[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of
South Fayette as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 11-8-1982 by Ord. No. 330]
[Amended 11-16-1998 by Ord. No. 409]
It shall be the responsibility of the contractor or builder of any new
structure or building to be occupied to install smoke detectors in such dwelling
units as hereinafter provided. Said smoke detectors shall be capable of sensing
visible or invisible particles of combustion and providing a suitable audible
alarm thereof; further, they shall be installed in the manner hereinafter
provided (unless any other provision of county, state or federal law shall
require before the effective date of this article).
A.
At least one smoke detector shall be installed to protect
each sleeping area. A "sleeping area" is defined as the area or areas of the
family living unit in which the bedrooms (or sleeping rooms) are located.
Where bedrooms or rooms ordinarily used for sleeping are separated by other
use areas (such as kitchens or living rooms, but not bathrooms or closets),
they shall be considered as separate sleeping areas for the purposes of this
section.
B.
At least one smoke detector shall be installed at the
head (top) of each stairway leading up to an occupied area in such a manner
as to assure that rising smoke is not obstructed in reaching the detector
and the detector intercepts rising smoke before it reaches the sleeping area.
In new dwellings, structures or existing buildings where smoke detectors
are required, they shall be wired directly (hard-wired) to the building's
power supply. In existing dwellings within multifamily buildings of 10 units
or more, the detectors shall meet the multifamily building power source requirements
of state law, the requirements hereunder covering other existing dwellings.
In other existing dwellings, it is preferred that smoke detectors be wired
directly to the power supply; however, said detectors may be powered by a
self-monitored battery or operated in a plug-in outlet which is fitted with
a plug-restrainer device, provided that the outlet is not controlled by any
switch other than the main power supply. All smoke detectors must be Underwriters'
Laboratories Inc. approved and meet the requirements of any one of the following
Underwriters' Laboratories Inc. tests: UL167, UL168 or UL217.
No single-family residence or multiple-family occupancy shall be sold
or rented and no structural change or repair of a value in excess of $1,000
shall be made thereto unless and until the residence meets the requirements
as set forth in this article.
After December 31, 1982, at every change of occupancy of every dwelling
unit occasioned by or incidental to a sale, lease or sublease of said unit,
it shall be the duty of the grantor thereof (i.e., the seller, lessor or sublessor,
as the case may be) to certify, before occupancy, to the new occupant that
all smoke detectors as required by this section (or other applicable laws)
are installed and in proper working condition.
This article is intended to be used with and supplemented by the applicable
provisions of the National Fire Protection Association Standards 72-E and
74, 1974 Edition, which are hereby incorporated herein; however, if there
shall be any conflict between this article and said supplemental standards,
this article and any rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto shall
prevail.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person, persons or company
to sell within the Township of South Fayette any smoke detector unless said
detector meets the standards set out in this article.
B.
An Underwriter's Laboratories Inc. label indicating
that the smoke detector is listed as a fire alarm device shall be satisfactory
evidence that the detector meets the requirements of this article.
[Added 7-11-1988 by Ord. No. 359;
amended 11-16-1998 by Ord. No. 409]
Any person who shall violate or fail to comply with any of the provisions
of this article, the National Fire Protection Association Standards or any
lawful order or requirement of the Code Enforcement Officer made in accordance
with the provisions thereof, upon arrest and conviction thereof before any
District Justice, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 for each
offense, plus costs of prosecution or, upon failure to pay such fine and costs,
by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days. Each
day that any person shall continue to violate or fail to comply with any of
the requirements of this article or of such order or requirement shall be
considered a separate offense.
[Adopted 4-15-2002 by Ord. No. 7-2002[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Art. II, Fire
Prevention Code, adopted 11-16-1998 by Ord. No. 409.
Certain documents, three copies of which are on file in the office of
the Township Manager of South Fayette Township, being marked and designated
as the International Fire Code, including Appendix Chapters B, C, D, E, F
and G, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted
as the code of South Fayette Township, for regulating the safeguarding of
life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage,
handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from
the conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings
and premises in South Fayette Township; providing for the issuance of permits
for hazardous uses or operations; and providing for the issuance of permits
and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions,
conditions and terms of such International Fire Code, 2000 Edition, published
by the International Code Council on file in the office of South Fayette Township
are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof as if fully set out
in this article.
