As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE
Those vehicles which are defined and authorized as such under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
STREET
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.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
The Township of Bloomfield hereby adopts the New Jersey State Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70, pursuant to the Uniform Fire Safety Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.
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 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.
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 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 to 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 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 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 to injure or conspire to injure Fire Department personnel while performing departmental duties.
A. 
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in § 239-7 of this article, shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights on or disobey any existing traffic regulations, 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. 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 turning in specified directions.
B. 
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 at a distance of 500 feet from 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. 
Any Fire Department member encountering a violation of Subsection A above shall issue a notice of violation and order to pay any penalty in the amount determined by the Fire Official. Said penalties will be forwarded to the Finance Department and applied to the Fines and Penalty Account for the Uniform Fire Code.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
C. 
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. Costs 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 the use of the Fire Department for fire-suppression purposes unless such person first secures permission from the Fire Official and obtains a permit from the Engineering Department. 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 Chief.
All new and existing shipyards, oil storage plants, lumberyards, 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 the 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 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 except for the purpose of extinguishing fires, training or testing purposes, recharging or 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 or 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 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.
A. 
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to identify and mark buildings of truss-type construction in order to safeguard the occupants and emergency personnel in the event of fire or other hazardous conditions.
B. 
Scope. The provisions of this section shall apply to the owner/occupant of any building or structure of truss-type construction as determined by the Fire Official.
C. 
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BUILDING/STRUCTURE
Used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy, including but not limited to commercial, residential, governmental, educational and any other place of public assembly.
FIRE OFFICIAL
The Township of Bloomfield Fire Official or their designated representative, as defined in N.J.A.C. 5:70 et seq., Uniform Fire Code.
OWNER/OCCUPANCY
Any natural person or individual or any firm, partnership, association, limited partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation or any other business entity or any government agency or entity.
TRUSS-TYPE CONSTRUCTION
A "truss" is a single plane framework or individual structural members connected at their ends to form a series of triangles to span a distance greater than would be possible with any of the individual members on their own.
D. 
General regulations.
(1) 
This section shall be enforced by the Fire Official as required by the Mayor and the Council.
(2) 
Upon inspection and identification of a building of such truss-type construction, the owner/occupant shall be notified by the Fire Official of the requirements of this section in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code of the State of New Jersey.
(3) 
Upon written notification, the owner/occupant will be required to make application to permanently affix to structures with truss construction an emblem approved by the Fire Official.
(a) 
The emblem shall be a bright and reflective color made of reflective material and shall be the shape of an isosceles triangle; the size shall be 12 inches horizontally by six inches vertically. The following letters of size and color to make them conspicuous shall be painted on the emblem:
[1] 
"F" to signify a floor with truss construction.
[2] 
"R" to signify a roof with truss construction.
[3] 
"F/R" to signify both floor and roof with truss construction.
(b) 
The identification signs shall be properly installed within 10 days after written notice. The identification signs will be supplied by the Fire Prevention Bureau. The owner shall be responsible for permanently affixing the signs to the building.
(4) 
The owner/occupant shall be required to maintain the approved identification logo at the designated locations on the building, and missing or damaged identification logos will be reported to the Fire Official immediately. The replacement cost shall be the responsibility of the owner/occupant. Replacement must be made within 10 days of written notice from the Fire Official. Approved identification logos are available from the Fire Official.
E. 
Fees.
(1) 
The application for permanently affixing the signs shall be made to the Fire Official, and the fee shall be $50 and filed with the application.
(2) 
Replacement logos will be billed based on current costs per unit.
F. 
Penalties. Penalties shall be assessed in accordance with the Uniform Fire Code, State of New Jersey, N.J.A.C. 5:70.