[HISTORY: Adopted City of Norwalk Common Council 6-22-1982, effective 8-1-1982. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building Code — See Ch. 26.
Explosives — See Ch. 38.
Fire Department — See Ch. 41.
Fire lanes — See Ch. 42.
[1]
Editor's Note: A full copy of the text of the Norwalk
Fire Prevention Code is on file in the office of the City Clerk.
It is the intent of this chapter to prescribe regulations consistent
with the nationally recognized good practice for the safeguarding
of life and property from hazards of fire and explosion arising from
the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and
devices and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the use
and occupancy of structures and premises. Compliance with standards
of the American Insurance Association or the National Fire Protection
Association or other approved nationally recognized safety standards
shall be deemed to be prima facie evidence of compliance with this
intent.
A.
This chapter supplements existing state statutes and regulations
dealing with protection from and prevention of fire and explosion.
B.
The adoption of this chapter shall not excuse the noncompliance with
nor prohibit the enforcement by the Fire Marshal or his agent of any
federal, state or local statute, regulation, code or ordinance which
directly or indirectly governs the protection from and prevention
of fire and explosion, whether or not the same is referred to herein.
In any case where a provision of this chapter is found to be
in conflict with a provision of any zoning, building, fire safety
or other statute, regulation, code or ordinance of the state or city,
the provision which establishes the higher standard shall prevail.
This chapter shall become effective on August 1, 1982, and the
provisions thereof shall apply to all structures and premises in existence
within the City of Norwalk on that date and thereafter, and shall
be binding on all persons.
[Added 1-25-2011; amended 6-26-2018]
The Fire Marshal, with the concurrence of the Fire Commission,
and subject to the approval of the Common Council, shall establish
and amend a schedule of fees for permits and licenses issued by and
services performed by the Office of the Fire Marshal. The Fire Commission
shall submit the proposed fee schedule to the Common Council. A committee
of the Common Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed
fee schedule not less than seven nor more than 14 days from the date
of the notice of the time and place of such hearing, published in
the form of a legal advertisement appearing in a newspaper having
a substantial circulation in the City of Norwalk. Within 90 days of
receipt by the City Clerk of notice of the action taken by the committee
subsequent to the public hearing, the Common Council shall approve,
modify and approve, or disapprove the proposed fee schedule. If the
Council takes no action within such 90 days, the rates and fees shall
be deemed disapproved, and the City Clerk shall issue a notice so
stating, which notice shall be maintained with the records of the
Common Council. Copies of the approved fee schedule shall be maintained
in the records of the Common Council and the Office of the Fire Marshal.
All fees collected by the Office of the Fire Marshal shall be deposited
in the general fund.
[Added 6-26-2018]
The purpose of this article is to streamline the Office of the
Fire Marshal's application and annual renewal inspection process
for liquor license permits in the City of Norwalk.
A.
Initial application. The initial applicant must submit a formal application
to the State of Connecticut. Upon approval, the applicant must have
the Office of the Fire Marshal sign the temporary application and
then the applicant must resubmit this application to the State of
Connecticut.
B.
Annual renewal inspection. The applicant must make an appointment
with the Office of the Fire Marshal to set up a renewal inspection
and pay the annual renewal liquor license permit inspection fee as
established in the Office of the Fire Marshal's schedule of fees
for permits and licenses.
C.
Duration of liquor license permit. Each liquor license permit issued
in accordance with this chapter shall be valid for the period of one
year from the date of issuance, unless revoked or suspended. Liquor
license permits shall not be transferrable.
D.
Penalty for offenses. If an applicant fails to complete an annual
renewal inspection in a timely manner, the Office of the Fire Marshal
will notify the State of Connecticut immediately.
[Added 6-25-2019]
A.
Purpose.
(1)
Pursuant to the Fire Safety Code and Connecticut General Statutes
§ 29-305, as amended from time to time, the Fire Marshal
is required to conduct inspections for a variety of occupancy classifications
to ensure that the requirements specified in said code or statute
have been satisfied. Depending on the type of occupancy, these inspections
are mandated to occur as often as annually, or up to every four years.
(2)
The purpose of this section is to streamline the Fire Marshal's
inspection process for all occupancy classifications that are regulated
by the Fire Safety Code and the Connecticut General Statutes § 29-305,
as amended from time to time. These inspections are conducted to ensure
that the occupants are safe and that the requirements specified in
said code or statute have been satisfied.
B.
Inspections.
(1)
Pursuant to the Fire Safety Code and Connecticut General Statutes
§ 29-305, as amended from time to time, all occupancy classifications
are required to undergo periodic inspections by the Fire Marshal.
The Fire Marshal shall be provided with access by the owner, designee
or legal occupant to the structures subject to the occupancy classifications
to complete the inspection to ensure that the requirements specified
in the Fire Safety Code and Connecticut General Statutes § 29-305,
as amended from time to time, have been satisfied.
