[Amended 9-12-2011 by Ord. No. 1018; 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
The Township of Wilkins hereby adopts the International Fire Code, known as the "International Fire Code, 2018 Edition," as published by the International Code Council, for the purpose of regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Fire Code on file in the office of the Township of Wilkins are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this chapter, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in §
201-6 of this chapter.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The Fire Prevention Code shall be enforced by the Bureau of
Fire Prevention of the Township of Wilkins as herein described.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be operated under the supervision
of the Fire Marshal and three Deputy Fire Marshals, which offices
were established by Ordinance No. 742. The Fire Marshal shall be the
Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
A. The Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal shall be appointed by the
Board of Commissioners, upon recommendation of the fire companies
of the Township of Wilkins, for two-year terms. They shall serve without
compensation and may not be removed except for cause and after hearing
before the Board of Commissioners.
B. In the absence of the Fire Marshal or a Deputy Fire Marshal, in cases
of emergency, the highest-ranking company fire officer in whose jurisdiction
the emergency occurs is hereby empowered to act as a Deputy Fire Marshal,
with all the powers of that office, until such time as the Fire Marshal
or a Deputy Fire Marshal arrives at the scene.
A report of the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be made annually
and transmitted to the Township Secretary; it shall contain data regarding
all proceedings under this Fire Prevention Code, with such statistics
as the Fire Marshal shall wish to enclose therein and such recommendations
for amendments to the Fire Prevention Code which, in the Fire Marshal's
judgment, shall be desirable.
[Amended 9-12-2011 by Ord. No. 1018]
The International Fire Code hereby adopted is amended as follows:
A. 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the
Fire Code of the Township of Wilkins, hereinafter referred to as "this
code."
B. 109.4 Violation penalties. Persons who shall violate
a provision of this code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements
thereof or who shall erect, install, alter, repair or do work in violation
of the approved construction documents or directive of the Fire Code
Official, or of a permit or certificate used under provision of this
code and from which no appeal has been taken or who shall fail to
comply with such an order as affirmed or modified by the Fire Marshal,
or by a court of competent jurisdiction within the time fixed herein,
shall severally, for each and every such violation and noncompliance,
respectively, be guilty of an ordinance violation, punishable by a
fine or penalty of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution,
and in default of payment of the fine or penalty and costs imposed,
the violator may be sentenced and committed to the county jail for
a period not to exceed 30 days. The imposition of one penalty for
any violation shall not excuse the violation nor permit it to continue,
and all such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations
or defects immediately on notice to do so. Each day that prohibited
conditions are maintained shall constitute a separate offense.
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
C. 111.4 Failure to comply. Any person who shall continue
any work after having been served with a stop-work order, except such
work as that person is directed to perform to remove a violation or
unsafe condition, shall be liable to a fine of not less than $600
nor more than $1,000.
D. 5601.2.4 Financial responsibility. Before a permit is
issued, as required by Section 5601.2, the applicant shall file with
the Township of Wilkins a corporate surety bond in principal sum of
$100,000 or a public liability insurance policy for the same amount
for the purpose of payment of all damages to persons or property which
arise from or are caused by the conduct of any act authorized by the
permit upon which any judicial judgment results. The Township Solicitor
is authorized to specify a greater or lesser amount when, in his opinion,
conditions at the location of use indicate a greater or lesser amount
is required. Government entities shall be exempt from this bond requirement.
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord.
No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
E. 5704.2.9.6.1. Locations where aboveground tanks are prohibited. Storage of Class I and Class II liquids in aboveground tanks outside of buildings is prohibited within all residential-zoned areas of Wilkins Township as defined by Chapter
450, Zoning.
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
F. 5706.2.4.4. Locations where aboveground tanks are prohibited. The storage of Class I and II liquids in aboveground tanks is prohibited within all residential-zoned areas of Wilkins Township as defined by Chapter
450, Zoning.
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
G. 5806.2. Limitations. Storage of flammable cryogenic
fluids in stationary containers outside of buildings is prohibited
within the geographic borders of the Township of Wilkins.
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
H. 6104.2. Maximum capacity within established limits. Within
the limits established by commonwealth law restricting the storage
of liquefied petroleum gas for the protection of heavily populated
or congested areas, the aggregate capacity of any one installation
shall not exceed a water capacity of 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters).
[Amended 1-6-2020 by Ord. No. 1086; 5-9-2022 by Ord. No. 1105]
I. 901.6.2. Records. Records of all system inspections,
test, and maintenance required by the referenced standard shall be
maintained on the premises for a minimum of three years and shall
be provided to the Fire Code Official/Fire Marshal, by the company
performing the inspections and maintenance, via the Fire Code Official/Fire
Marshal's third-party inspection reporting system. All reports
shall be submitted electronically within 15 days of the inspection,
test, and maintenance.
[Added 4-30-2018 by Ord.
No. 1075]
The Fire Marshal shall have power to modify any of the provisions
of the Fire Prevention Code upon application, in writing, by the owner
or lessee or his duly authorized agent when there are practical difficulties
in the way of carrying out the strict letter of the Fire Prevention
Code, provided that the spirit of the Fire Prevention Code shall be
observed, public safety secured and substantial justice done. The
particulars of such modification when granted or allowed and the decision
of the Fire Marshal thereon shall be entered upon the records of the
department, and a signed copy shall be furnished to the applicant.
The Public Safety Committee and the Fire Marshal and his Deputies
shall act as a committee to determine and specify, after giving affected
persons an opportunity to be heard, any new materials, processes or
occupancies which shall require permits, in addition to those now
enumerated in said Fire Prevention Code.