[Adopted as Ch. 54, Art. I, §§ 54-1 through
54-7, of the 1994 Code of Ordinances]
[Amended 4-18-2012 by Ord. No. 12-015; 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 20-059]
A. The Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L. 1983, c. 383) and the Uniform Fire
Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-1 et seq.) promulgated pursuant to the Act is
hereby acknowledged as the Fire Prevention Code of the Township of
Hamilton, subject to any supplements or modifications as may be permitted
by law and which may be adopted by the Township of Hamilton.
B. The Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-1 et seq.), as amended, deleted
and supplemented, is hereby incorporated in this section and made
a part hereof.
C. The required Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-1 et seq.) has been
placed on file in the office of the Township Clerk and in the offices
of the Fire Chief and Fire Prevention Bureau and shall remain on file
in each of the offices for the use and examination of the public so
long as this section shall remain in effect.
[Amended 4-18-2012 by Ord. No. 12-015; 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 20-059]
Whenever used in this chapter or in the codes adopted in this
chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated in
this section:
CHIEF OF FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU
The Fire Marshal/Fire Official designated by the Mayor and
Township Council, who shall perform all functions assigned in the
code to the chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau, except those assigned
to the fire subcode official by state law or regulation or by other
Township ordinance.
[Amended 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 20-059]
A. Designation of fire lanes in shopping centers.
(1) For purposes of this section, a shopping center is defined as set forth in §
550-7, as interpreted and determined by the Fire Marshal of the Township.
(2) Authority is hereby vested in the Fire Marshal of the Township, in
conjunction with the Police Division of the Township, to establish
and designate fire emergency access zones in shopping centers, and
to designate, determine and provide for a lane of up to 35 feet in
width running entirely across the frontages or faces of the buildings
of such shopping centers utilized for public ingress and egress.
(3) The Fire Marshal may, in addition, after consulting with the Fire
Chief, designate other fire lane areas and areas designated solely
for the purpose of providing ingress and egress for fire, police and
other emergency apparatus.
(4) The fire emergency access lanes so designated shall be in those locations
and of sufficient design as may be reasonable and required by the
public safety and welfare, and the purpose of these lanes shall be
a guaranteed unimpaired ingress and egress to the shopping center
buildings as well as the public parking areas in and around such shopping
center buildings for fire, police and other emergency vehicles. The
lanes shall be installed by the property owner utilizing regulation
signs and paint on the pavement areas, which signs and paint shall
be installed and maintained by the property owner under the direction
and supervision of the Police Division and in accordance with the
specifications of the Traffic Bureau of the Township Police Division
in conjunction with the recommendations of the Fire Chief.
(5) No person or any agent or employee shall park, leave standing or
cause to be parked any vehicle in any of the lanes mentioned in this
section, or cause any other obstruction in the areas so designated
as fire lanes.
(6) The Police Division of the Township shall have concurrent jurisdiction
with the Fire Marshal of the Township in enforcing this section.
(7) Any person found guilty of a violation of this section shall be liable
to the penalties contained in N.J.S.A. 39:4-203 and court costs involved.
(8) If any person seeks a variance from this section, the Fire Marshal
shall chair a meeting with the representatives of such person and
the Fire Chief or the Fire Chief's designee who shall make the final
decision upon such request.
B. Traffic on fire lanes. There shall not be allowed any vehicular traffic
of any kind save for emergency vehicles on any properly dedicated
and designated fire lane throughout the Township, whether the lanes
are so designated by order of an official public agency or by the
owner of the private property.
[Amended 12-15-2020 by Ord. No. 20-059]
A. Whenever the Fire Chief shall determine that a fire safety hazard
exists as a result of a spill of a flammable or hazardous substance
and shall have given the owner or possessor of the premises on which
the spill occurred a reasonable time in which to remove the spill
and the owner or possessor of premises shall not have complied; the
Fire Chief shall inform the Director of Public Works.
B. The Director of Public Works shall immediately cause the spill to
be removed.
C. After the work has been completed, the Director of Public Works shall
certify the cost of such removal to the Director of Finance. The amount
so certified shall become a lien upon such lands and shall be added
to and become a part of the taxes next assessed and levied upon such
lands, and such amount shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes.