department to inspect or cause to be inspected by Fire Department
officers or members, as often as may be necessary, but not less than
once a year in outlying districts and twice a year in the closely
built portions of the City, all buildings, except private dwellings,
premises, and public thoroughfares for the purpose of ascertaining
and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or
any violations of the provisions or intent of any ordinance of the
City affecting the fire hazard. Whenever any officer or member shall
find in any building or upon premises or other place, except private
dwellings, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulation
of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of wastepaper, boxes, shavings,
or any other highly flammable materials especially liable to fire,
and which is so situated as to endanger property, or shall find obstructions
to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors or windows liable
to interfere with the operation of the Fire Department or egress of
occupants in case of fire, he shall order the same to be removed or
remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner
or occupants of such premises or buildings, subject to appeal within
24 hours to the Mayor, who shall within 10 days review such order
and file his decision thereon, and unless the order is revoked or
modified it shall remain in full force and be obeyed by such owner
or occupant.
A.Â
Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such
order within 10 days after said appeal shall have been determined,
or, if no appeal is taken, then within 10 days after the service of
said order, shall be liable to a penalty as hereinafter stated.
B.Â
The service of any such order shall be made upon the
occupant of the premises to whom it is directed by either delivering
a true copy of the same to such occupant personally or by delivering
the same to and leaving it with any person in charge of the premises
or, in case no such person is found upon the premises, by affixing
a copy thereof in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance
of said premises. When it may be necessary to serve such an order
upon the owner of premises, such order may be served either by delivering
to and leaving with said person a true copy of said order or, if such
owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the officer making the order,
by mailing such copy to the owner's last known post office address.
Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating
any of the provisions of this chapter or any of its sections shall,
upon conviction, forfeit and pay a fine of $20 for each offense and
$20 for every day thereafter so long as said violation exists.
A.Â
No person shall keep or permit to be kept on the premises
any oily waste or oily rags, unless at all times when not actually
in use such oily waste and oily rags are kept in a metal can with
self-closing cover and riveted joints standing on metal legs which
raise the bottom of the container at least five inches above the floor.
B.Â
All owners or occupants of buildings, except private dwellings, are required to permit the Chief of the Fire Department to inspect their buildings to see if the above is complied with, and it is hereby made the duty of the Fire Department to make or cause to be made such inspection whenever and wherever it may suspect a violation of Subsection A.
A.Â
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to
burn trash, lumber, leaves, straw, or any other combustible material
in any street, alley or vacant lot, except by special permission of
the Chief of the Fire Department, when such burning shall be done
in screened metallic receptacles approved by him and under such proper
safeguards as he may direct as to time and weather, provided that
the Chief of the Fire Department may issue a general permit, by publication,
during certain seasons of the year, for the burning of leaves or other
like material where conducted during daylight and with an adult in
constant attendance.
B.Â
No person shall sell, set off, explode, or cause to
explode any fireworks or firecrackers within the City except under
such regulations as the Mayor or other person the Mayor may authorize
may prescribe.
[Amended 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
A.Â
A radio master box shall be installed and connected
to the municipal fire alarm radio receivers and system on any building
that meets the following requirements: any building in which a sprinkler
system is installed or any building in which a Type 1 fire detection
system is installed; exception: Residential Group R-3 and R-4 structures.
[Amended 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
(1)Â
All
radio master boxes installed in the Town of Amesbury shall be Underwriters'
Laboratories, Inc., listed and approved to be received on the King
Fisher receiver and approved by the Fire Chief. Radio master boxes
shall be internally mounted next to the fire alarm panel. The installation
shall meet the requirements and specifications listed in hard copy
in the office of the Fire Chief.
(2)Â
All
radio master box locations must be approved prior to installation.
During construction and before the acceptance test is approved the
radio box must remain covered and listed as out of service. All keys
associated with the radio master box are to be turned over to the
Fire Chief after acceptance test.
(3)Â
All
equipment shall be made available for test and inspection when required
by the Fire Department.
