[Adopted 12-5-2016 by Ord. No. 24-2016]
Fire lanes (aka fire apparatus access roads) shall be designated
as follows for the efficient and effective use of fire apparatus,
for firefighting, police vehicles, and ambulances. Fire lanes shall
have a minimum width of 20 feet except for approved security gates
with an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet six
inches
A.
Where needed. The Fire Official of the Local Enforcing Agency may
establish fire areas on property devoted to public and private use,
in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-3, 503.1.1; including, but not by
way of limitation, shopping centers, strip malls, houses of worship,
swimming pools, offices, warehouses, factories, restaurants, nightclubs,
etc. and similar uses within the Township of Westampton as deemed
necessary to protect the public health and safety.
(1)
When the markings details cannot be strictly complied with, the number,
location, width, length, and markings shall be at the discretion of
the Fire Official.
(2)
Consideration is to be given to the size, type, and location of the
building or buildings, the number of persons using and occupying the
premises, existing means of egress and ingress, the total area of
the property, including the size of the parking lot or lots, and all
other relevant factors.
(3)
FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROAD
FIRE AREA
FIRE LANE
NO ON-STREET PARKING
NO PARKING ANYTIME
NO STOPPING OR STANDING
PARKING IN DESIGNATED STALLS ONLY
Definitions. For the purposes of fire lane enforcement, the following
terms are defined as follows:
A road that provides fire apparatus access from a fire station
to a facility, building or portion thereof. This is a general term
inclusive of all other terms such as fire lane, public street, private
street, parking lot lane and access roadway.
The same as "fire lane."
A road or other passageway developed to allow the passage
of fire apparatus. A fire lane is not necessarily intended for vehicular
traffic other than fire apparatus.
A vehicle may not be parked along the street unless loading
or unloading passengers or materials, with a limit of three minutes.
A vehicle may not be parked within the designated area unless
loading or unloading passengers or materials, with a time limit of
two minutes.
No vehicle may be stopped within the designated zone, whether
or not attended or unattended, with or without the motor running or
brakes set.
A vehicle may only be parked within an area so designated
for parking.
B.
Concurrent jurisdiction. The Township of Westampton Police Department
shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Westampton Township Emergency
Services Bureau of Fire Prevention to enforce the provisions of this
article.
C.
Existing fire lanes. Any and all fire lanes created prior to this chapter are hereby continued in effect, and when repairs or modifications are made to such fire lanes, they shall be brought into the conformity with this chapter, as much as shall be practical in the Fire Official's judgment. The standard for exercise of said judgment shall conform to those contained in Subsection A above.
D.
Markings. The owner shall, within 30 days of being given a notice
to do so by the Fire Official, mark the lane(s) as follows:
(1)
Signs, with minimum dimensions of 12 inches by 18 inches, constructed
of metal and with raised red letters a minimum of two inches in size
on a white background, shall be posted at a level of at least seven
feet above grade, indicating NO PARKING ANYTIME, PARKING IN DESIGNATED
STALLS ONLY, or NO STOPPING OR STANDING, at the Fire Official's
discretion after giving due consideration to the needs of the fire
service and the public. Immediately under these signs shall be another
sign, with a minimum dimension of 12 inches by six inches saying FIRE
LANE VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE or FIRE LANE NO ON-STREET
PARKING VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. Spacing of signs shall
be even, with a minimum of one sign for every 50 feet of fire lane
or part thereof, or as ordered by the Fire Official. All signs and
marking must be unobstructed and visible for a distance of at least
100 feet when viewed from a position approximately five feet above
ground while in the fire lane.
(2)
The area of a fire lane on improved areas shall be delineated along
its entire length with yellow lines 18 inches in width. Between the
yellow lines shall be marked NO PARKING FIRE LANE in yellow letters
18 inches in height. The number of times this wording is to be repeated
shall be at the discretion of the appropriate Fire Official, with
the recommended spacing to be at one-hundred-foot intervals and spaced
so as to be between and alternate with the metal signs required above.
