[HISTORY:[1] Adopted by the Council of the Municipality of Murrysville
as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 756-07]
The following definitions shall apply to word
usage within this article:
The Building Code Official or his designee in consultation
with the Fire Code Official.
A place that comprises an economic unit, generally at a single
physical location, where business is conducted or services or industrial
operations performed which are required to maintain or house an existing
fire suppression system, including Ansul systems.
The entity, establishment, or owner as per § 115-3 of this article that is responsible for obtaining a fire suppression operating license.
All residential dwelling units or facilities, excluding single-family
and multifamily units classified as R-3 one- and two-family use group
and those bearing four units or less in one building, which are required
to maintain or house an existing fire suppression system, including
Ansul systems.
The Municipality desires to ensure public health,
safety, and welfare through the annual inspection of residential facilities
and commercial establishments and to ensure the continued adherence
of such facilities and establishments to municipal ordinances and
land development approvals.
A.
All residential facilities and commercial establishments
shall obtain a business license.
B.
Where a shopping center, office building, or similar
commercial center owns or operates a fire suppression system central
to the structure, the owner of the center shall be required to obtain
one license for the entire center. Where an individual commercial
establishment within the center bears or requires independent fire
suppression systems such as an Ansul system, said establishment shall
be required to obtain a business license.
C.
Where a condominium or homeowners' association operates
a required or existing central system within a residential facility
or commercial establishment, said association shall be required to
obtain a business license.
D.
Each license shall be effective for a period of one
year after issuance.
E.
The license shall be obtained, initially, within the
2008 calendar year with all residential facilities to obtain said
license by June 30, 2008, and all commercial establishments by December
31, 2008.
A.
Each operator shall submit an application on forms provided by the Municipality along with the required fee or fees as instituted in Chapter 112, Fees, within 30 days of the initial date cited and subsequently within 30 days prior to the expiration of the license.
B.
The Code Official shall inspect the following, the
satisfaction of which is required prior to the issuance or renewal
of the license.
(1)
Compliance of the establishment or facility with the
International Fire Code and National Fire Prevention Association as
adopted by the Municipality of Murrysville through the Pennsylvania
Uniform Construction Code.
(2)
Compliance with all accessibility requirements of
the Uniform Construction Code.
(3)
Compliance of exterior fire suppression systems, including
fire hydrants, with associated land development approvals and municipal
ordinances.
(4)
Where an evacuation plan is required by the International
Fire Code, said plan shall be approved and maintained.
C.
In the event that an application is not received by
the due date required, the Code Official shall notify the operator
that said entity submit the required application and fee within one
week of receipt of the letter.
D.
The Code Official, upon inspection, shall issue a
written report, to the owner of the establishment and the tenant where
the specific establishment requires a license, of any deficiencies,
violations, or corrections, which report shall include a reasonable
amount of time not to exceed 30 days.
E.
Penalty. A person or legal entity that violates any
provision of this article shall be guilty of a summary offense and,
upon conviction thereof before a District Justice, shall be subject
to a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 and shall be
required to pay the costs of prosecution (including reasonable legal
fees). Each violation shall be considered a separate and distinct
offense. Further, each day of continued violation or noncompliance
shall be considered as a separate offense. In addition to the foregoing,
the Municipality may take such other lawful action in any court of
competent jurisdiction as is necessary to prevent or remedy any violation
of this article. Such other lawful actions shall include, but shall
not be limited to, an equitable action for injunctive relief or an
action at law for damages.
F.
Remedy. The aforesaid remedy is not intended to preclude
the Code Official from seeking any other remedy afforded by the Uniform
Construction Code or Murrysville Code where violations of other ordinances
or immediate safety issues exist.
[Adopted 11-18-2015 by Ord. No. 929-15]
The purposes of this article are to:
A.
Provide standards and requirements for the inspection, testing, maintenance,
correction and repair of fire hydrants located on private property
of the Municipality of Murrysville.
B.
