[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of
Stratford 4-12-1988 as Title 3, Ch. 2 and Sec. 3-3-1 of the 1988 Code. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The Stratford Area Fire Department shall be responsible for
the program of fire defense for the citizens and property within the
Village of Stratford.
No person shall impede the progress of the fire engine or fire
truck or other fire apparatus of the Stratford Area Fire Department
along the streets or alleys of such Village at the time of a fire
or when the Fire Department of the Village is using such streets or
alleys in response to a fire alarm or for practice.
A.
Police authority at fires.
(1)
The Chief and assistants or officers in command at any fire are hereby
vested with full and complete police authority at fires. Any officer
of the Department may cause the arrest of any person failing to give
the right-of-way to the Fire Department in responding to a fire.
(2)
The fire official conducting operations in connection with the extinguishment
and control of any fire, explosion or other emergency shall have full
authority to direct all operations of fire extinguishment or control
and to take the necessary precautions to save life, protect property
and prevent further injury or damage. In the pursuit of such operation,
including the investigation of the cause of such emergency, the fire
official may control or prohibit the approach to the scene of such
emergency by any person.
(3)
No person shall obstruct the operations of the Fire Department in
connection with extinguishing any fire, or actions relative to other
emergencies, or disobey any lawful command of the fire official in
charge of the emergency, or any lawful order of a police officer assisting
the Fire Department.
(4)
The fire official in charge of an emergency scene shall have the
authority to establish fire line barriers to control access in the
vicinity of such emergency and to secure any street or alley. No unauthorized
person may cross such fire line barriers.
(5)
No unauthorized person shall remove, unlock, destroy or tamper with
any barricade or sign which has been lawfully installed by the Fire
Department or by its order or under its control.
(6)
The Chief shall have the power to cause the removal or destruction
of any property whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation
of such property from fire or to prevent the spreading of fire or
to protect the adjoining property, and during the progress of any
fire he shall have the power to cause the removal of all wires or
other facilities and the turning off of all electricity or other services
where the same impedes the work of the Department during the progress
of a fire.[1]
B.
Fire inspection duties.
(1)
The Fire Chief shall be the Fire Inspector of the Village of Stratford
and shall have the power to appoint one or more Deputy Fire Inspectors
and shall perform all duties required of the Fire Inspectors by the
laws of the state and rules of the Department of Commerce, particularly
§ 101.14, Wis. Stats.
(2)
While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2),
Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief, or any officer of the Fire Department
designated by the Fire Chief, shall have the right and authority to
enter any building or upon any premises in the Village of Stratford
at all reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections or investigations
which, under the provisions of this Code, he may deem necessary. Should
the Fire Inspector find that any provisions of this Code relating
to fire hazards and prevention of fires are being violated, or that
a fire hazard exists which should be eliminated, it shall be his duty
to give such directions for the abatement of such conditions as he
shall deem necessary and, if such directions are not complied with,
to report such noncompliance to the Village Board for further action.
(3)
The Chief of the Fire Department is required, by himself or by officers
or members of the Fire Department designated by him as Fire Inspectors,
to inspect all buildings, premises and public thoroughfares, except
the interiors of private dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining
and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire or
any violations of any law or ordinance relating to the fire hazard
or to the prevention of fires. Such inspections shall be made at least
once in six months in all of the territory served by the Fire Department
and not less than once in three months in such territory as the Village
Board has designated or hereafter designates as within the fire limits
or as a congested district subject to conflagration, and more often
as the Chief of the Fire Department orders. Each six-month period
shall begin on January 1 and July 1 and each three-month period on
January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each year.
(4)
Written reports of inspections shall be made and kept on file in
the office of the Chief of the Fire Department in the manner and form
required by the Department of Commerce. A copy of such reports shall
be filed with the Village Clerk.
A.
Driving over fire hose. No person shall willfully injure in any manner
any hose, hydrant or fire apparatus belonging to the Village, and
no vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the Fire Department
when laid down on any street, private driveway or other place, to
be used at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of the Fire
Department official in command.
B.
Parking vehicles near hydrants. It shall be unlawful for any person
to park any vehicle or leave any object within 10 feet of any fire
hydrant at any time.
C.
No parking near fire. It shall be unlawful for any person, in case
of fire, to drive or park any vehicle within one block from the place
of fire without the consent and authority of the Fire Chief or any
police officer.
It shall be lawful for any fire fighter while acting under the
direction of the Fire Chief or any other officer in command to enter
upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity of a building or
other property then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing such
fire, and in case any person shall hinder, resist or obstruct any
fire fighter in the discharge of his duty as is hereinbefore provided,
the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of resisting fire fighters
in the discharge of their duty.[2]
Every person who shall be present at a fire shall be subject
to the orders of the Fire Chief or officer in command and may be required
to render assistance in fighting the fire or in removing or guarding
property. Such officer shall have the power to cause the arrest of
any person or persons refusing to obey said orders.
