Township of Warwick, PA Fire Prevention

For purposes of this article, certain words and phrases are defined as follows. All other words and phrases shall conform to the current BOCA Code as adopted by the Township as the Official Building Code.[1]

AUTOMATIC FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM

An engineered system using carbon dioxide (CO₂), foam, wet or dry chemicals, automatic sprinkler system or some other approved suppression system.

BOCA CODE

The Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc., Code, as amended and adopted by the Board of Supervisors as the Official Township Building Code.

BUILDING

Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.

BUILDING AREA

For application of this article, determined to be the area included within the surrounding exterior walls.

DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors to assist the Fire Marshal in the performance of his/her duties or, in the absence of the Fire Marshal, shall perform the duties of the Fire Marshal.

FIRE ALARM SYSTEM

A functionally related group of devices that, when either automatically or manually activated, will sound audio or visual warning devices on or off the protected premises.

FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM

A device or combination of devices which automatically detects heat, smoke, fire or other products of combustion and initiates action.

FIRE MARSHAL

The code official appointed by the Board of Supervisors, known as the "Fire Marshal of Warwick Township."

FIRE ZONE and FIRE LANE

An area, at a minimum width of 15 feet, immediately adjacent to a building for use by emergency vehicles.

[1]

Editor's Note: See Ch. 53, Building Construction.

§ 89-2 Requirements for installation.

Fire detection, early warning. Automatic smoke and fire detection systems and alarm systems shall be installed in all buildings classified in the following BOCA use group classifications (Article 3, Section 301.0). For Use Groups B, F, H, M and S buildings having more than one tenant per entrance, an indicator panel system with a zone for each tenant shall be mounted at the entrance. This requirement does not negate the other requirements of this article. A blue-light alarm system shall be mounted outside each entrance to indicate which tenant(s) has an emergency. The blue-light alarm system and zone indicator system panel shall be hard-wired into the automatic fire detection systems. Fire detection systems and fire alarm systems can either be a multiple- or a single-station indication system which shall be monitored 24 hours a day by a private monitoring service or tied in via direct-dial phone to the Bucks County Fire Control Center, Pennsylvania. This provision shall apply to all new construction or an existing building in its entirety if there is any increase of net square footage or remodeling to permit the establishment or continuance of any of the following use groups, except as provided in Subsection E. No exception will be granted.

(1)

Use Group A: assembly. (See Section 302.0.)

(2)

Use Group B: business. (See Section 303.0.)

(3)

Use Group E: educational. (See Section 304.0.)

(4)

Use Group F: factory and industrial. (See Section 305.0.)

(5)

Use Group H: high-hazard. (See Section 306.0.)

(6)

Use Group I: institutional. (See Section 307.0.)*

(7)

Use Group M: mercantile. (See Section 308.0.)

(8)

Use Group R: residential. (See Section 309.0.)*

(9)

Use Group S: storage. (See Section 310.0.)

	*NOTE: The following special requirements shall pertain to residential uses (Sections 309.1 through 309.5) and institutional uses (Sections 307.1 through 307.4):
	Special Conditions
	1.	Smoke detectors do not have to be interconnected on existing residential buildings (R3 and R4).
	2.	Smoke detectors shall be required on every story of a dwelling unit, including the basement.
	3.	A rate of rise (heat detector) shall be installed in each garage under or attached to all new buildings. The heat detector shall be so wired that if activated, all other detectors throughout the dwelling unit will activate.
	4.	Rate of rise (heat detector) does not have to be interconnected to a garage under or attached to an existing residential building (R3 and R4). The heat detector shall be wired as a single-station alarm system to an alarm that will automatically activate an audio sound early fire-warning system.

Fire suppression. In addition to the requirements of fire detection, automatic fire suppression systems shall be installed and equipped in all buildings in the following BOCA use group classifications (Article 3, Section 301.0) except as noted. All fire suppression systems shall have a low-level water electrical switch hard-wired into the automatic fire detection systems. This provision shall apply to all new construction or an existing building in its entirety if there is any increase of net square footage to permit the establishment or continuance of any of the following use groups except as provided in Subsection E:

(1)

Use Group A: assembly. (See Section 302.0.)**

(2)

Use Group B: business (over five-thousand-square-foot aggregate). (See Section 303.0.)

(3)

Use Group E: educational (over five-thousand-square-foot aggregate). (See Section 304.0.)

