[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
North Coventry 7-27-1992 by Ord. No. 95;
amended in its entirety at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby adopted by the North Coventry Township Board of Supervisors
the fire control measures and regulations as herein set forth for the purposes
of controlling conditions which could impede or interfere with fire suppression
forces.
The Fire Chief of Norco Fire Company or 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, is 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 Marshal
or Fire Chief 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 Marshal or Fire Chief 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 Marshal or Fire Chief.
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 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 Marshal or Fire Chief 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 Chief
in command of said operation.
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which are
defined and authorized under the Vehicle Code (Title 75) of the State of Pennsylvania
as amended and including the Township Fire Marshal's vehicle.
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 Chief, Fire
Company officer, Fire Marshal or a police officer.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle, other than one
in emergency response status, to follow closer than 500 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 Marshal
or Fire Chief 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 to 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 emergency vehicle at any time or to injure,
or attempt to conspire to injure, Fire Department personnel while performing
departmental duties.
A. The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in §
168-6 of this chapter, shall not sound the siren thereon or have 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 or on the scene of an emergency. Tactical strategies such as, but not restricted to, "move-ups" do not constitute an emergency call. 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 so long as the action does
not endanger life or property;
(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or traffic.
B. The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle
shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle, while in motion, sounds
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 Marshal
shall proceed to remove the same.
C. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary work shall
be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the Fire Marshal 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
of the Fire Department for fire suppression purposes unless such person first
secures a permit for such use from the Fire Marshal and the water company
having jurisdiction. The 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 Marshal and the Fire Chief 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 Marshal and Fire Chief.
All new and existing ship yards, 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 Marshal and Fire Chief and shall
be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices.
The Fire Marshal and Fire Chief shall designate and approve the number and
location of fire hydrants. The Fire Marshal and Fire Chief 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 prevention
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 except for the purpose of
extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes, recharging or making necessary
repairs, or when permitted by the Fire Marshal. 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 Marshal.
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 Marshal or which
is not in proper working order, or the contents of which do not meet the requirements
of the Fire Marshal. The requirements of this section shall not apply to the
sale, trade or exchange of obsolete or damaged equipment for junk when said
units are permanently disfigured or marked with a permanent sign identifying
the unit 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 the 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.
Nothing in this chapter hereby adopted, either in part or in whole,
shall be construed as superseding the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code (Title 75)
as amended.