[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 1]
A Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Company of the Borough of Bridgeville is hereby established which shall be operated under the supervision of the Fire Chief. Other officers to be elected by the Bureau shall include an Assistant Fire Chief.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 2]
It shall be the duty of the officers of the Bureau of Fire Prevention under the supervision of the Fire Chief to enforce all laws and ordinances of the Borough of Bridgeville, covering the following:
A. 
The prevention of fires.
B. 
The storage and use of explosives and flammables.
C. 
The installation and maintenance of fire alarms systems and fire extinguishing equipment.
D. 
The maintenance and regulation of fire escapes.
E. 
The means and adequacy of exit in case of fire from factories, schools, hotels, lodging houses, asylums, hospitals, churches, halls, theaters, amphitheaters, and all other places in which numbers of persons work, live or congregate, from time to time, for any purpose.
F. 
The investigation of the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 3]
It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to:
A. 
Investigate and recommend to the Bridgeville Borough Council such additional ordinances or amendments to existing ordinances as he may deem necessary for safeguarding life and property against fire.
B. 
Issue permits as required under this Part.
C. 
Delegate authority to the Assistant Fire Chief from time to time as he sees fit.
D. 
Conduct such inspections and investigations as required.
E. 
Prepare instructions for the Assistant Chief.
F. 
Keep public records of all fires.
G. 
Supervise fire drills in the local educational institutions.
H. 
All other duties as required.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 4]
The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the Borough of Bridgeville by which property has been destroyed or damaged and, so far as possible, shall determine whether the fire is the result of carelessness or design. Such investigation by the Fire Chief shall begin immediately upon the occurrence of such a fire and if it appears to be of suspicious origin, the Chief shall notify the proper authorities designated by law to pursue the investigation of such matters, and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of the case. Every fire shall be reported in writing in the Fire Company records within two days after the occurrence of the same. Such report shall contain a statement of all facts relating to the cause, origin and circumstances of such fire, the extent of the damage thereof, and the insurance upon such property, and such other information as may be required. The Fire Chief shall submit an annual report of all fires that have occurred in his district during the calendar year.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 5]
Where combustible materials or any fuels, chemicals, explosives or other dangerous liquids or gases are used in any business, commercial place or manufacturing establishment, such storage and containers or equipment shall be in accordance with a permit to be issued by the Fire Chief in which specifications, terms and conditions shall define the method of storage and use.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 6; as amended by Ord. 674, 9/7/1976, § 1]
1. 
Before licenses may be issued for the keeping, storage, use, manufacture, sale, handling, transportation or other disposition of highly flammable materials and rubbish, crude petroleum or any of its products, gun or blasting powder, dynamite or explosives of any kind, including fire works, fire crackers and signaling explosives, the Chief or his Assistant Chief shall inspect and approve the receptacles, vehicles, buildings or storage places to be used for any such purposes including radioactive or any radiation material.
2. 
The Chief or his Assistant Chief shall inspect as often as may be necessary all especially hazardous manufacturing processes, storages or installations of acetylene or other gases, chemicals, oils, explosives and flammable materials, all interior fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems, and such other hazards or appliances as the Chief shall designate, and shall make such orders as may be necessary for the enforcement of the laws and ordinances governing the same and for safeguarding of life and property from fire.
3. 
It shall be the duty of the Chief or his Assistant Chief to inspect as often as may be necessary all buildings, premises and public thoroughfares, except the interiors of private dwellings, in his district for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or any violations of the provisions or intent of any ordinance of the Borough of Bridgeville affecting the fire hazard. Whenever any Chief or his Assistant Chief shall find in any building, or upon any premises or other place, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of waste paper, boxes, shavings or any highly flammable materials especially liable to fire, and which is so situated as to endanger property; or shall find obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors or windows liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire Company or egress of occupants in case of fire, he shall order the same to be removed or remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupant of such premises or building, subject to appeal within 24 hours to the Chief, as provided in subsection (4) of this Section. Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within 15 days after service of the said order, shall be liable to a penalty as hereinafter provided. The service of any such order may be made upon the occupant of the premises to whom it is directed, either by delivering a copy of the same to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and leaving it with any person in charge of the premises, or in case no such person is found upon the premises, by affixing a copy thereof in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance of said premises. Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner of premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and leaving with the said person a copy of the said order or, if such owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the Chief making the order, by mailing such copy to the owner's last known post office address.