(4)

Use Group F: factory and industrial. (See Section 305.0.)**

(5)

Use Group H: high-hazard. (See Section 306.0.)

(6)

Use Group I: institutional. (See Section 307.0.)

(7)

Use Group M: mercantile (over five-thousand-square-foot aggregate). (See Section 308.0.)

(8)

Use Group R: residential. (See Section 309.0.)**

(9)

Use Group S: storage (over 5,000 square foot aggregate). (See Section 310.0.)**

	**NOTE: Exceptions to the above:
	1.	All detached buildings not exceeding a building area of 10,000 square feet and classified as low-hazard storage, Use Group S-2, as defined in the BOCA Code Section 310 (Table 310.3).
	2.	Any factory and industrial Use Groups F-1 and F-2 (Section 305.0) in a building area consisting of less than 5,000 square feet of gross floor, unless it is rated as a high-hazard, as defined by BOCA.
	3.	All single-family detached dwelling units, Use Group R-4 (Section 309.0).
	4.	All single-family attached dwelling units separated by a vertical fire wall or detached duplex with a minimum distance separation of 15 feet between units, classified as Use Groups R-2 (Section 309.3) and R-3 (Section 309.4).
	5.	All churches and other places of religious worship classified as Use Group A-4 (Section 302.5).
	6.	Outdoor open assembly areas Use Group A-5 (Section 302.6).
	7.	All day-care facilities and nurseries which provide care for five or less persons of any age for less than 24 hours per day.

Fire zone or fire lane. The dimensions of a fire zone or fire lane shall be determined at the discretion of the Fire Marshal. The applicant, subject to the approval of the Fire Marshal, shall mark fire zones or fire lanes with signs and/or pavement paintings.

No such detection or suppression system shall be installed unless it complies with the safe standards of the industry (and meets the National Fire Protection Association standards for installation) and is permitted by the Fire Marshal, after a permit application is made, accompanied by plans and specifications showing the location and elements of the system. Such plans and specifications shall be made part of the application for a building permit.

The requirements of this article may be waived upon application to the Building Code Board of Appeals showing that the new construction, reconstruction or any increase of net square footage can be safely made without installing fire detection or suppression equipment and that no significant risk of injury or damage from fire is imposed on potential occupants or users of the structure or on adjacent property or persons, due to the absence of fire detection or suppression equipment.

Additional provisions of the Township ordinances regarding building and fire codes remain in full effect, except that to the extent they may be explicitly inconsistent herewith they are hereby repealed.

§ 89-3 Violations and penalties.

Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this article shall, upon summary conviction before a District Justice, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution. In default of payment of said fine, said person shall be sentenced to undergo imprisonment in the Bucks County Prison for a period not exceeding 30 days. Each day that a violation exists after written notification by the Township shall constitute a separate violation of this article.

Article II Fire Prevention Code

[Adopted 8-6-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-6]

§ 89-4 Adoption of standards.

The International Fire Code, 2012 edition (and all successor editions), as published by the International Code Board is hereby adopted as the Fire Prevention Code of Warwick Township, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, regulating and safeguarding life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor. The 2012 International Fire Code is hereby incorporated into this article by reference as if fully set forth herein, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in § 89-5 of this article.

§ 89-5 Additions, deletions and amendments.

The following sections are hereby revised:

Section 101.1 Title, amend to read: "These regulations shall be known as the Fire Prevention Code of Warwick Township, hereinafter referred to as 'this code.'"

In Section 105.6.16 Flammable and combustible liquids, insert the following paragraph to read as follows:

12. To install, alter, permanently remove, abandon in place or otherwise dispose of a flammable or combustible liquid tank.

In Section 106 Inspections, insert the following paragraph to read as follows:

	106.5 Periodic inspections.
	The Fire Code Official shall be authorized to conduct periodic inspections on properties other than those properties erected under the provisions of the International Residential Code. Frequency of said inspections shall be determined by the Fire Code Official based on his/her determination of the fire risk regarding the use, occupancy and level of maintenance of life safety systems in the structure.

106.5 Periodic inspections.

The Fire Code Official shall be authorized to conduct periodic inspections on properties other than those properties erected under the provisions of the International Residential Code. Frequency of said inspections shall be determined by the Fire Code Official based on his/her determination of the fire risk regarding the use, occupancy and level of maintenance of life safety systems in the structure.