(2)
The owner and/or designee must schedule an inspection with the Fire
Marshal within the time period mandated by the Fire Safety Code and
Connecticut General Statutes § 29-305, as amended from time
to time. If the owner and/or designee schedules and completes an inspection
prior to the expiration date as prescribed in the Fire Safety Code
and Connecticut General Statutes § 29-305, as amended from
time to time, then the Fire Marshal shall not charge the owner and/or
designee a fee. However, if the owner and/or designee fails to schedule
and complete the inspection prior to the expiration date, as prescribed
in the Fire Safety Code and Connecticut General Statutes § 29-305,
as amended from time to time, then the Fire Marshal shall send a letter
to the owner and/or designee advising that the inspection is delinquent.
The owner and/or designee shall have 30 days from the date of the
initial letter to schedule and complete the inspection. If a delinquent
inspection occurs, the Fire Marshal shall charge the owner and/or
designee an amount as established in the Office of the Fire Marshal's
schedule of fees for permits and licenses.
C.
Duration of inspection. The duration of an inspection is based upon
the occupancy classification as identified in the Fire Safety Code.
Depending on the type of occupancy, these inspections are mandated
to occur as often as annually, or up to every four years.
D.
Penalty for offenses. Any person violating this section shall be
punished as follows:
(1)
An owner and/or designee that fails to complete an inspection in
a timely manner, as prescribed in the Fire Safety Code and Connecticut
General Statutes § 29-305, as amended from time to time,
shall be subject to an initial fine of $250;
(2)
Each day that the violation exists shall constitute a separate violation;
and
(3)
Following the initial violation, each subsequent day that the violation
exists shall be subject to a fine of $100.
[Added 6-25-2019]
A.
When the Fire Marshal ascertains that there exists in any building,
or upon any premises, (1) combustible or explosive matter, dangerous
accumulation of rubbish or any flammable material especially liable
to fire, that is so situated as to endanger life or property; (2)
obstructions or conditions that present a fire hazard to the occupants
or interfere with their egress in case of fire; or (3) a condition
in violation of the statutes relating to fire prevention or safety,
or any regulation made pursuant thereto, the remedy of which requires
construction or a change in structure, the Fire Marshal shall order
such materials to be immediately removed or the conditions remedied
by the owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such removal
or remedy shall be in conformance with all building codes, ordinances,
rules and regulations of the City of Norwalk. Any person, firm or
corporation which violates any provision of this subsection shall
be fined not more than $100 or be imprisoned not more than three months,
or both, and, in addition, may be fined $50 a day for each day's
continuance of each violation, to be recovered in a proper action
in the name of the City of Norwalk.
B.
Upon failure of an owner, designee or occupant to abate a hazard or remedy a condition pursuant to Subsection A of this section within a reasonable period of time as specified by the Fire Marshal, such Fire Marshal shall promptly notify in writing the prosecuting attorney having jurisdiction in the City of Norwalk in which such hazard exists of all the facts pertaining thereto, and such official shall promptly take such action as the facts may require, and a copy of such notification shall be forwarded promptly to the State Fire Marshal. The Fire Marshal may request the chief executive officer or any official of the City of Norwalk authorized to institute actions on behalf of the City of Norwalk in which the hazard exists, or the State Fire Marshal, for the purpose of closing or restricting from public service or use such place or premises until such hazard has been remedied, to apply to any court of equitable jurisdiction for an injunction against such owner, designee or occupant; or the State Fire Marshal, on his/her own initiative, may apply to such court for such injunction. When such hazard is found to exist upon premises supervised or licensed by a state department or agency, the Fire Marshal shall promptly notify the administrator of such department or agency of his findings and shall issue orders for the elimination of such hazard.
C.
If the Fire Marshal, his or her designee, the Fire Department, or
the Norwalk Police Department determines that there exists in a building
a risk of death or injury from (1) blocked, insufficient or impeded
egress; (2) failure to maintain or the shutting off of any fire protection
or fire warning system required by the Fire Safety Code (Connecticut
State Agency Regulations§ 29-292-1e, et seq., as amended
from time to time) or State Fire Prevention Code (Connecticut General
Statutes § 29-291 et seq., as amended from time to time);
(3) the storage of any flammable or explosive material without a permit
or in quantities in excess of any allowable limits pursuant to a permit;
(4) the use of any firework or pyrotechnic device without a permit;
or (5) exceeding the occupancy limit established by the State Fire
Marshal or the Fire Marshal, such Fire Marshal, his or her designee,
or police officer may issue a verbal or written order to immediately
vacate the building. Such Fire Marshal, his or her designee, or police
officer shall notify or submit a copy of such order to the State Fire
Marshal if such Fire Marshal, his or her designee, or police officer
anticipates that any of the conditions specified in items (1) to (5),
inclusive, of this subsection cannot be abated in four hours or less
from the time of such order. Upon receipt of any such notification
or copy, the State Fire Marshal shall review such order to vacate,
and after consultation with the Fire Marshal, his or her designee,
or police officer, determine whether to uphold, modify or reverse
such order, with any further conditions the State Fire Marshal deems
appropriate to protect any person from injury.