If the designated fire lane abuts a curb, the curbing shall be yellow
in color where it abuts the fire lane.
(3)
Fire lanes for vehicle access shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width
except for approved security gates with an unobstructed vertical clearance
of not less than 13 feet six inches.
E.
Notification. Once a fire lane has been designated by the Fire Official,
approved as provided above and properly marked by the owner of the
premises, the appropriate Fire Official shall notify the Police Department,
Construction Code Department and Municipal Court Administrator, in
writing, of the existence and location of the designated fire lane(s).
F.
Unpaved areas. Unpaved fire lanes installed on public or private
property shall comply with the "Fire Lane Typical Details" installation
methods and be approved by the Fire Official. Signs and markings shall
be provided as required by the Fire Official and this chapter.
G.
Restricted areas. Gates, chains or other approved methods shall be
utilized to prevent unauthorized access to installation, provided
that such restrictions will not impede access by firefighting apparatus
or other emergency vehicles. The Fire Official shall determine whether
any changes or deviations from the appropriate methods may be utilized.
H.
Installation and maintenance. Fire lanes shall be installed and maintained
by the owner of the premises or a designee in conformity with the
provisions of this chapter. Fire lanes in existence prior to the enactment
of this section shall be required to conform to the provisions herein
at the discretion of the Fire Official. Fire lanes must be accessible
for fire apparatus at all times.
I.
Parking, standing and obstruction prohibited.
(1)
Designated fire lanes shall be maintained free of snow and obstructions,
including vehicles, at all times.
(2)
The appropriate Fire Official, designee, or a police officer of the
Township of Westampton shall have the authority to remove or have
removed such obstructions or vehicles as may violate any section of
this chapter, at the expense of the owner of the vehicle. The presumption
of ownership may be overcome by proof furnished to the satisfaction
of the Municipal Court or Superior Court, Law Division, that some
other person was the actual offender.
(3)
It shall be a separate violation of this chapter for any driver or
operator of any motor vehicle to fail to present a driver's license
and/or vehicle registration upon demand of any person authorized to
enforce this chapter when requested as part of the enforcement procedure.
J.
Notice of violation. The Fire Officials may complete a municipal
summons or a notice of violations, and said summons or notice of violations
shall be issued for all offenders by personally serving same upon
any offender, or if the offender is not attendant to the vehicle shall
mail the notice of violations by certified mail, return receipt requested
to the person's last known address.
K.
Enforcement. This chapter shall supersede any and all provisions
of any other ordinance promulgated for the enforcement of parking
in fire lanes. Enforcement shall only be done by personnel from either
the Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention
or the appropriate local enforcement agencies. Personnel enforcing
these provisions shall be either uniformed or carry appropriate identification.
L.
Violations and penalties.
(1)
It shall be the right of any person receiving such a summons to plead
guilty or not guilty to the charge of violating this chapter. Those
persons pleading not guilty to the charge of violating this chapter
shall be given the opportunity to present their defense before the
Municipal Court of Westampton Township or the Burlington County Construction
Board of Appeals.
(2)
All persons pleading guilty in Municipal Court or convicted of violating
this chapter shall be fined a maximum of $50 per violation for passenger
vehicles and $100 per violation for commercial vehicles and equipment,
plus court costs. All fines and court costs shall be payable to the
Municipal Court. All fines assessed as a result of summonses issued
shall be paid thereafter to the Westampton Township Emergency Services
Bureau of Fire Prevention by the Court Clerk. All court costs shall
be paid thereafter to the Court.
All newly constructed buildings equipped with an automatic fire
suppression system or standpipe shall conform to the following requirements
for the Fire Department connection (F.D.C.) in addition to those specified
in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code:
A.
Thirty-degree elbow installed in the downward position.
B.
Five-inch-diameter connection utilizing Storz-type connections.
