[Adopted 12-15-1970 as Ch. XIV of the 1970 Revised Ordinances, as amended through 3-5-1974]
[Amended 4-3-1986 by Ord. No. 86-7]
There is hereby adopted for the purpose of providing for fire protection and prevention and prescribing regulations governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire that certain code known as the "BOCA Basic/National Fire Prevention Code 1984," and any subsequent amendments thereto, and the whole thereof, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified, changed or amended, and the same are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and the provisions thereof shall be controlling within the corporate limits of the Borough. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:49-5.1 et seq., the aforesaid code, which is printed in book form, is adopted by reference thereto, and a copy of the printed code, plainly marked to indicate deletions, modifications, changes and amendments thereto, as hereinafter shown, is amended to this article and shall be a part of it as fully as though it had been set forth at length herein.
Three (3) copies of the printed code have been placed on file in the office of the Borough Clerk and shall remain on file for the examination of the public so long as this article remains in effect.
The aforesaid code is amended and changed in the following respects:
A. 
Whenever the word "municipality" is used in the code, it shall mean the Borough of Carteret.
B. 
Whenever the term "corporation counsel" is used in the code, it shall mean the Borough Attorney.
C. 
Whenever the words "Chief of the Fire Department" and/or "Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention" are used in the code, they shall mean the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief.
[Amended 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
[Amended 4-3-1986 by Ord. No. 86-7; 9-4-2003 by Ord. No. 03-34]
In connection with the provisions of this article and the Fire Prevention Code, a fee of $35 shall be charged for each permit, except as follows:
Permit
Fee
Any place of assembly not otherwise stated in the code
$35.00
Any building over 35 feet or 3 stories but not defined as a high-rise structure
$100.00
Retail stores or other mercantile uses which exceed 6,000 square feet in gross floor area but are less than 12,000 square feet
$75.00
Eating establishments (no alcohol) with a maximum permitted occupancy under 50
$50.00
Hotels or motels not otherwise covered in the code
$50.00
Storage uses which involve more than 1,000 but less than 2,500 cubic feet gross volume of combustible assembled and empty packing cases, boxes, barrels, pallets or similar containers
$200.00
Processing, handling or use of more than 100 cubic feet of loose combustible vegetable or animal fibers, including, among others, readily ignitable and free-burning fibers such as cotton, sisal, henequen, ixtle, jute, hemp, tow, cocoa fiber, oakum, baled waste, shredded wastepaper, kapok, hay, straw, Spanish moss, excelsior, certain synthetic fabrics, and cloth in the form of scraps and clippings
$200.00
Lumberyards and woodworking plants with under 100,000 board feet of lumber
$200.00
Any permanent installation of liquid petroleum gas or liquid natural gas utilizing storage containers of over 500 but under 2,000 gallons of individual capacity or with an aggregate capacity of over 1,000 but under 4,000 gallons
$150.00
Storage of less than 500 gallons of nonflammable nontoxic cryogenic liquids
$150.00
Storage or handling of (regardless of nature):
$100.00
Under 55 gallons of corrosive liquids
Under 500 pounds of oxidizing materials
Under 10 pounds of organic peroxides
Under 500 pounds of nitrogen ethane
Under 1,000 pounds of aluminum nitrate
Any radioactive material not covered in the code
Under 10 pounds of flammable solids
Bakeries or other retail or commercial establishments utilizing ovens, furnaces or heating devices not covered in the code
$50.00
Commercial or industrial building operations
$100.00
Waste material handling plants
$100.00
Hardware, paint or other retailers not otherwise covered in the code
$75.00
Bowling establishments not covered in the code
$50.00
New or used car dealer showrooms not specifically for repair nor covered under the code
$200.00
Exterior storage of over 6 motor vehicles, regardless of nature
$200.00
Auto body repair or other not covered in the code
$75.00
Auto parts or supply showrooms
$50.00
Laundromats, coin-operated
$100.00
Refrigeration, air conditioning, heating repair and/or sales establishments
$50.00
Any industrial or commercial operations not covered in the code, including processing, chemical refineries, distilleries and others
$100.00
Storage of tank trucks between 1 and 5 trucks
$100.00
Premises dealing with the storage, processing, fabrication of materials and fabrics, including but not limited to sewing factories
$200.00
[Amended 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
A. 
The Fire Prevention Code shall be enforced by the Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Department of the Borough, which is hereby established and which shall be operated under the supervision of the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief.
B. 
The Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, of the Fire Department may detail such members of the Fire Department as inspectors as shall from time to time be necessary. The Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, shall recommend to the Council the employment of technical inspectors who, when such authorization is made, shall be selected through an examination to determine their fitness for the position. The examination shall be open to members and nonmembers of the Fire Department, and appointments made after examination shall be for an indefinite term with removal only for cause.
C. 
A report of the Fire Prevention Bureau shall be made annually and transmitted to the Mayor; it shall contain all the proceedings under this code with such statistics as the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, may wish to include. The Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, shall also recommend any amendments to the code which, in his judgment, are desirable.
[Amended 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
The Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, shall have the power to modify any of the provisions of the Fire Prevention Code upon written application by the owner or lessee, or his duly authorized agent, when there are practical difficulties in the way of carrying out the strict letter of the code, provided that the spirit of the code is observed, public safety secured and substantial justice done. Particulars of such modification, when granted or allowed, and the decision of the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, thereon shall be entered upon the records of the Department, and a signed copy shall be furnished to the applicant.