B.Â
A Type 1 fire detection system shall be installed
and maintained in full operating condition in any structure that meets
the following requirements: construction of a new structure classified
as Group A assembly buildings, Group B business buildings, or any
building of 4,000 square feet or more or renovation in which more
than 25% of the structure is altered and the total area of the building
is 4,000 square feet or greater; exception: Residential Group R-3
and R-4 structures.
C.Â
A sprinkler system shall be installed and maintained
in full operating condition throughout the entire structure when it
meets the following requirements: new structures 7,500 square feet
or greater or when a building is altered or an addition is put on
and the total area is 7,500 square feet or greater; exception: Residential
Group R-3 and R-4 structures.
D.Â
If the
sprinkler system is shut down for other than maintenance and testing,
the property owner will be required to maintain a two-man fire watch
for the duration of time the system is out of service.
[Amended 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
A.Â
Fines.
(1)Â
The owner of a building shall be assessed a fine for
fire alarm system malfunctions as follows:
(a)Â
During a one-year period from January 1 to December
31, the first three responses to a system malfunction will be exempt.
For the fourth response, the owner will be assessed a fine of $50,
for the fifth response the owner will be assessed a fine of $75, for
the sixth response the owner will be assessed a fine of $100, for
the seventh response the owner will be assessed a fine of $150, and
for the eighth and subsequent responses the owner will be assessed
a fine of $200.
(b)Â
At the end of the one-year period, all previous
alarm malfunctions will be deleted from the owner's record; each record
will indicate zero malfunctions.
(2)Â
A burn-in period of 30 days from the final inspection
will be granted, during which time no fines will be assessed.
(3)Â
The owner will not be assessed a fine for a malicious
false alarm, but a criminal complaint will be brought against the
initiator of the alarm.
B.Â
NEEDLESS ALARM
SYSTEM MALFUNCTION
Definitions: As used in this section, the following
terms shall have the meanings indicated:
Any alarm initiated by other than smoke, heat or vapor.
The failure of the alarm system to operate in the normal
or usual manner due to improper installation or maintenance and/or
mechanical defect(s) in the system, resulting in the transmittal of
a needless alarm signal to the Amesbury Fire Department via municipal
fire alarm circuits, digital communicator, central station, or telephone.
C.Â
Any person(s) working in a building performing service
that causes a needless alarm will be assessed a fine of $50 for each
such alarm. All fines will be exempt if the Fire Department has been
notified prior to the work starting.
[Added 9-16-2014 by Bill
No. 2014-097]
A.Â
Introduction. This section provides that residential, commercial
and industrial buildings that utilize truss-type construction shall
be marked by an emblem that informs persons conducting fire control
and other emergency operations of the existence of truss construction.
B.Â
RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
TRUSS CONSTRUCTION
(1)Â
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
Those buildings and structures classified as such by the
Amesbury Building Inspector using the classification system found
in 780 CMR (the Massachusetts State Building Code) or its successors.
A fabricated structure of wood, steel or combination thereof,
made up of a series of members connected at their ends to form a series
of triangles to span a distance greater than would be possible with
any of the individual members on their own. Truss-type construction
shall not include:
Individual wind or seismic bracing components which form triangles
when diagonally connected to the main structure system.
C.Â
Enforcement.
(1)Â
The Fire Chief or his or her designee shall be responsible for ensuring
the proper placement of emblems on buildings or structures covered
by this section. The Amesbury Building Inspector shall only release
certificates of occupancy to those new structures found to be in compliance
with the requirements of this section.
(2)Â
All multifamily residential buildings and all commercial and industrial
businesses in operation at the time this section is ratified shall
be required to have an emblem or emblems placed in the locations identified
by the Fire Chief within six months of the passage of this section.
All existing one- and two-family dwellings shall allow for the placement
of this identifying emblem when undergoing additions or alterations
or when such construction type is identified.
(3)Â
Any person who fails to permit the posting of a structure as set
forth in this section, or who removes or willingly obstructs from
view the fire official's designated posting, shall be punished by
a fine not exceeding $50 for each offense. Every day that a violation
continues after its abatement has been ordered by the City and sufficient
time has elapsed to permit abatement shall constitute a new offense.