C.
A blue light shall be illuminated 24 hours per day over any Fire
Department connection. In such suppression systems that Siamese connections
supply zoned areas of suppression, the blue light shall flash intermittently
over the Fire Department connection of the activated zone. The rate
of flash shall not be less than 60 flashes per minute.
D.
A weather-resistant sign shall be affixed to, adjacent to, or above
the fire department connection. Specifications for the sign are as
follows:
E.
Interior standpipe connections within structures, in some cases,
will require additional plain language on signs to identify location,
particular system and supply location.
HVAC systems installed in any building or structure subject
to the provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code shall
be inspected to ensure that fire and smoke dampers remain functional.
The following are guidelines for periodic inspections.
A.
Periodic inspection and testing standards recommended by the National
Fire Protection Association:
(1)
Each damper shall be tested and inspected one year after installation.
The test and inspection frequency shall then be every four years.
(2)
Care shall be exercised that all tests are completed in a safe manner
wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
(3)
Full unobstructed access to the damper shall be verified and corrected
as required.
(4)
Where a fusible link is installed on a combination fire/smoke damper,
the fusible link shall be removed for testing the damper for full
closure simulating a fire condition per the requirements and frequencies
of 19.5.4 of NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.
(5)
The test shall be conducted with normal HVAC airflow.
(6)
The operation of the damper shall verify that there is no damper
interference due to rust or bent, misaligned, or damaged frame or
blades, or defective hinges or other moving parts.
(7)
The damper frame shall not be penetrated by any foreign objects that
would affect proper fire damper operations.
(8)
The damper shall be verified to not be blocked from closure in any
way.
(9)
The fusible link shall be reinstalled after testing is complete.
If the link is damaged or painted, it shall be replaced with a link
of the same size, temperature rating, and load rating.
(10)
All inspections and testing shall be documented indicating the
location of the damper, date of inspection, name of inspector, and
deficiencies discovered. The documentation shall have a space to indicate
when and how the deficiencies were corrected.
(11)
All documentation shall be maintained by the property owner
and available for review by the authority having jurisdiction.
B.
Maintenance.
(1)
Any reports of abrupt changes in airflow or noise from the duct system
shall be investigated to verify that they are not related to damper
operation.
(2)
All exposed moving parts of the damper shall be dry lubricated as
required by the manufacturer.
(3)
If the damper is not operable, repairs shall begin as soon as possible.
(4)
Following any repairs, the damper shall be initiated at a time interval
recommended by the actuator manufacturer.
(5)
All maintenance shall be documented and records shall be retained in accordance with § 128-28A(10) and (11).
C.
Compliance with the provisions of this article shall be monitored
by the local enforcing agency and the Township's Fire Official.
D.
All inspections shall be conducted by technicians and contractors
who have been certified by the International Certification Board (ICB)
and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to ensure the quality
of the inspection process.
E.
All results of the inspections are to be given to the Township Fire
Official within 30 days of the completion of the inspection. The Fire
Official will keep inspection reports until the next inspection is
completed four years later. If the fire and smoke damper systems are
found to be faulty, repairs must be completed and approved by an ICB
and ANSI certified technician and contractor within 60 days from the
date the system was found to be faulty.
A.
Fire apparatus obstruction. It shall be unlawful to attempt, conspire,
hamper, obstruct, restrict, block or fail to yield to, the path of
travel of any fire emergency vehicle, in any way, operating during
a fire or emergency.
B.
Fire hose. A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected
fire hose of a Fire Department when laid down on any street, or any
other vehicular roadway, without the consent of the fire officer in
command.
C.
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain
any speed bumps, speed humps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes,
wood or metal horses, vehicles, or any other type of obstruction in
or on any street within the boundaries of the municipality without
prior approval from the Fire Official. The word "street" as used in
this section shall mean 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 in the boundaries of the
municipality. Approval from the Fire Official shall be a variance
from this ordinance and shall be documented as such.
