[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Washington 7-10-1979 by Ord. No. 19-79. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
There is hereby adopted by the Borough of Washington the fire
control measures and regulations as hereby set forth for the purposes
of controlling conditions which could impede or interfere with fire-suppression
forces.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
The Fire Chief, 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, 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 to
take any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of his
duty. The 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 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
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 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.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of the Fire Chief or interfere with the
compliance attempts of another individual.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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 laws of the State of New Jersey.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle giving
an 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 from any fire
apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm or to drive any vehicle
within the block or immediate area where the fire apparatus has stopped
in answer to a fire alarm.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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 § 44-6 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 inspection.
(3)
Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as he does not endanger
life or property.
(4)
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning
in specified directions.
C.
The exemptions granted in Subsection B above to an emergency vehicle shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle 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 Chief 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 Chief 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.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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 Chief
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.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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
Chief.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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 Chief and shall be connected to a water system
in accordance with the accepted engineering practices. The Fire Chief
shall designate and approve the number and location of fire hydrants.
The 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 Chief.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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, making necessary repairs or when permitted by the Fire
Chief. 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 Chief.
[Amended 8-13-1985 by Ord. No. 20-85]
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
Chief or which is not in proper working order or the contents of which
do not meet the requirements of the Fire Chief. The requirements of
this section do 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 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.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 44-19, Installation
of smoke detectors, added 4-28-1981 by Ord. No. 7-81, which immediately
followed this section, was repealed 10-6-1992 by Ord. No. 26-92.
