[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
This Part may be cited and shall be known as the "Salisbury Township Fire Prevention and Life Safety Program," hereinafter referred to as the "Fire Prevention Program."
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
The Fire Prevention Program is designed to reduce conditions which would pose a threat to life, property and the environment through an annual inspection and enforcement program.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. II]
1. 
The Board of Commissioners designates the Fire Safety Inspector as the official who shall annually inspect all commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential facilities/buildings according to an established schedule. The designated official may, upon reasonable belief or suspicion of hazard, inspect such facility as necessary to ensure compliance with applicable codes. The designated official shall be a sworn, non-civil service employee under the supervision and control of the Chief of Police in the Salisbury Township Police Department and shall obtain powers of enforcement through the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure. The designated official, Fire Safety Inspector, will be the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) pertaining to the violations and repairs of properties within the scope of the fire safety inspection program.
2. 
Annual inspections shall be based on the fire, safety, and health code requirements within the 2012 edition of the Chapter 7, International Property Maintenance Code, as amended. The person(s) designated under this Part may, during hours of operation or by agreement of building owner/agent, enter any public or private building for the purpose of inspection under the Fire Prevention Program.
3. 
Initial fire inspections shall be based on the same requirements as annual fire inspections. Initial fire inspections will be conducted when a change in business owner, business name, or occupancy change within commercial, industrial and multi-family dwellings or buildings. A business or owner must contact the Salisbury Township Fire Inspector for notification and scheduling of an initial fire inspection before an occupancy shall be allowed to open and operate.
4. 
The Fire Safety Inspectors shall provide the owner/agent with a written list of code violations, if any, and a date by which all violations must be corrected. In cases where an owner/agent does not agree with a violation(s) or the required corrective measures ordered by the Fire Safety Inspector and believes they do meet the intent of the Code by other means, the owner/agent may file an appeal with the Building Code Board of Appeals.
5. 
Failure to allow access for the Fire Safety Inspectors to perform the scheduled inspection(s) may result in violation of this Part. The Fire Safety Inspectors may obtain and administrative search warrant to enter any property or structure when an owner/agent denies access.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. II]
1. 
The fees for the Fire Prevention Program shall be established by the Board of Commissioners and shall be set forth in the Salisbury Township schedule of fees. Fees may be amended by resolution.
A. 
The inspection fee shall cover the initial annual inspection and one re-inspection for each inspection cycle.
B. 
Any additional re-inspections shall be subject to an additional fee until code compliance is achieved.
C. 
All fees shall be collected after the completion of any Fire Prevention Program inspection. Failure to submit payment by the specified date will prevent the inspection and shall constitute a violation of this Part.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
1. 
Upon approval by the designated official, the business or property owner will be issued a certificate of compliance.
A. 
The certificate of compliance shall indicate the following:
(1) 
Owner/occupant name and address.
(2) 
Emergency contact information.
(3) 
Applicable codes of compliance.
(4) 
Date of inspection.
(5) 
Time for which the certificate is valid.
(6) 
Any other information as the designated official deems necessary.
B. 
The certificate shall be posted in a conspicuous place, as to be visible to any employee, customer, or Township official entering the facility.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
All official records of inspections and certificates of compliance shall be kept by the Township Building Code Official in the offices of the Township of Salisbury. Copies shall also be retained by the Police Department Fire Prevention Program Division.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
If upon inspection it is the opinion of the designated official that an immediate fire hazard or condition dangerous to human life or property exists, the official is hereby authorized to order an immediate evacuation of the premises and to secure the same until such hazard or condition has been corrected.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. II]
Scheduling of the Fire Prevention Program inspections shall be made annually by the Fire Safety Inspector. It is the responsibility of the owner/occupant to maintain all systems and premises in accordance with applicable codes. If violations occur, then owner, agent or occupant is responsible to correct such violation as to be in compliance with said codes. This will include vacant/not in use commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-residential properties, in which case the property manager or building owner will responsible for all repairs and fees.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
The failure or neglect of any person designated by this Part to comply with any order or directive issued by the designated official under this Part, within the specified period of time and pursuant to the provisions of this Part or applicable codes, shall be deemed to be in violation of this Part.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. II]
1. 
Any person, partnership, corporation, trust or other entity who or which in any way violates any of the provisions of this Part or the Code or who or which refuses to obey any lawful order issued thereunder shall be liable, upon conviction in a summary jurisdiction, to pay a fine or penalty to the Township of Salisbury and for the use of said Township in an amount not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or be sentenced to imprisonment in the county prison for a period not exceeding 30 days, as provided by law.
2. 
Prosecution of Violations. If the notice of violation is not complied with promptly, the Fire Safety Inspector is authorized to institute the appropriate legal proceedings at law or in equity to restrain, correct or abate such violation or to require removal or termination of the unlawful occupancy of the structure in violation of the provisions of this code or of the order or direction made pursuant thereto.
3. 
Each day of violation of this Part or applicable code shall be considered a separate offense, for which the fines and penalties stated herein may be imposed on a daily basis.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
Any person, partnership, corporation, trust or other entity aggrieved or affected by any provision of this Part or any code issued thereunder may appeal the same to the Salisbury Township Building Code Board of Appeals.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
The provisions of this Part are severable. If any sentence, clause or section of this Part is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of any of the remaining provisions of this Part. It is hereby declared as a legislative intent that this Part would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid provision been included herein.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. II]
All ordinances or resolutions or parts of ordinances or resolutions, in so far as they are inconsistent herewith, shall be and the same are hereby repealed.
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. III; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. III]
The following sections of Chapter 7 of the International Property Maintenance Code are hereby amended to read as follows:
A.
Means of Egress-Delete [F] 702.1 General.
Replace With: A safe, continuous and unobstructed path of travel shall be provided from any point in a building or path of travel shall be provided from any point in a building or structure to the public way.
B.
Means of Egress-Delete [F] 702.2.
C.
Fire-Resistance Ratings-Delete [F] 702.3 Locked Doors.
Replace With: Locked Doors-all means of egress doors shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort.
D.
Fire Protection Systems-Delete [F] 704.1 General.
Replace With: All systems, devices and equipment to detect a fire, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire or any combination thereof shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times. All inspections shall be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of the following NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standards, as amended:
Add:
NFPA 10-
Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers
NFPA 12-
Standard on Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fire Extinguishing Systems
NFPA12A-
Standard on Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 17-
Standard on Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 17A-
Standard on Wet Chemical Extinguishing Systems
NFPA 25-
Inspection, Testing & Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems
NFPA 30-
Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code
NFPA 30A-
Code for Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
NFPA 55-
Compressed Gases+ Cryogenic Fluids Code
NFPA 70-
National Electrical Code
NFPA 72-
National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code
NFPA 80-
Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives
NFPA 96-
Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations
NFPA 99-
Healthcare Facilities Code
NFPA 101-
Life Safety Code
NFPA 705-
Recommended Practice for a Field Flame Test for Textiles and Films
NFPA 909-
Code for the protection of cultural resource properties-museums, libraries and places of worship
NFPA 2001-
Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems
[Ord. 12-2013-587, 12/19/2013, Art. IV; as amended by Ord. 08-2014-588, 8/14/2014, Art. IV]
The Police Chief and Township Manager shall develop rules and regulations for the development of the Fire Prevention Program with input from all Township departments, including the two volunteer fire departments, having direct knowledge of fire inspections matters. The Fire Safety Officer Inspector shall create an inspection checklist to assure compliance with this Part.