[Adopted 11-2-1998 by Ord. No. 32-98]
This article may be cited as the "Readington
Township Rapid Entry System Ordinance."
The governing body of the Township of Readington
finds that in order to better protect the property and welfare of
certain business, business patrons and fire company members, a uniform
system for rapid entry into certain buildings and onto certain properties
in the event of a report of a fire emergency is required.
The following words, as used in this article,
shall have the meanings set forth below unless the context in which
it is used clearly required a different meaning.
Any of the structures or buildings described in § 123-22 below.
The instrument used to gain access to the various rapid entry
system boxes to be utilized as a result of the provisions of this
article. The Fire Department shall establish a system of security
and procedure to limit access to any master key(s) to authorized personnel
in times of emergency. The Fire Department shall, to the extent feasible
and practical, use the latest technological advances available to
preserve and enhance the security of the master key(s).
A residential building containing three or more dwelling
units.
A locking vault-like container permanently mounted into the
affected structure or building and accessible from outside of such
structure or building and being capable of being opened by master
key security.
A.
The following structures or buildings shall be required
to have installed a rapid entry box system:
(1)
All buildings having an automatic fire detection or
suppression system.
(2)
Any industrial or warehouse building or structure.
(3)
Hotels, motels or multiple dwellings which have locked
main entrances at any time during the day or night or which have locked
boiler rooms, electrical rooms, basements, sprinkler control rooms
or elevator control rooms.
(4)
All educational and day-care buildings or structures.
(5)
All mercantile buildings and structures, including
shopping centers.
(6)
All office buildings and structures.
(7)
All buildings and structures of public assembly, including
churches, restaurants and movie theaters.
B.
In addition to the above, the following properties
are required to be equipped with a high-security padlock or a high-security
key switch:
(1)
All commercial and industrial properties protected
by fences, gates and related barriers which, at the time of adoption
of this article, are secured by using a padlock or electronically
operated or automatic gates or other control circuits.
(2)
All commercial and industrial properties which, after
the effective date of this article, plan to utilize fences, gates
and related barriers to be secured by padlock or electronically operated
or automatic gates or other control circuits.
The following buildings or structures shall
be exempt:
A.
Owner-occupied one and two-family dwellings identified
by the Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5: et seq.) as R-3 and
R-4.
B.
Any building or structure staffed 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
C.
Any building or structure already constructed or for
which a building permit has been issued as of the effective date of
this article and which is less than 5,000 square feet in area, except
for educational and day-care buildings or structures. For purposes
of determining this exemption, where more than one business is maintained
in a common structure (i.e., strip shopping centers), the measurement
of the square footage of the structure shall include all individual
businesses within the overall building or structure.
A.
Each affected building or structure shall cause an appropriate rapid entry box to be permanently mounted at the main entrance to the building or property. The rapid entry box shall be accessible from outside the structure or building and shall be placed at a minimum height of five feet and a maximum of six feet above final grade or as otherwise approved by the Readington Township Fire Official. The location on the outside of the building or structure shall be, as nearly as possible, uniform among similar types of structures in order to promote quick accessibility upon arrival of fire personnel at the scene of an emergency. Each rapid entry box shall be of sufficient size and configuration to allow the required contents as set forth in § 123-25 below to be conveniently stored therein. In order to assure acceptability of the rapid entry box chosen, each owner, tenant or other responsible party of each affected structure or building shall receive approval from the Readington Township Fire Official as to the size and configuration of the proposed rapid entry box prior to installation.
B.
All rapid entry boxes, high-security padlocks or key
switches installed pursuant to this article must be Underwriter Laboratories
(U.L.) certified and approved by the Readington Township Fire Official.
C.
High-security padlocks or key switches shall be installed
in a location to be approved by the Readington Township Fire Official.
The rapid entry box for each building or structure
shall contain a separately and clearly labeled key for each locked
area within the building or structure (for example, boiler rooms,
electrical rooms, sprinkler control rooms, elevator control rooms,
etc.), the building plan of any structure or building in excess of
30,000 square feet, sprinkler keys, elevator keys and information
concerning any hazardous materials contained within the building or
structure and a clear indication as to the part of the building or
structure within which such hazardous materials are contained or any
other information as directed by the Readington Township Fire Official.
All existing buildings other than those exempted in § 123-23 shall comply with the provisions of this article within 12 months of the date it becomes effective. All newly constructed buildings or properties installing fencing or other barrier-type structures, not yet occupied, or buildings which are under construction at the time this article becomes effective shall comply with these provisions prior to the fire detection or suppression system being accepted and approved for services or prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, as the case may be.
Any property owner or building owner who fails
to comply with or who is in violation of the terms of this article
shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine not to exceed
$1,000 and/or by imprisonment up to 90 days and/or by a period of
community service not to exceed 90 days, at the discretion of the
court. Each and every day that a violation of this article exists
shall be a separate offense.
