[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Oaklyn
3-14-1978 by Ord. No. 4-78. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire prevention — See Ch. 75.
This is hereby adopted by the Borough of Oaklyn the fire control measures
and regulations as herein set forth for the purpose of controlling conditions
which could impede or interfere with fire suppression forces.
The Fire Official or his duly authorized representatives, as may be
in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency involving the protection
of life and/or property, are empowered to direct such operations as may be
necessary to extinguish or control any suspected or reported fires, gas leaks
or other hazardous conditions or situations or of taking any other action
necessary in the reasonable performance of their duty. The Fire Official may
prohibit any person, vehicle or object from approaching the scene and may
remove or cause to be removed from the scene any person, vehicle or object
which may impede or interfere with the operations of the Fire Department.
The Fire Official may remove or cause to be removed any person, vehicle or
object from hazardous areas. All persons ordered to leave a hazardous area
shall do so immediately and shall not reenter the area until authorized to
do so by the Fire Official.
It shall be unlawful to interfere with, attempt to interfere with, conspire
to interfere with, obstruct or restrict the mobility of or block the path
of travel of any Fire Department emergency vehicle in any way or to interfere
with, attempt to interfere with, conspire to interfere with, obstruct or hamper
any Fire Department operation.
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful
order or direction of the Fire Official or to interfere with the compliance
attempts of another individual.
A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected fire
hose of the Fire Department when laid down on any street, alleyway, private
drive or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of the Fire Official
in command of said operation.
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which are
defined and authorized under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle giving audible
and visual signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall immediately drive
the same to a position as near as possible and parallel to the right-hand
edge or curb of the street or roadway, clear of any intersection, and shall
stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle or
vehicles shall have passed, unless otherwise directed by the Fire Official
or a police officer.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle, other than one
on official business, to follow closer than 300 feet from any fire apparatus
traveling in response to a fire alarm or to drive any vehicle within the block
or immediate area where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
A person shall not, without proper authorization from the Fire Official
in charge of said Fire Department emergency equipment cling to, attach himself
to, climb upon or into, board or swing upon any Fire Department emergency
vehicle, whether the same is in motion or at rest, or sound the siren, horn,
bell or other sound-producing device thereon or manipulate or tamper with
or attempt to manipulate or tamper with any levers, valves, switches, starting
devices, brakes, pumps or any equipment or protective clothing on or a part
of any Fire Department emergency vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to damage or deface or attempt or
conspire to damage or deface any Fire Department emergency vehicle at any
time or to injure or attempt or conspire to injure Fire Department personnel
while performing departmental duties.
A.
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in § 74A-6 of this chapter, shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights on or disobey any existing traffic regulation, except when said vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire. Tactical strategies such as but not restricted to move-ups do not constitute an emergency call.
B.
The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
(1)
Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of existing
traffic regulations.
(2)
Proceed past a red or stop signal or other sign, but
only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
(3)
Exceed the prima facie speed limit as long as he does
not endanger life or property.
(4)
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement
or turning in specified directions.
C.
The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle
shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle, while in motion, sounds
an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle, as may be reasonably
necessary, and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp
displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a
distance of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle.
A.
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, damage, deface,
obstruct or restrict the access to any fire hydrant or any Fire Department
connection for the pressurization of fire suppression systems, including fire
hydrants and Fire Department connections that are located on public or private
streets and access lanes or on private property.
B.
If, upon the expiration of the time mentioned in a notice
of violation, obstructions or encroachments are not removed, the Fire Official
shall proceed to remove the same. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the Fire
Official and with the approval of the chief administrative official, and the
legal authority of the municipality shall institute appropriate action for
the recovery of such costs.
A person shall not use or operate any fire hydrant intended for use
by the Fire Department for fire suppression purposes unless such person first
secures a permit for such use from the Fire Official and the water company
having jurisdiction. This section shall not apply to the use of such hydrants
by a person employed by and authorized to make such use by the water company
having jurisdiction.
The Fire Official shall recommend to the chief administrative official
of the municipality the location or relocation of new or existing fire hydrants
and the placement or replacement of inadequate water mains located upon public
property and deemed necessary to provide an adequate fire flow and distribution
pattern. A fire hydrant shall not be placed into or removed from service until
approved by the Fire Official.
All new and existing shipyards, oil storage plants, lumber-yards, amusement
or exhibition parks and educational or institutional complexes and similar
occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards and which are located
more than 150 feet from a public street or which require quantities of water
beyond the capabilities of the public water distribution system shall be provided
with properly placed fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall be capable of
supplying fire flows as required by the Fire Official and shall be connected
to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The Fire
Official shall designate and approve the number and location of fire hydrants.
The Fire Official may require the installation of sufficient fire hose and
equipment housed in accordance with the approved rules and may require the
establishment of a trained fire brigade when the hazard involved requires
such measures. Private hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service
until approved by the Fire Official.
A person shall not obstruct, remove, tamper with or otherwise disturb
any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed or maintained
under the provisions of the Fire Prevention Code,[1] except for the purpose of extinguishing a fire, training or testing
purposes, recharging, making necessary repairs or when permitted by the Fire
Official. Whenever a fire appliance is removed as herein permitted, it shall
be replaced or reinstalled as soon as the purpose for which it was removed
has been accomplished. Defective and nonapproved fire appliances or equipment
shall be replaced or repaired as directed by the Fire Official.
A person shall not sell, trade, loan or give away any form, type or
kind of fire extinguisher which is not approved by the Fire Official, which
is not in proper working order or the contents of which do not meet the requirements
of the Fire Official. The requirements of this section shall not apply to
the sale, trade or exchange of obsolete or damaged equipment for junk, and
said units are permanently disfigured or marked with permanent signs identifying
the units as junk.
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain any
bumps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses or any other
type of obstruction in or on any street within the boundaries of the municipality.
The word "street," as used in this chapter, shall mean any roadway accessible
to the public for vehicular traffic, including but not limited to private
streets or access lanes, as well as all public streets and highways within
the boundaries of the municipality.
