[Adopted 6-18-1990 by L.L. No. 15-1990]
A.
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Tarrytown
hereby finds and declares that installation of smoke- or heat-detection
devices in certain residential and nonresidential occupancies is a
matter which the Board of Trustees should regulate for the health,
safety and welfare of residents and property owners. The Board of
Trustees recognizes the numerous obstacles experienced in the Village
of Tarrytown by the Fire Department when addressing the fire-fighting
and lifesaving responsibilities of the Fire Department.
(1)
First, the severe traffic congestion problems within
the Village of Tarrytown increase the response time of the Fire Department.
The traffic congestion problems are especially evident on Friday afternoons
and during the change in shifts at the General Motors plant. In addition,
the location of the firehouses and the inability of fire fighters
to travel to the firehouses creates time delays. One firehouse located
in the southern end of the village and five firehouses located in
the northern end of the village separated by a congested state road
provides concern should a major fire occur in the southern end of
the village.
(2)
Second, the adjacency of residential and nonresidential
buildings throughout the village, especially in the older sections
of the community, contributes to the difficulty in containing a fire
in one building. This problem is exacerbated by the prevalence of
wood-frame construction.
(3)
Third, the Fire Department is experiencing a decrease
in the number of volunteers, plus the aging of the existing volunteers
in the Fire Department, which creates a manpower problem, reducing
the number of fire fighters available to meet the fire-fighting needs
of the community. In addition, the use of volunteers who work outside
of the Village of Tarrytown creates a situation of minimal staffing
during the weekdays.
B.
The installation of smoke- or heat-detection devices
in certain residential and nonresidential occupancies will provide
an alert for occupants to the possibility of injury or death due to
the presence of smoke or fire. Due to the three distinct concerns
noted hereinabove, occupants cannot and should not rely strictly on
the Fire Department for the saving of lives. An early warning system
located throughout the residential and nonresidential occupancies
will ultimately assist the Fire Department in its fire-fighting activities
as well as in ultimately saving lives.
C.
In view of the foregoing, it is necessary for the
Board of Trustees to enact this article to preserve and ensure the
public peace, health, safety and welfare as well as the quality of
life in the Village of Tarrytown.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The minimal permissible "heat detector" shall be of single
station type approved by the National Fire Protection Association
and shall be either mechanically, electrically or gas powered.
An area totally enclosed which contains at least 50 feet
of floor area but not more than 600 square feet of floor area.
The minimal permissible "smoke detector" shall be a single-station
alarm device approved by the National Fire Protection Association
and shall be powered by a battery having a usable life of at least
12 months' duration.
A.
All buildings, other than those used as dwellings,
which do not contain approved sprinkler systems shall contain (except
in areas where heat-detection devices are separately required) one
smoke detector for each smoke area and, in the case of enclosed hallways,
corridors and vestibules, one smoke detector for each 50 linear feet.
B.
All buildings, other than those used as dwellings,
which do not contain approved sprinkler systems shall contain in each
room with cooking facilities, boilers, furnaces or other heat-producing
units one heat-detection device for each smoke area.
C.
All multifamily dwellings shall have smoke detectors
in the following locations:
(1)
At the top of any stairwell, if such stairwell is
open to common hallways or corridors.
(2)
One smoke detector for each 50 linear feet in common
hallways and/or corridors.
(3)
Storage areas: in areas exceeding 50 square feet,
a minimum of one smoke detector for each smoke area or portion thereof.
D.
All multifamily dwellings shall be required to have
at least one heat detector in each boiler room.
All one- and two-family dwellings where construction
is commenced after the adoption of this article shall have at the
entrances to all bedrooms at least one smoke-detection device in such
locations and numbers as are determined by the Chief of the Fire Department
of the Village of Tarrytown.
All smoke- and heat-detection devices required
hereunder must at all times be in good working order.
A.
All owners of buildings described in § 165-34 above shall, on January 15 of each calendar year, file with the Chief of the Fire Department of the Village of Tarrytown an affidavit setting forth the number and location of all smoke- and heat-detection devices in any building owned by the person signing the affidavit and shall certify that such devices have been examined and found to be in proper working condition on a date no more than 60 days prior to the signing of the affidavit. Such affidavit shall be in a form approved by the Fire Chief.
B.
This article shall take effect in all existing buildings
within the Village of Tarrytown in the following manner:
[Amended 5-6-1991 by L.L. No. 5-1991]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this article, including but not limited to the failure to file an affidavit as provided in § 165-37 or making of any false statements in an affidavit filed pursuant to § 165-37, shall be punishable, upon conviction thereof, as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II.
