[Adopted 10-20-1971 by Ord. No. 364]
[Amended 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27]
There is hereby adopted by the Mayor and Council of the City of Hoboken, for the purpose of prescribing regulations governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire or explosion and incorporated by reference pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:70 et seq., that certain code known as the "New Jersey Uniform Fire Code," save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified, or amended by this chapter. Ten copies of said New Jersey Uniform Fire Code have been filed and shall remain on file in the office of the City Clerk, and 10 copies have been filed and shall remain on file in the Office of the Department of Law, Division of Public Safety, for the examination of the public; and said code is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as fully as if set out at length herein. From the date of adoption of this chapter, the provisions thereof shall be controlling within the limits of the City of Hoboken.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 101-2, Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation, previously codified herein and containing portions of Ordinance No. V-140, was repealed in its entirety 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27. See § 101-19 for provisions for Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 101-4 through 101-6, pertaining to storage of explosives and flammable liquids and gases, were repealed 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27. These provisions are contained in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code which was adopted by reference in § 101-1 of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 101-9 and 101-10, containing portions of Ordinance No. V-140 and pertaining to fire lanes and amendments and deletions to the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, were repealed 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27. These provisions are contained in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code which was adopted by reference in § 101-1 of this chapter.
[Added 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27]
The Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation or any Inspector, on the complaint of any person or whenever said Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation shall deem it necessary, may inspect any building or premises within the City of Hoboken.
[Added 11-13-2000 by Ord. No. R-466; amended 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27]
In the event that a building or buildings are found to be in a hazardous condition, the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation is empowered to find that the hazardous condition constitutes a clear and present danger to the people of the municipality and the firemen thereof. Said Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation is hereby empowered to take any and all emergency action to remove the fire hazard promptly and to charge the owners of said property with the cost thereof. Prompt notice within three days of the emergency action by the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation shall be given to the owners of said property by certified mail at the address listed on the tax records of the City of Hoboken.
[Added 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27]
This provision shall apply to all structures, occupancies, or premises required to have supervised fire alarm systems pursuant to the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code or the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code. The individual or entity responsible for supervising and/or monitoring any fire alarm system shall notify the Hoboken Fire Division immediately upon notice that a fire alarm has been activated or that a fire call has been placed. The Hoboken Fire Division shall be the first agency notified of the receipt of a fire alarm or fire call. No other agency or person, including but not limited to, property owners, managers, site security, or site maintenance, etc., shall be notified prior to the Hoboken Fire Division.
[Added 3-4-2009 by Ord. No. DR-394; amended 11-4-2009 by Ord. No. Z-21]
It shall be unlawful to permit a false fire alarm in any building in the City of Hoboken.
A. 
False fire alarm defined. As used in this section, a "false alarm" shall mean the transmission, either directly or indirectly, to the Hoboken Fire Division of any automatic fire alarm, smoke alarm, fire sprinkle water flow alarm, that was not caused by an actual fire, smoke condition or other condition beyond the control of the owner.
B. 
The Hoboken Fire Division shall investigate and determinate the cause of any false alarm, as it is defined in this section, and shall maintain a list of all false alarms. Said list shall identify the location of each false alarm the number of false alarms at the location, and the determined reason for the false alarm.
C. 
Upon the determination that a false alarm has occurred, the Fire Chief or his designated representative shall promptly notify the Fire Marshal, who shall issue a municipal summons to the property owner.
D. 
The following penalties shall apply to false alarms:
False Alarm Number
Fine
1
WARNING ONLY
2
$25
3
$100
4
$150
5
$200
6 and above
$250 (per each violation)
These penalties shall reset and start anew on January 1st of each year.
E. 
All provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code with respect to the maintenance of fire alarms shall continue to apply.
[Added 6-20-2018 by Ord. No. B-43]
A. 