[Amended 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
Whenever the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, disapproves an application or refuses to grant the permit applied for, or when it is claimed that the provisions of the code do not apply or that the true intent and meaning of the code have been misconstrued or wrongly interpreted, the applicant may appeal from the decision of the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, to the Fire Committee of the Borough Council within thirty (30) days from the date of the decision appealed.
[Amended 4-19-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
A. 
Storage of flammable liquids in outside aboveground tanks hereby is prohibited in the Borough of Carteret.
B. 
New bulk plants for flammable or combustible liquids are hereby prohibited in the Borough of Carteret.
[Amended 4-19-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16; 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
Fire lanes shall be established by the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, and submitted by him to the property owner involved. All fire lanes shall be posted, and the Chief of Police shall be notified and shall be required to enforce compliance in each case.
[Amended 5-7-2020 by Ord. No. 20-09]
The Mayor, the Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, and the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall act as a committee to determine and specify, after giving affected persons an opportunity to be heard, any new materials, processes or occupancies which require permits, in addition to those now enumerated in the code. The Fire Chief, or Battalion Chief, shall post such list in a conspicuous place in his office and distribute copies thereof to interested persons.
[Added 3-15-1977 by Ord. No. 77-6]
A. 
In each of the following classifications of buildings within the Borough of Carteret hereafter constructed, there is hereby required the proper selection, location, installation, operation and maintenance of smoke detectors, pursuant to the provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code, P.L. 1975, c. 217,[1] the regulations adopted by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, including requirements of the standards as provided in Sections 1216.0 to 1216.9.3, inclusive, Automatic Fire Alarm Systems, of the Basic Building Code, Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc., 1975, known as "BOCA," and also in accordance with the standards pertaining thereto set forth in the standards for Household Fire Warnings and Other Buildings or Structures, NFPA No. 74-1975, Vol. 7, 1976, Codes and Standards National Fire Protection Association:
(1) 
Sections 1216.1 through 1216.9 of the 1975 BOCA Basic Building Code are hereby amended to read as follows:
1216.1  Plans and specifications: Where required by this code, the plans and specifications for the automatic fire alarm system shall show the location and number of all sending stations and signals with specifications of the type, construction and operation of the system, including all automatic detection devices. Installation of all equipment shall conform to the requirements of this code and the applicable standards listed in Appendix I.
1216.2  Approval: The automatic fire alarm system shall be approved for the particular application and shall only be used for detection and signaling in the event of fire. The automatic detecting devices shall be approved smoke detectors.
1216.3  Where required: An automatic fire alarm system shall be installed and maintained in full operating condition in the locations hereafter set forth.
1216.3.1  Institutional (I) Use: In all new and existing buildings of Use Group I (institutional), hotels and motels.
1216.3.2  Residential (R-1) Use: In all buildings of Use Group R-1 (residential, hotels).
1216.3  Business (B) or Residential (R-2) Use: In all buildings of Use Group B (business) or R-2, (residential multifamily) when seven (7) or more stories in height.
1216.3.4  Residential (R-2 and R-3) Use: In each dwelling unit within buildings of Use Groups R-2 (residential multifamily) or R-3 (residential one- and two-family). Each dwelling unit shall be provided with a minimum of one (1) approved smoke detector sensing visible or invisible particles of combustion installed in a manner and location approved by the authority having jurisdiction. When actuated, the detector shall provide an alarm suitable to warn the occupants within the individual dwelling unit as set forth in BOCA. (See Section 1217.3.1).
1216.4  Sprinklered buildings exception: Buildings or portions thereof equipped with an automatic fire-suppression system are not required to be equipped with an automatic fire alarm system but are required to be equipped with a manual fire alarm system conforming to Section 1217.0.
1216.5  Manual pull stations: A manual fire alarm system conforming to the requirements of Section 1217.0 shall be installed in conjunction with an automatic fire alarm system.
Exception: Automatic fire alarm system for Use Groups R-2 and R-3 as required by Section 1216.3.4.
1216.6  Distances: Approved fire-detecting devices shall be installed not to exceed the linear or square footage allowances specified, based on the generally accepted test standards under which they were tested and approved.
1216.7  Not mandatory: In special use buildings and structures or parts thereof, an automatic fire alarm system may be installed in lieu of an automatic fire-suppression system when approved by the Department and Fire Department when such installation would be detrimental or dangerous to the specific use and occupancy. (See Section 1202.22.)
1216.8  Power supply: Electric power supply shall be provided from the most reliable source obtainable at the building. The power supply for the automatic fire alarm system shall be provided at a point ahead of the main electrical disconnect when connected to the building supply.
1216.9  Requirements: All automatic fire alarm systems shall be of closed-circuit type and shall be electrically or mechanically supervised. In addition, such systems shall comply with the following Section 1216.9.1 through 1216.9.3.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq.
B. 
Each dwelling unit modified, added to, altered or restored, for which a building permit is required and where the cost of construction is two thousand dollars ($2,000.) or more shall have properly located and installed and functionable an approved smoke detector device of a type approved under any of the above standards or by the Underwriters Laboratories or American Insurance Association.
[Amended 4-19-1990 by Ord. No. 90-16]
C. 
Except as otherwise provided herein, the provisions of the Uniform Construction Code Act,[2] regulations promulgated thereunder and the standards of the BOCA and National Fire Protection Association Codes shall be complied with respecting the selection, number, location and proper operation and maintenance of smoke detector devices.
[2]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-119 et seq.