4. 
It shall be unlawful to build, construct, alter or set up any buildings or structures in such a manner as to prevent the proper exit or escape from such a building or structure of any human being in the event of disaster, fire or other hazards which may cause injury or harm to human beings; nor shall any high-rise apartment as the same is defined in the Zoning Ordinance [Chapter 27], be hereafter erected or constructed, altered, or improved unless the plans for such construction, alteration, or improvement provides for the installation of a sprinkler system on all floors of the said structure, which system shall meet specifications adopted by the Bureau of Fire Prevention from time to time; the storage of inflammable materials as defined by the Bureau of Fire Prevention is prohibited in any such high-rise apartment within the Borough of Bridgeville.
5. 
The Chief or his Assistant Chief after prior 24 hours notice duly given, may, during hours from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., enter any building or premises within his jurisdiction for the purpose of making any inspection or investigation which, under the provision of this Part, he or they may deem necessary to be made.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 7]
1. 
The Chief shall keep a record of all fires and of all the facts concerning the same, including statistics as to the extent of such fires and the damage caused thereby, and whether such losses were covered by insurance, and if so, in what amount. All such records shall be public.
2. 
An annual report shall be submitted by the Chief to the Bridgeville Borough Council. It shall contain all proceedings under this Part, with such statistics as the Chief may wish to include therein. The Chief shall also recommend any amendments to this Part which, in his judgment, shall be desirable.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 8]
When a building or structure is used commercially or industrially, or where such building or structure is used as an apartment house or any combination of buildings or structures comprising four or more units for family or individual residences, or where such building or structure shall be used as a place of assembly, the owners and/or developers and/or their rental agents, officers and employees, or any other persons connected with such buildings in some managerial capacity shall provide, mark off and restrict certain parking area or areas used by vehicles so as to provide the highest possible public safety regarding the passage of fire vehicles, police cars and other vehicles used in fighting or preventing fires or other disasters, and the said owners and/or developers, rental agents, officers and employees, or any other persons connected with such buildings in some managerial capacity, shall restrict parking in those areas so designated and shall maintain such areas so designated so as to be clear of obstruction to passage by any fire or police vehicles or other emergency vehicles. Further, the same shall be so protected as to provide the highest possible public safety conforming to approved rules and regulations of the National Fire Protection Association.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 9]
1. 
No building or structure within the Borough of Bridgeville may be maintained in such a manner as to permit the accumulation of wastepaper, boxes, shavings, straw, excelsior, packing materials or other easily ignitable or combustible materials which may cause or contribute to fires and resulting in smoke and fumes.
2. 
It shall be unlawful to store or keep any fuels, chemicals, explosives and other dangerous liquids or gases which may explode, causing combustion or suffocation of human beings or animals; provided, however, that where such quantities are kept in such small amounts they shall then be maintained in metal shelves, compartments or storage places as shall be approved by the Fire Chief.
3. 
No building or structure for the use of human beings shall be maintained so as to permit promiscuous handling of dangerous or combustible materials or to obstruct passageways, halls, stairs, doors, windows, fire escapes or exits from the premises.
4. 
It shall be unlawful to build, construct, alter or set up any buildings or structures in such a manner as to prevent the proper exit or escape from such a building or structure of any human being in the event of disaster, fire or other hazards which may cause injury or harm to human beings.
[Ord. 634, 10/3/1972, § 10; as amended by Ord. 724, 5/4/1982; and by Ord. 830, 2/13/1995]
Any person who shall violate any provision of this Part shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 plus costs and, in default of payment thereof, shall be subject to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues shall constitute a separate offense. When any person shall refuse, after an order to make such correction or removal, the Borough Council shall authorize the Fire Chief or any other person to remove the same and charge the costs thereof to the owner or occupant, or both, and such costs may be liened where allowed by law, and shall be collected as are other debts.