Ensure that every private fire hydrant to which the Fire Departments
of the Municipality of Murrysville or other municipal fire departments
connect in the event of a fire or other emergency will function as
designed to produce the water necessary to respond appropriately to
the fire or other emergencies.
C.
Protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the Municipality
of Murrysville.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
The duly appointed code enforcement officer of the Municipality
of Murrysville.
A condition where a private fire hydrant is out of service
due to an unexpected occurrence, such as frozen or ruptured hydrant
components or an interruption of the water supply to the system.
The Fire Departments of the Municipality of Murrysville.
A private fire hydrant as defined below.
A private fire hydrant which is not operational due to an
emergency impairment or a preplanned impairment.
A shutdown of a private fire hydrant which renders the hydrant
nonoperational and therefore out of service.
A tag affixed to a private fire hydrant to indicate that
the hydrant is out of service.
A visual examination of a private fire hydrant to verify
that it appears to be in operating condition and is free from physical
damage.
Work performed to keep a private fire hydrant operable or
to make repairs.
Publication 25 of the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) entitled "Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems 2002," and any subsequent amendments
or revisions thereto.
The person that holds record title to the property upon which
a private fire hydrant is located. For fire hydrants located in the
right-of-way of a public highway in the Municipality of Murrysville
and that are not owned by the Municipality of Murrysville, the owner
is the person that owns the fire hydrant itself.
Where the owner is not the occupant of the premises upon
which a private fire hydrant is located, the occupant, management
firm, or managing individual designated by the owner through specific
provisions in the lease, written use agreement, or management contract
that has the responsibility to inspect, test, and maintain, correct
and repair a private fire hydrant located on the owner's property.
Any institution, public or private corporation, individual,
partnership, fire district, or other entity.
A condition where a private fire hydrant is out of service
due to work that has been planned in advance.
A valved connection to a water main for the purpose of supplying
water to a fire hose or other fire-protection apparatus and that is
not located within the right-of-way of a public highway of the Municipality
of Murrysville. A private fire hydrant also includes any fire hydrant
located in a right-of-way of a public highway in the Municipality
of Murrysville that is owned by any person other than the Municipality
of Murrysville.
Having knowledge of the installation, construction, operation,
maintenance, correction or repair of a fire hydrant and the hazards
involved.
Written documentation of the inspection, testing, maintenance,
correction, or repair of a private fire hydrant.
Indicates a mandatory requirement.
A procedure of periodic physical and operational checks used
to determine whether a private fire hydrant is capable of being operated
as intended and will perform as intended, for example, water-flow
tests. These tests follow up on the original tests at intervals specified
in this article.
A.
Responsibility for properly maintaining a private fire hydrant shall
be that of the owner of the property or the owner's designee.
(1)
Where the owner of a private fire hydrant has designated an occupant,
management firm, or managing individual, through specific provisions
in the lease, written use agreement, or management contract, to be
responsible for the inspection, testing and maintenance of a private
fire hydrant in accordance with this article, the owner's designee
shall comply with the requirements of this article and shall be subject
to enforcement of this article in the event of a failure to so comply.
B.
By means of periodic inspections, tests, maintenance, correction,
and repair, every private fire hydrant shall be maintained in proper
working condition, consistent with this article, the NFPA Standard,
and the manufacturer's specifications or recommendations.
C.
Inspection, testing, maintenance, correction and repair shall be
implemented with the procedures meeting or exceeding those established
in this article and the NFPA Standard and shall be in accordance with
the manufacturer's specifications or recommendations. This article
shall control in the event of a conflict among any of the aforementioned
applicable standards. Inspection, testing, maintenance, correction,
and repair shall be performed by qualified maintenance personnel or
a qualified contractor.
D.
The owner or owner's designee shall notify the Code Enforcement Officer
of the Municipality of Murrysville before testing or shutting down
a private fire hydrant or its water supply.
(1)
This notification shall include the purpose for the shutdown, the
private fire hydrant involved, and the estimated time that the hydrant
will be impaired.
E.
The owner or owner's designee shall notify the Code Enforcement Officer
when the private fire hydrant is returned to service.
F.