Section 109.4 Violation penalties, amend to read as follows: "Persons who shall violate a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who shall erect, install, alter, repair or do work in violation of the approved construction documents or directive of the Fire Code Official, or of a permit or certificate used under provisions of this code, shall be guilty of a summary offense, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense."

Section 110.1 Unsafe buildings, general, amend to replace the words "building department" with the words "Building Code Official."

Section 111.4 Failure to comply, amend to read as follows: "Any person who shall continue any work after having been served with a stop work order, except such work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or unsafe condition, shall be liable to a fine of not less than $250 or more than $1,000."

Section 202 General definitions, Fire Code Official, amend to read as follows: "Wherever the term 'Fire Code Official' is used in the fire code, it shall be held to mean the Fire Marshal of Warwick Township or his/her duly authorized representative."

In Section 307 Open burning, recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces, insert the following sections and paragraphs to read as follows:

	307.1.2 Prohibition of burning for disposal purposes.
	In accordance with the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act of July 28, 1988, (P.L. 528, No. 101) ("Pennsylvania Act 101") as amended by Act 140 of 2006 and Warwick Township Ordinance No. 2010-2, amending Chapter 185 of the Warwick Township Code, it shall be unlawful for any person to openly burn any material, including the following, at any time within the boundaries of the municipality: household trash, books, magazines, newspapers, cardboard and/or any items that are required to be recycled in the municipality under Pennsylvania Act 101, including yard waste, leaves and scrap lumber or any vegetation, plywood, drywall, plastic products, insulation materials, upholstered furniture, solid waste and/or construction waste as defined by the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and 25 PA Code 271.1, garbage, dead animals, human and animal excrement, human and animal hair, rubber products, including tires, hydrocarbon products or flammable liquids, asphalt or tar shingles or roofing materials, bedding, foam rubber, nylon, rayon, cotton, wool, polyester or other synthetic material, insulation from copper or other wiring.

307.1.2 Prohibition of burning for disposal purposes.

In accordance with the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling, and Waste Reduction Act of July 28, 1988, (P.L. 528, No. 101) ("Pennsylvania Act 101") as amended by Act 140 of 2006 and Warwick Township Ordinance No. 2010-2, amending Chapter 185 of the Warwick Township Code, it shall be unlawful for any person to openly burn any material, including the following, at any time within the boundaries of the municipality: household trash, books, magazines, newspapers, cardboard and/or any items that are required to be recycled in the municipality under Pennsylvania Act 101, including yard waste, leaves and scrap lumber or any vegetation, plywood, drywall, plastic products, insulation materials, upholstered furniture, solid waste and/or construction waste as defined by the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and 25 PA Code 271.1, garbage, dead animals, human and animal excrement, human and animal hair, rubber products, including tires, hydrocarbon products or flammable liquids, asphalt or tar shingles or roofing materials, bedding, foam rubber, nylon, rayon, cotton, wool, polyester or other synthetic material, insulation from copper or other wiring.

	307.1.3 Outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking grills, outdoor patio stoves, chimeneas and factory-built metal novelty stoves.
	1.	Outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking grills, outdoor patio stoves, chimeneas and factory-built metal novelty stoves shall be permitted upon private property within Warwick Township to be used solely for their intended purpose and in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions.
	2.	No person shall use outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking grills, outdoor patio stoves, chimneys and factory-built metal novelty stoves for the burning of material as outlined in Section 307.1.2.
	3.	Outdoor fireplaces, outdoor cooking grills, outdoor patio stoves, chimneys and factory-built metal novelty stoves shall not be used indoors or in any enclosed areas that are not properly ventilated.

Section 311.2.2 (2) Vacant premises, fire protection, amend to replace the words "fire chief" with the words "Fire Code Official."

Section 501.3 General, construction documents, amend to replace the words "fire department" with the words "Fire Code Official."

In Section 507.5.3 Private fire service mains and water tanks, insert the following paragraph to read as follows:

4. Private fire hydrants shall be painted all RED in a manner approved by the fire code official.

Section 912.2 Fire Department connections, location, amend to replace the words "fire chief" with the words "Fire Code Official."

Section 912.3.2 Fire Department connections, clear space around connections, amend to replace the words "fire chief" with the words "Fire Code Official."