All new Type 1 and Type 2 buildings in the City of Hoboken shall, in accordance with Section 510 of the International Fire Code, have radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems of the jurisdiction at the exterior of the building that has been approved by the Construction Official and the Fire Code Official and/or Sub Fire Code Official. The owner/developer shall conduct an independent study to prove adequate coverage if required by the Construction Official and the Fire Code Official. The following exceptions shall apply:
[Amended 12-21-2022 by Ord. No. B-516]
(1) 
Where approved by the Construction Official and the Fire Code Official and/or Sub Fire Code Official, a wired communication system in accordance with Section 907.2.13.2 of the International Fire Code shall be permitted to be installed or maintained instead of an approved radio coverage system.
(2) 
Where it is determined by the Fire Code Official that the radio coverage system is not needed.
(3) 
In facilities where emergency responder radio coverage is required and such systems, components or equipment required could have a negative impact on the normal operations of that facility, the Fire Code Official shall have the authority to accept an automatically activated emergency responder radio coverage system.
(4) 
All antennas shall be maintained and recalibrated periodically.
B. 
High-rise buildings. Newly constructed high-rise buildings shall be provided with an automatic smoke detection system in accordance with Section 907.2.13.1 of the International Fire Code, a Fire Department communication system in accordance with Section 907.2.13.2 of the International Fire Code and an emergency voice/alarm communication system in accordance with Section 907.5.2.2 of the International Fire Code. The following exceptions shall apply:
(1) 
Airport traffic control towers in accordance with Section 907.2.22 of the International Fire Code and Section 412 of the International Building Code.
(2) 
Open parking garages in accordance with Section 406.5 of the International Building Code.
(3) 
Buildings with an occupancy in Group A-5 in accordance with Section 303.1 of the International Building Code.
(4) 
Low-hazard special occupancies in accordance with Section 503.1.1 of the International Building Code.
(5) 
Buildings with an occupancy in Group H-1, H-2 or H-3 in accordance with Section 415 of the International Building Code.
(6) 
In Groups I-1 (supervised residential) and I-2 (hospitals; nursing homes; detox center; supervised living facilities) occupancies, the alarm shall sound at a constantly attended location, and occupant notification shall be broadcast by the emergency voice/alarm communication system.
C. 
Emergency voice/alarm communication systems.
(1) 
In all newly constructed buildings, emergency voice/alarm communications systems shall be provided with emergency power. The system shall be capable of powering the required load for a duration of not less than 24 hours, as required in NFPA 72.
(2) 
Emergency voice/alarm communication systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with NFPA 72 in all newly constructed buildings. The operation of any automatic fire detector, sprinkler waterflow device or manual fire alarm box shall automatically sound an alert tone followed by voice instructions giving approved information and directions for a general or staged evacuation in accordance with the building's fire safety and evacuation plans required by Section 404 of the International Fire Code.
(3) 
In high-rise buildings, the system shall operate on at least the alarming floor, the floor above and the floor below. Speakers shall be provided throughout the building by paging zones.
(4) 
At a minimum, paging zones shall be provided as follows:
(a) 
Elevator groups.
(b) 
Interior exit stairways.
(c) 
Each floor.
(d) 
Areas of refuge as defined in Chapter 2 of the International Fire Code.
(5) 
In Group I-1 and I-2 occupancies, the alarm shall sound in a constantly attended area, and a general occupant notification shall be broadcast over the overhead page.
D. 
Enforcement. Unless otherwise specified herein, this section shall be enforced by the Fire Code Official or Sub Fire Code Official.
E. 
No certificate of occupancy shall issue until the Construction Official and Fire Code Official or Sub Fire Code Official has indicated in writing that the applicant is in compliance with this section.
(1) 
Beginning on the date of enactment of this section, where a certificate of occupancy has been issued without approval from the Fire Code Official or Sub Fire Code Official indicating that the holder is in compliance with this section, same shall be automatically revoked if the Fire Code Official or Sub Fire Code Official deems that the holder has failed to abide by or adhere to the provisions of this section.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 101-11, Modifications, was repealed 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27. These provisions are contained in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, which was adopted by reference in § 101-1 of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 101-12 through 101-14, pertaining to appeals, new materials, processes and occupancies, violations and penalties, were repealed 2-6-2002 by Ord. No. DR-27. These provisions are contained in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code which was adopted by reference in § 101-1 of this chapter.