(4)Â
The emblems will be made available by the Amesbury Fire Department
at a cost to the building owner/manager.
D.Â
Emblems. The shape of the emblem shall be square, measuring nine
inches by nine inches, engineered grade aluminum. The emblem background
shall be reflective white in color. The Maltese cross and contents
shall be reflective red in color.
E.Â
Truss designations. The following letters shall be printed on the
emblem identifying the existence of truss construction using the alphabetic
designation for the structural components that are of truss construction,
as follows:
"F" shall mean floor framing, including girders and beams.
"R" shall mean roof framing.
"FR" shall mean floor and roof framing.
F.Â
Emblem locations.
(1)Â
Emblems identifying the existence of truss construction shall be
permanently affixed in the locations directed and in a manner approved
by the Fire Chief.
(2)Â
Table No. 1 will be used as an emblem location guide for fire officials.
Every effort is to be made as to not interfere with advertising or
graphic designs located on the doors, windows or face of the buildings
covered by this section.
|
Table No. 1
Truss Identification Sign Locations
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For one- and two-family dwellings:
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|
The emblem shall be affixed to the electrical meter socket.
If the electric meter is located inside the dwelling, the emblem shall
be affixed to the natural gas meter if so equipped. If neither location
is available, additional locations shall follow the guidelines established
for multi-unit apartment buildings and commercial and industrial buildings.
| |
|
Multi-unit apartment buildings, commercial and industrial
buildings:
| |
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Exterior building entrance doors, exterior exit discharge doors,
and exterior roof access doors to a stairway, attached to all main
means of egress at the door or sidelight, or directly on the street
side of the building.
| |
|
Fire Department hose connections:
| |
|
Attached to the face of the building, not more than 12 inches
(305 mm) horizontally from the center line of the Fire Department
hose connection, and not less than 42 inches (1,067 mm) nor more than
60 inches (1,524 mm) above the adjoining walking surface.
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[Added 5-10-2022 by Bill No. 2022-041]
A.Â
Fire safety
inspection/permit fees are enacted as follows. (Note: Fee will double
for any work started without proper permit.)
|
Permit, Inspection, or Review of
|
Fee
|
Duration
|
|---|---|---|
|
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
| ||
|
Single-family
|
$50
|
Per certificate (additional charge of $25 for each preinspection,
failure of inspection or no-show of appointment)
|
|
Multi-unit residential
|
$50
|
Per unit, per certificate (additional charge of $25 for each
preinspection, failure of inspection or no-show of appointment)
|
|
Heat Detector(s)
|
Inspection combined with smoke/CO (fire alarm permit)
| |
|
Fire alarm permit
|
$130
|
Per permit
|
|
Sprinkler permit
|
$130
|
Per test
|
|
Oil burner installation or alternation
|
$50
|
For each inspection
|
|
Oil tank installation or removal
|
$50
|
For each tank inspection
|
|
Propane permit
|
$50
|
For each inspection
|
|
Blasting permits
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Tar kettle operation
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Fireworks display
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Flammable storage
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Copies of fire reports
|
$10
|
Per copy
|
|
Hot works
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Underground storage tanks install or removal
|
$50
|
For each tank inspected
|
|
Annual renewal of underground storage tanks
|
$50
|
For each tank inspected
|
|
Review of plans, prints and specifications:
|
$210
|
Per project
|
|
Up to 7,500 square feet
| ||
|
7,500 to 12,500 square feet
| ||
|
Over 12,500 square feet
|
$210
|
Per project
|
|
Salamanders and propane heaters
|
$50
|
For each permit
|
|
Miscellaneous, unknown, or other not listed above
|
$50
|
For each permit issued
|
|
Permit to install ventless gas fireplace
|
$50
|
For each inspection for C/O alarm (properly installed CO detector
required for use)
|
|
Fire suppression system for commercial cooking equipment
|
$50
|
For each permit and inspection performed
|
B.Â
These fees
are effective July 1, 2022.