Whenever there shall be a fire or fire alarm or the Fire Department
shall be out for practice, every person driving or riding in a motorized
or other vehicle shall move and remain to the side of the street until
the fire engine and fire truck and other fire apparatus shall have
passed.
No person shall occupy any portion of such streets or alleys
with a motorized or other vehicle between such fire engine or fire
truck or other fire apparatus and any hydrant to which a fire hose
may be, or may be about to be, attached.
A.
Open burning prohibited. No person, firm or corporation shall build any outdoor fire within the corporate limits of the Village of Stratford, except as set forth in Subsection B of this section. Burning of paper, solid waste, garbage, leaves and yard waste is prohibited within the Village.
B.
Exceptions. The prohibition stated in Subsection A shall not apply to the following:
[Amended 1-11-2011]
(1)
Outdoor cooking over a fire contained in a device or structure designed
for such use.
(2)
Controlled burning of grass or similar vegetation for environmental
management purposes, with the approval of the Village Fire Commissioner
or his/her designee.
(3)
Ceremonial campfires or bonfires, with prior approval of the Village
Fire Commissioner or his/her designee.
C.
The use
of outdoor permanent incinerators is hereby prohibited, except upon
application and issuance of an annual permit. The operation of permanent
incinerators by permit in industrial areas only shall be done in a
safe and proper manner, and manufacturer's specifications on
the operation of permanent incinerators shall be followed. The following
requirements shall be applicable:
(1)
Any burning permitted under this subsection shall be conducted in
a safe, nuisance-free manner in accordance with Fire Commission and
Village Board rules and regulations, and a permit shall only be issued
when it is unreasonable to dispose of the waste materials in any other
manner than by burning or where a hardship would be created by such
a refusal to issue said permit.
[Amended 1-11-2011]
(2)
Applications shall be submitted to the Fire Commission, which shall
submit a recommendation to the Village Board. The Village Board shall
make a determination as to whether to issue the incinerator permit.
(3)
Burning permits may be cancelled by the issuing authority or the
Fire Department by written notice to the permit holder of the reasons
for the cancellation.
D.
Other occasions of desirable outdoor burning not specified by this section, but not as an alternative to refuse removal or disposal for which other methods are available, may be granted single occasion approval as in Subsection B(2) above.
F.
There shall be no burning on Sunday to 8:00 a.m. Monday and on holidays
at any time.
G.
Chief may prohibit. The Fire Chief is permitted to prohibit any or
all bonfires and outdoor fires when atmospheric conditions or local
circumstances make such fires hazardous.
[Amended 1-11-2011]
H.
Burning on streets. No materials may be burned upon any street, curb,
gutter or sidewalk.
I.
Liability. Persons utilizing and maintaining outdoor fires shall
be responsible for any liability resulting from damage caused by their
fire.
[Added 6-9-2020]
Recreational fires, barbeque pits, portable fire pits, and portable
outdoor fireplaces are permitted on properties zoned residential and
occupied by a single- or two-family residence under the following
conditions:
A.
Recreational in-ground fire pits shall be at least 25 feet from any
type of a building or structure, combustible material of any form,
or property line.
B.
Recreational fires, barbecue pits, and outdoor fireplaces shall be
contained in an area not to exceed three feet wide by three feet long,
or a circle larger than three feet in diameter. The flames of the
fire shall be no higher than three feet.
C.
All residential recreational fires and barbecue pits, excluding portable
fire pits and outdoor fireplaces as defined, shall be dug into the
ground at least six but not more than 12 inches and surrounded on
the outside, above ground level, by a noncombustible material extending
at least six inches above grade.
D.
Portable listed and rated fire pits shall be used in accordance with
the manufacturer's recommendations and shall be placed on a noncombustible
surface that is at least 1.5 times larger than the size of the portable
fire pit. In the absence of manufacturer's recommendations, portable
fire pits shall be at least 15 feet from any type of building or structure,
combustible material of any form, or property line.
E.
Any propane or natural gas fire tables must follow all manufacturer's
specifications. In the absence of manufacturer's recommendations,
fire tables shall be at least 15 feet from any type of building or
structure, combustible material of any form, or property line.
F.
All portable fire pits and fire tables must be listed and rated devices.
Homemade devices and converted grills are prohibited.
G.
Only clean dry wood can be burned. The burning of garbage, trash,
refuse, treated wood, painted/varnished wood, plastic, rubber, construction
lumber, and flammable liquids, and/or combustible liquids in any form
is prohibited. Burning of leaves, yard waste, or brush is prohibited.