D.
Street closings. Prior to the closing of any street, notification
shall be made to the Westampton Township Emergency Services and the
Westampton Township Police Department. Such notice shall include why
the street is to be closed, when the street is to be closed, and how
long such closing shall last. Notification shall also be made upon
the reopening of the street.
E.
Fire appliances. 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 fires, training or testing
purposes, recharging, or making necessary repairs, or when permitted
by the Fire Official. 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 nonapproved
fire appliances or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as directed
by the Fire Official.
F.
Compliance order. A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to
comply with the order or direction of a firefighter, or interfere
with the compliance attempts of another individual, during a fire
or emergency.
G.
Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation found guilty in the Municipal
Court of the Township of Westampton of a violation of the terms of
this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or
imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion
of the Municipal Court Judge. Any fines collected shall be forwarded
to the Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention.
It shall be a violation of this section for any person, manager,
firm, corporation, owner, tenant, or person responsible for a given
structure or premises, to fail to immediately notify the Westampton
Township Emergency Services and immediately evacuate the entire structure
when, and if, the following conditions are present: a fire alarm is
activated, there is smoke in the structure, an explosion has occurred,
there is a fire in the structure, any fire protection system is activated,
any hazardous or flammable material is spilled or leaked, upon the
order of the Fire/EMS Chief, Fire Official, or Incident Commander.
A.
A "fire watch" is defined as a: temporary measure to ensure continuous
and systematic surveillance of and response to the Township or a portion
thereof, or a building, or portion thereof, by one or more trained,
competent, responsible, able-bodied and qualified individuals whose
only duties shall be to perform constant patrols of the protected
premises for the purpose of identifying and controlling fire and other
life/property hazards, detecting early signs of unwanted fire, raising
an alarm of fire, notifying the Fire Department, and engaging in firefighting
or other emergency response. The Fire Official shall determine whether
a fire watch is deemed necessary. A fire watch may be posted in any
portion of the Township and also in public and privately owned buildings
and/or properties.
B.
In no case shall a required and/or installed fire alarm or fire sprinkler
system be rendered inoperable in an attempt to eliminate preventable
alarms without the written consent of the fire official. In the event
of a fire protection system found not operating, provisions for a
constantly attended fire watch shall be posted in the building or
premise on which the fire protection system is located. No fire alarm
or fire sprinkler system shall remain out of service for any period
of time without notification of the Fire Official. Any alarm found
to be out of service without the written consent of the Fire Official
shall be subject to penalties described in the New Jersey Uniform
Fire Code.
C.
A fire watch may include firefighting, rescue, recovery and other
emergency responses; the maintaining of posted fire lanes, means of
egress, and posted occupancy loads; enforcement of no smoking in posted
areas; area and building surveillance; checking for proper permits;
inspecting for proper safety precautions of cooking equipment; and
such other functions as required by the Fire Official or his assigned
designee.
D.
A fire watch shall be paid for by a building owner, tenant, lessee,
or organization under the following circumstances:
(1)
Required fire protection systems are out of service;
(2)
A fire watch is directed by the Westampton Township Emergency Services
Bureau of Fire Prevention or is requested by the building owner, tenant,
or lessee; public and private events where 100 people or more are
in attendance; events where with the approval of the Fire Official
or his assigned designee the posted occupancy load is exceeded; all
other situations deemed necessary by the Fire Official or his assigned
designee.
(3)
All fire watch services ordered for the benefit/protection of private
property shall be paid at the rate of $45 per hour per person, and
there shall be a minimum payment of four hours per worker plus an
administration fee of 15% applied for the individual and the vehicle
used. Additionally, there will be a fee of $250 per hour for the use
of each Township fire apparatus. All payments shall be paid to the
Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention within
10 days after the service is provided. No volunteer firefighter shall
be paid for any fire watch under this article.
E.
