Newtown Township Fire Prevention and Fire Protection

[Ord. 2017-O-7, 11/21/2017; as amended by 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-O-5]

A certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the Newtown Emergency Services Department of Newtown Township, being marked and designated as the International Fire Code, 2018 Edition, including Appendix Chapters B, C, D, E, and F, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted as the Fire Code of Newtown Township, regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling, and use of hazardous substances, materials, and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Fire Code on file in the office of the Newtown Emergency Services Department of Newtown Township are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in full in this chapter, with the additions, insertions, deletions, and changes, if any, prescribed in§ 7-102 of this chapter.

[Ord. 2017-O-7, 11/21/2017; as amended by 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-O-5]

The following sections of the 2018 Edition of the International Fire Code are hereby revised as follows:

Section 101.1. - Insert: "Newtown Township, Bucks County."

Section 103.2. is amended to read as follows:

"The fire code official shall be appointed by the fire chief; and the fire code official shall not be removed from office except for cause and after full opportunity to be heard on specific an relevant charges by and before the appointing authority."

Section 105.1.2. is amended to read as follows:

Types of permits. There shall be four types of permits as follows:

Operational permit. An operational permit allows the applicant to conduct an operation or a business for which a permit is required by Section 105.6 for either:

1.1. A prescribed period.

1.2.1.2. Until renewed or revoked.

Construction permit. A construction permit allows the applicant to install or modify systems and equipment for which a permit is required by Section 105.7.

Annual fire safety inspection permit. An annual fire safety inspection permit will be required on all properties that are referred to in the Fire Code. The annual fire safety inspection will ensure that the buildings that receive a fire safety inspection are in compliance with the Fire Code.

Use and occupancy permit. A use and occupancy permit would be under the Fire Code when no other building permit would be required for the business to commence operations. This would ensure the business would be in compliance with all fire safety issues.

Section 110.4. is amended to insert: "Summary," "not to exceed $1,000" and "30 days."

Section 112.4. is amended to insert: "$500," "Not to exceed $1,000."

A new Section 503.7 is added as follows:

"Enforcement authority. The Township Fire Official, Township firefighters, and the Township Police Department have the authority to enforce and issue citations for violations of the 'no parking, stopping, or standing' provisions of this section."

Section 507.5.1. is amended to read as follows:

Where required. Fire hydrants shall be provided in sufficient number and be located in a manner that will enable the required fire flow to be delivered through hose lines to any important structure. Fire hydrant locations shall be determined by the fire code official, but in no case shall a hydrant be located in excess of 500 feet from an important structure on a street or road, or 300 feet from any portion of the exterior of a building, or greater than 100 feet from a Fire Department connection. All exceptions noted in this section are deleted.

Section 1103.5.3. is amended to insert: "by January 1st, 2025."

Section 5601.2.4. is amended to read as follows:

"Before a permit is issued, as required by Section 5601.2, the applicant shall file with the Township a corporate surety bond in the principal sum of $2,000,000, or a public liability insurance policy for the same amount in favor of the Township, as it relates to blasting, and a specific second certificate of insurance naming the Township as an additional insured, with a specific reference to the blasting activities, for the purpose of the payment of damages to persons or property that arise from or caused by the conduct of any act authorized by the permit upon which any judicial judgment results. The fire code official is authorized to specify a greater or lesser amount when, in his or her opinion, conditions at the location of use indicate a greater or lesser amount is required. Government entities shall be exempt from this bond requirement."

Section 5601.6. is amended to read as follows:

Section 5601.6 Notification. Whenever a new explosive material storage or manufacturing site is established, including a temporary job site, the local law enforcement agency, fire department, and local emergency planning committee shall be notified 48 hours in advance, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, of the type, quantity, and location of explosive materials at the site. Prior to the issuance of the blasting permit, the applicant shall notify all property owners within 500 feet of the blast-affected area, this notification shall be done five working days prior to the blasting activities by certified mail, return receipt requested. Issuance of the blasting permit may be withheld by the Emergency Services Department if the applicant fails to provide evidence of compliance with this code.

All geographic limits referred to in certain sections of the 2018 International Fire Code are to comply with the Newtown Township Zoning Code.