H.
Burning is prohibited when the wind is in excess of 10 mph as determined
by the National Weather Service.
I.
Fire extinguishing equipment shall be readily available as may be
necessary for the total control of the fire. Examples include but
are not limited to a bucket of water, garden hose, or fire extinguisher.
J.
Burning must be attended at all times by a person at least 18 years
of age until the fire has been extinguished.
K.
Burning shall not create smoke that causes a public nuisance or a
visibility hazard to any form of transportation. Any recreational
fire pit shall be extinguished at the request of Police Department
personnel or Fire Department personnel.
L.
In the Village of Stratford, recreational fires are prohibited when
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources classifies fire danger
at the "high," "very high," or "extreme" levels, or when the Fire
Chief declares a burning ban.
M.
Any property owner who wishes to have a recreational fire must first
obtain a permit from the Director of Public Works. The permit shall
contain the name and address of the location where the portable fire
pit is to be used. Such permit is not transferable to any other person
nor any other location. Such a permit shall issue upon a showing that
there will be compliance with all applicable laws and ordinances.
[Amended 2-10-2004]
A.
When a fire run is made by the Stratford Area Fire Department (SAFD)
within the Village of Stratford and billed by the SAFD to the Village,
the following charges shall apply.
(1)
Residential. The Village shall bill to the owner of the property
the actual expense of the fire run up to a maximum of $500.
(2)
Nonresidential fire runs up to $1,000. In cases when the actual expense
of the fire run is $1,000 or less, the Village shall bill to the owner
of the property the actual expense of the fire run.
(3)
Nonresidential fire runs exceeding $1,000. In cases when the actual
expense of the fire run is greater than $1,000, the Village shall
limit its budget impact to not more than $7,500 as follows:
(a)
Step One. The Village shall bill to the owner of the property
the actual coverage amount provided in the property owner's insurance,
but not less than $1,000. Written proof of coverage and policy limits
must be submitted to the Village Clerk within 14 days of the fire.
(b)
Step Two. The Village shall pay the balance of the billed fire
run up to a maximum of $7,500.
(c)
Step Three. Any balance remaining shall be billed to the owner
of the property.
B.
Bills for fire runs unpaid 60 days after the billing date shall be
added as a special charge upon the real estate tax rolls.
[Added 3-18-1998]
A.
Purpose. The purpose of this section is to promote the health and
well-being of the residents of the Village of Stratford.
B.
SOLID-FUEL-FIRED OUTDOOR HEATING DEVICE
Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
An outdoor device designed or constructed for solid fuel
combustion so that the usable heat derived is for the interior of
buildings.
C.
The construction or use of solid-fuel-fired outdoor heating devices
within the Village limits of the Village of Stratford is prohibited.
[Added 12-13-2005]
A.
Authority.
(1)
The Stratford Area Fire Department was created by charter for fire
protection and emergency services and is jointly owned and operated
by the Townships of Cleveland, Day, Eau Pleine, Frankfort and Green
Valley and the Villages of Fenwood and Stratford. Said Fire Department
is responsible for the inspection of all public buildings and places
of employment within its service area pursuant to Ch. Comm 14, Wis.
Adm. Code.
(2)
Such fire prevention inspections shall be conducted at least once
in each nonoverlapping six-month period per calendar year, or more
often if ordered by the Chief of the Fire Department, in all territory
served by the Stratford Area Fire Department.
B.
Violations requiring corrective action. Violations requiring corrective
action must be addressed by the property owners within the prescribed
time frame as noted on the inspection report. If violations are unresolved
at the initial revisit, a warning letter will be issued by the Stratford
Area Fire Department outlining the consequences of allowing the violations
to continue.
C.
Reinspection fees. At the third and subsequent inspection visits,
if violations remain noncompliant, fees will be assessed by the Village
of Stratford as set by the Village Board.
D.
Enforcement. The enforcement of this section shall be by assessing
reinspection fees as outlined herein. Delinquent charges shall be
reported to the County Treasurer, assessed to the property charged,
and added to the Village of Stratford tax roll for the current year.
The following orders, rules and regulations of the Department
of Commerce, all of which are set forth in the Wisconsin Administrative
Code as from time to amended, are incorporated herein by reference
and adopted as part of this chapter:
A.
Chapter Comm 7, Explosives and Fireworks.
B.
Chapter Comm 10, Flammable, Combustible and Hazardous Liquids.
C.
Chapter Comm 14, Fire Prevention.
D.
Chapter Comm 32, Public Employee Safety and Health.
E.
Chapter Comm 40, Gas Systems.
F.
Chapter Comm 43, Anhydrous Ammonia.
G.
Chapters Comm 60 to 66, Commercial Building Code.
H.
Wisconsin Electrical Code.
