[Adopted by Ord. No. 19-08 (Ch. 10, Sec. 10-11, of the 1978 Revised General Ordinances)]
As used in this article, the following terms have the meanings
indicated:
Any mechanical or electronic signal reporting by means of
telephone cables or other means of transmission, which signals are
monitored by the Denville Township Fire Department at its headquarters,
or an audible alarm which is heard and/or called in by another and
which signals, upon receipt or upon activation, indicate to the Fire
Department that any emergency exists at the sending location. Said
alarms shall include those types installed to indicate fires at the
sending location.
Any fire report or request for fire service directed to the
Fire Department by any means of any communication wherein the situation,
condition, incident or emergency as subject of the report or request
did not and does not exist.
The Fire Department located within the Township of Denville.
A secured, locked device that is located on the exterior
of the premises at or near the main entrance which can be accessed
by the Denville Township Fire Department in the event that an alarm
is activated and it is or becomes necessary to gain access to the
premises in order to adequately determine the cause of the activation
of the alarm.
Any individual, partnership, association, syndicate, company,
firm, trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency, or other entity
recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention, fire official and the subcode
official shall have the power and the duty to enforce the provisions
of this article.
A.
The provision of this article shall apply to any person who operates,
maintains or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon
Fire Departments to any location in response to any type of alarm
signal. This article shall not apply to municipally owned property.
In the case of a false alarm, the Fire Chief or designated representative
shall notify the chief/fire official who shall issue the appropriate
penalty. For such false alarms, the Council prescribes that the following
penalties shall be assessed for each false alarm occurring in any
one calendar year. The penalties shall be assessed as follows:
(1)
First false alarm in the same calendar year: A written warning shall
be issued.
(2)
Second false alarm in the same calendar year: $50.
(3)
Third false alarm in the same calendar year: $100.
(4)
Fourth false alarm in the same calendar year: $150.
(5)
Fifth false alarm in the same calendar year: $200.
(6)
All subsequent false alarms in the same calendar year shall result
in a $50 increase per each additional false alarm reported.
(7)
Any person or persons who shall maliciously cause a false alarm of
fire shall be subject to a fine of not more than $200 per offense.
(8)
Any person who knowingly resets an active fire alarm before the Fire
Department arrival shall be subject to a penalty not to exceed $500
per occurrence.
B.
Precautions to prevent false alarms; notifications.
(1)
The owner shall take all necessary steps to ascertain immediately
the cause of any false alarm and shall alleviate the problem. Failure
by the owner to take reasonable precautions to avoid false alarms
shall be deemed to be in violation of the Uniform Fire Code.
(2)
All fire alarm panels shall be labeled with a notification sticker
as approved by the Township of Denville. This shall serve as your
written warning with all false alarms that occur without notification
shall be subject to penalties.
C.
Testing of alarm equipment. Testing of alarms required by the Uniform
Fire Code without prior notice to the Police Department and the Chief/Fire
Official shall be in violation of the Uniform Fire Code and a maximum
penalty of $500 shall be issued.
A.
Response to fire alarms. Upon the activation of a fire alarm or other
fire emergency in any structure other than a one- or two-family dwelling,
the owner, tenant, occupant, or their designated representative shall
respond to the structure in order to reset the alarm system. The designated
representative shall respond to the structure within 30 minutes. If
no one in the organization resides in close enough proximity to respond
within the required thirty-minute time period, such person, persons,
organization or entity shall be notified after the occurrence of the
first alarm that they are required to have a Knox Box installed on
the premises.
B.
Evacuation of premises.
(1)
When a fire alarm occurs in any building, structure or premises containing
a fire alarm or fire protection system, the occupants will be notified
and, once so notified, shall immediately leave the structure or premises.
Once notified, no persons shall enter or reenter, until so authorized
to do so by the Fire Chief, fire official or his/her representative.
(2)
Any person who refuses to leave, interferes with the evacuation of
the occupants or continues any operation after having been given an
evacuation order, except such work as that person is allowed to perform,
shall be deemed in violation of the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code and
shall be subject to the penalties as provided therein.
(3)
The Fire Chief or his/her representative shall certify, in writing,
to the Chief/Fire Official any violation of the above prior to the
issuance of any notice of violation or penalty. The certification
shall include the name of any occupant who failed to evacuate and
the date and time of such occurrence.
Enforcement, violations, and penalties shall be managed in conformity
with the Uniform Fire Safety Act, the Uniform Fire Code and all other
laws of the State of New Jersey.