The owner or owner's designee shall promptly correct or repair any
deficiencies, damaged parts, or impairments found while performing
the inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements of this article.
G.
The owner or owner's designee shall promptly correct or repair any
deficiencies, damaged parts, or impairments of any private fire hydrant
of which the owner or owner's designee has knowledge or, in the exercise
of reasonable care, ought to have knowledge.
A.
This section shall provide the minimum requirements for the routine
inspection, testing, maintenance, correction, and repair of private
fire hydrants. These functions shall be permitted to be carried out
simultaneously.
B.
On or before October 1 of each year, the owner or the owner's designee
shall inspect, test, maintain, and, if necessary, correct, and repair
each private fire hydrant to ensure proper functioning, with the necessary
repair or corrective action taken as shown in Table 1.[1]
(1)
The owner or owner's designee shall conduct an inspection of a private
fire hydrant after each time the hydrant is operated.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table 1 is included as an attachment to this chapter.
C.
When conducting a test of a private fire hydrant, the hydrant shall
be opened fully and water flowed until all foreign material has cleared.
(1)
Flow shall be maintained for not less than one minute.
(2)
After operation, the hydrant shall be observed for proper drainage
from the barrel.
(3)
Full drainage shall take no longer than 60 minutes.
(4)
Where soil conditions or other factors are such that the hydrant
barrel does not drain within 60 minutes or where the groundwater level
is above that of the hydrant drain, the hydrant drain shall be plugged
and the water in the barrel shall be pumped out.
D.
Private fire hydrants shall be lubricated annually to ensure that
all stems, caps, plugs, and threads are in proper operating condition.
E.
Private fire hydrants shall be kept free of snow, ice, or other materials
and protected against mechanical damage so that free access is ensured.
F.
The owner or the owner's designee shall repair as soon as possible
a private fire hydrant which is impaired or otherwise does not function
as required by this article, the NFPA Standard, or the manufacturer's
specifications.
(1)
After completing all necessary repairs to a private fire hydrant,
the owner or the owner's designee shall inspect and test the hydrant
as necessary consistent with the standards of this article, including,
without limitation, Table 1,[2] to ensure that the hydrant is operational.
[2]
Editor's Note: Table 1 is included as an attachment to this chapter.
A.
The owner or owner's designee shall notify the Code Enforcement Officer
in advance of a preplanned impairment of a private fire hydrant.
B.
The owner or the owner's designee shall notify the Code Enforcement
Officer immediately of an emergency impairment of a private fire hydrant.
C.
The owner or owner's designee shall affix an impairment tag to an
impaired hydrant at the commencement of a preplanned impairment and
at the time of discovery of an emergency impairment.
D.
Once the necessary inspection and testing confirm that repairs have
restored a private fire hydrant to operational status, the owner or
the owner's designee shall remove the impairment tag and shall notify
the Code Enforcement Officer that the hydrant is operational.
A.
Records shall indicate the procedure performed concerning the inspection,
testing, maintenance, correction, and repair of a private hydrant.
Such records shall include the organization that performed the work,
the results, and the date, as well as such other pertinent information
as the Code Enforcement Officer shall require.
B.
Records shall be maintained by the owner or the owner's designee.
C.
The owner or owner's designee shall submit to the Code Enforcement
Officer a record of the annual inspection, test, maintenance, correction
and repair of each private fire hydrant and its components.
D.
The owner shall retain the original records of a private fire hydrant
for the life of the private fire hydrant.
E.
Subsequent records shall be retained for a period of one year after
the next inspection, test, maintenance, correction or repair required
by this article.
A.
A fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, plus cost of prosecution,
including reasonable attorney fees, shall be imposed for a violation
of this article.
B.
Each violation shall be considered a separate and distinct offense.
Further, each day of continued violation or noncompliance shall be
considered a separate offense. In addition to the foregoing, the Municipality
may take such other lawful action in any court of competent jurisdiction
as is necessary to prevent or remedy the violation. Such other lawful
actions shall include, but shall not be limited to, an equitable action
for injunctive relief or an action at law for damages.