Fire watches shall be performed by active employees of the Westampton
Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention. Any qualified
individuals used for the purposes of a fire watch shall report directly
to the Fire Official or his/her assigned designee.
F.
Any building otherwise subject to this ordinance can opt out of a
fire watch by submitting proof to the Fire Department that the building
is covered by a private security watch or other comparable substitute
for a fire watch. A "fire watch" log as provided by the Westampton
Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention in this instance
must be maintained and forwarded to the Fire Official immediately
upon restoration of the affected systems in order to allow for the
completion of said fire watch.
G.
Failure for property owner or designated property representative
to establish, maintain, or properly document a fire watch when requested
by the Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention
will result in an assessed penalty not to exceed $500 per day for
every day the condition exists.
A.
The Fire Official shall investigate, or cause to be investigated,
the activation of any fire alarms, fire detector or fire protection
system occurring within the jurisdiction to determine the cause for
such activation and to determine if the device and/or equipment have
been properly restored to full service.
B.
Failure to report. It shall be a violation of this code for any person
or persons, having knowledge of same, to fail to report to the Westampton
Township Emergency Services and/or its Bureau of Fire Prevention the
activation of any fire protection system or device or to fail to report
the occurrence of any fire, any attempted arson, or the spill or leakage
of any flammable or combustible liquid or gas or of any hazardous
material immediately upon gaining such knowledge.
A.
A fee of $25 shall be required for all requests for fire investigation
reports. All other file information requests shall be charged at the
photocopy rate of $0.75 per page. A fee of $10 shall be required for
all requests for fire investigation photos.
B.
The cost for the issuance of a certificate of Fire Code status shall
be $45.
A.
The location and distribution of fire hydrants to be placed upon
public property as well as installation of water mains to assure adequate
fire flow based on the hazard to be protected shall be determined
by the project developer utilizing accepted engineering and industry
standards. During the planning and zoning approval process, the Fire
Official shall be provided with site plans indicating hydrant location,
size and location of fire service water mains. The Fire Official and
Fire/EMS Chief shall review and approve all submitted plans prior
to the installation of any fire hydrant or fire service water distribution
system. A fire hydrant shall not be placed into or removed from service
until approved by the Fire Official and Fire/EMS Chief. Fire Hydrants
must be located within 50 feet of all Fire Department connections.
B.
Fire hydrant use approval. A person or private company shall not
use or operate any fire hydrant unless a permit and approval for such
is obtained from the Fire Marshal and the water company having jurisdiction.
C.
Private yard systems locations and relocation. All new and existing
shopping centers, apartment complexes, oil storage plants, lumber
yards, educational or institutional complexes and similar occupancies
and uses involving high fire or life hazards, and which are located
more than 100 feet from a public street or which require quantities
of water beyond the capabilities of the public water distribution,
shall be provided with properly placed fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants
shall be capable of supplying fire flows as required by the Insurance
Service Organization or the American Water Works standards and shall
be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering
practices. The Fire Official and the Fire/EMS Chief shall review and
approve the number and location of all fire hydrants. Private fire
hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service until approved.
D.
Temporary water. At any temporary construction site or new construction
site, all parties shall provide a water source for firefighting purposes
subject to the approval by the Fire Official.
All business and multiple-family buildings and complexes must
post a list of the emergency contacts and service companies for use
by emergency personnel in a conspicuous location as determined by
the Fire Official.
A.
It is the responsibility of the owner or occupant to have snow removed
from their property in a manner which will not delay the response
of emergency personnel. Removal of snow shall not obstruct the following:
A sign shall be provided at each floor landing in all interior
exit stairways more than three stories above grade, designating the
floor level, the floor level above (at) the floor of discharge, the
identification of the stairway and the availability of roof access
from the stairway. Floor level characters shall be at least six inches
in height and characters of other information shall be a least 1 1/2
inches in height. Signage shall be located approximately five feet
above the floor landing in a position which is readily visible when
the doors are in the open and closed positions.
