[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 1]
The Borough of Emmaus hereby adopts the fire control measures
and regulations as herein set forth for the purposes of controlling
conditions which could impede or interfere with fire suppression forces.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 2; as amended by Ord. 675,
11/17/1986]
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
of taking any other action necessary in the reasonable performance
of their duties. The Fire Chief may prohibit any person, vehicle,
or object from approaching the scene and 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 re-enter the area until authorized to do so by the Fire Chief.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 3]
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, obstruct
or hamper any fire department operation.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 4; as amended by Ord. 675,
11/17/1986]
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order to direction of the Fire Chief, nor shall be interfere
with the compliance attempts of another individual.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 5]
No vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of a fire
department when laid down on any highway, private road or driveway,
for use at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of a fire
department officer, a police officer or other appropriately attired
person authorized to direct, control or regulate traffic at the scene.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 6]
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which
are defined and authorized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 7; as amended by Ord. 675,
11/17/1986]
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle, giving
audible and visual signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall
immediately move the same to a position as near as possible and parallel
to the right hand edge of 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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 8]
The driver of any vehicle other than one on official business
shall not follow any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire
alarm closer than 500 feet or stop the vehicle within 500 feet of
any fire apparatus stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 9]
1. General Rule. Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency
vehicle making use of audible and visual signals meeting the requirements
of this Part, or of a police vehicle properly and lawfully making
use of an audible signal only, every pedestrian shall yield the right-of-way
to the authorized emergency vehicle.
2. Exercise of Care by Driver. This section does not relieve the driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due
regard for the safety of all persons using the highway not from the
duty to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 10; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
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, nor shall be 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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 11]
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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 12]
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in §
7-206 of this Part, 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. 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 operation;
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;
5. The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle shall apply
only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds 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.
6. This does not relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle from the
duty to drive with disregard for the safety of all persons.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 13; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, 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.
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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 14]
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 Manager.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 15; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 16; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
All new and existing oil storage plants, lumber yards, 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 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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 17; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
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, or 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 non-approved fire
appliances or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as directed
by the Fire Chief.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 18; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
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 shall not apply to the sale, trade or exchange of
obsolete or damaged equipment for junk. Said units must be permanently
disfigured or marked with permanent signs identifying the unit as
junk.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 19]
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 Part, 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.
[Ord. 589, 10/9/1978, § 20; as amended by Ord.
675, 11/17/1986]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision
of this Part 2 shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay
a fine of not more than $300; and/or to imprisonment for a term not
to exceed 90 days.