The rear exterior doors on multiple tenant commercial properties
shall be identified with a minimum of four-inch letters of contrasting
color stating the business name and the unit number. The signage shall
be provided and maintained up-to-date by the landlord at his/her expense.
Names shall be updated as soon as occupancy changes.
A.
All elevator keys utilized for emergency operations of elevators
within buildings and structures in the Township of Westampton will
have standardized operation keys as follows: Phase I and II - Yale
3502.
B.
Building owners/occupants will have one year from the date of inspection
to comply with this requirement.
A.
When exit signs are required, additional approved low-level exit
signs which are internally illuminated, photo luminescent or self-luminous,
shall be provided in all interior exit corridors serving guest rooms
of hotels in Group R-1. The bottom of the sign shall not be less than
six inches or more than eight inches above the floor level. For exit
doors, the sign shall be on the door or adjacent to the door with
the closest edge of the sign within four inches of the latch side
of the doorframe.
B.
Business Use Group floor-level exit signs. When exit signs are required,
additional approved reflective exit signs shall be provided in business
use group buildings, three or more stories, the bottom of the sign
shall be not less than six inches or more than eight inches above
the floor level. For exit doors to stairwells, the sign shall be on
the door or adjacent to the door with the closest edge of the sign
within four inches of the latch side of the doorframe.
A.
Prohibited acts. It shall be a violation of this chapter for any
person, firm or corporation to:
(1)
Obstruct, hinder, delay or interfere by force or otherwise with the
Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention in
the exercise of any power or the discharge of any function or duty
under the provisions of the chapter.
(2)
Prepare, utter or render any false statement pertaining to reports,
documents, plans or specifications permitted or required under the
provisions of this chapter.
(3)
Render ineffective or inoperative, or fail to properly maintain,
any protective equipment or system installed, or intended to be installed,
in a building or structure.
(4)
Refuse or fail to comply with a lawful ruling, action, order or notice
of the Westampton Township Emergency Services Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(5)
Violate or cause to be violated any of the provisions of this chapter.
(6)
Refuse to provide identification and/or vehicle registration information.
B.
Summons. The Fire Official and/or designee shall be empowered to
issue a Municipal Court summons for violations of this chapter.
C.
Violations and penalties. Any person, firm or corporation found guilty
in the Municipal Court for a violation of the provisions of this chapter
shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000
or imprisonment for a period of not exceeding 90 days, or both. Each
and every day a violation continues shall be a separate offense. Such
penalty shall not relieve the violator of the duty to take corrective
actions.
A.
Fire exit announcement. At indoor places of assembly with occupant
loads of 50 and over, such as theatres, auditoriums, multipurpose
rooms, or similar occupancies used for noncontinuance programs, an
audible announcement by the venue host, or by recorded announcement,
shall be made not more than 10 minutes prior to the start of each
program, to notify the occupants of the location of exits to be used
in the event of a fire or emergency.
B.
Notice of large gatherings. It shall be required for any responsible
party involved in any gatherings at which over 100 attendees are anticipated
within the Township of Westampton, whether inside a structure or outside,
to make advanced notification to the Westampton Township Emergency
Services and the Westampton Township Police Department. The Fire/EMS
Chief shall determine whether or not an emergency ambulance will be
required to provide "standby" services for the duration of the event
with fees for such a service not to exceed $100 per hour and payable
by the responsible party.
A "board-up" service is defined as one which provides on-call
means to secure properties within Westampton Township against unauthorized
access via boarding up openings and/or perimeter fencing in the event
of unsafe structural conditions or fire. Any licensed, permitted,
and insured company providing "board-up" services that desires to
provide said services, on a rotational basis, within the Township
of Westampton shall submit an annual application with the Clerk of
Westampton Township by November 30 of each year for inclusion on the
next year's list of "board-up" service providers.
