A.
Scope. The provisions of this article shall govern the minimum conditions
and standards for firesafety relating to structures and exterior premises,
including firesafety facilities and equipment to be provided.
B.
Responsibility. The owner of the premises shall provide and maintain
such firesafety facilities and equipment in compliance with these
requirements. A person shall not occupy as owner-occupant or permit
another person to occupy any premises that do not comply with the
requirements of this article.
A.
General. A safe, continuous and unobstructed path of travel shall
be provided from any point in a building or structure to the public
way. Means of egress shall comply with the International Fire Code
and Borough's fire code.
B.
Aisles. The required width of aisles in accordance with the International
Fire Code and Borough's Fire Code shall be unobstructed.
C.
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, except where the door hardware
conforms to that permitted by the International Building Code.
D.
Emergency escape openings. Required emergency escape openings shall
be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of
construction, and the following:
(1)
Required emergency escape and rescue openings shall be operational
from the inside of the room without the use of keys or tools.
(2)
Bars, grilles, grates or similar devices are permitted to be placed
over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net
clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the
time of construction and such devices shall be releasable or removable
from the inside without the use of a key, tool or force greater than
that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue
opening.
(3)
Emergency escape windows shall not be reduced or blocked by any construction,
renovation; or fans, air conditioners and other similar devises.
A.
Fire-resistance-rated assemblies. The required fire-resistance rating
of fire-resistance-rated walls, fire stops, shaft enclosures, partitions
and floors shall be maintained.
(1)
Fire separation semidetached buildings. Unless specified elsewhere,
all penetrations, holes or cracks found in any party walls between
buildings, not undergoing renovations must be restored to their original
fire separation rating in accordance to the fire and building codes
in place at the time of construction. If no required rating can be
determined for the time of construction, then such penetrations, holes
or cracks shall be covered with 5/8 fire rated gypsum board with tightly
fitting taped seams.
Exception: Party walls located in basements or cellars areas
subject to moisture, shall have all surface areas recoated with an
approved bonding cement or other such approved material to seal all
penetrations, holes or cracks.
B.
Opening protectives. Required opening protectives shall be maintained
in an operative condition. All fire and smoke stop doors shall be
maintained in operable condition. Fire doors and smoke barrier doors
shall not be blocked or obstructed or otherwise made inoperable.
A.
General. All systems, devices and equipment to detect a fire or to
actuate an alarm, shall be installed and maintained in an operable
condition at all times in accordance with this code and the procedures
and provisions of Pennsylvania Act 45, titled the "Uniform Construction
Code," as adopted and modified by the Borough, and all future amendments
and insertions thereof.[1]
B.
Where required.
(1)
Single or multiple-station smoke alarms shall be installed and maintained
in one- and two- family dwellings, Groups R-2, R-3, R-4 and in dwellings
not regulated in Group R occupancies, regardless of occupant load,
at all of the following locations:
(a)
On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area
in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms.
(b)
In each room used for sleeping purposes.
(c)
In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements and
cellars, but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.
In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening
door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper
level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level, provided that the
lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
(2)
Other occupancies. Single or multiple-station smoke alarms shall
be installed in other groups in accordance with the procedures and
provisions of Pennsylvania Act 45, titled the "Uniform Construction
Code," as adopted and modified by the Borough, and all future amendments
and insertions thereof.[2]
C.
Power source.
(1)
In one- and two- family dwellings, Group R occupancies and in dwellings
not regulated as Group R occupancies, single-station smoke alarms
shall receive their primary power from the building wiring, provided
that such wiring is served from a commercial source and shall be equipped
with a battery backup. Smoke alarms shall emit a signal when the batteries
are low. Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch
other than as required for overcurrent protection.
(2)
Exception. Smoke alarms are permitted to be solely battery operated
in buildings where no construction is taking place, buildings that
are not served from a commercial power source and in existing areas
of buildings undergoing alterations or repairs that do not result
in the removal of interior wall or ceiling finishes exposing the structure,
unless there is an attic, crawl space or basement available which
could provide access for building wiring without the removal of interior
finishes.
D.
Interconnection. Where more than one smoke alarm is required to be
installed within an individual dwelling unit in one- and two- family
dwellings, Group R-2, R-3, R-4 and in dwellings not regulated as Group
R occupancies, the smoke alarms shall be interconnected in such a
manner that the activation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms
in the individual unit. The alarm shall be clearly audible in all
bedrooms over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed.
(1)
Exceptions.
(a)
Interconnection is not required in buildings which are not undergoing
alterations, repairs, or construction of any kind.
(b)
Smoke alarms in existing areas are not required to be interconnected
where alterations or repairs do not result in the removal of interior
wall or ceiling finishes exposing the structure, unless there is an
attic, crawl space or basement available which could provide access
for interconnection without the removal of interior finishes.
A.
General. An approved manual, automatic or manual and automatic fire
alarm system and all associated equipment therewith shall be installed
and maintained in an operable condition at all times in accordance
with this code, the Borough's Automatic Protection Devices Code
as outlined in the Borough's Code and the procedures and provisions
of Pennsylvania Act 45, titled the "Uniform Construction Code," as
adopted and modified by the Borough, and all future amendments and
insertions thereof.[1]
A.
General. An approved fire-suppression system and all associated equipment
therewith shall be installed and maintained in an operable condition
at all times in accordance with this code and the procedures and provisions
of Pennsylvania Act 45, titled the "Uniform Construction Code," as
adopted and modified by the Borough and all future amendments and
insertions thereof.[1]
B.
Fire extinguishers. The owner of any dwelling unit, rooming unit or housekeeping unit that is rented, leased, let or offered for sale shall install a five-pound ABC fire extinguisher in all rooms housing cooking facilities. All other occupancies shall install fire extinguishers as required in Subsection A.
B.
Dangerous accumulations. All properties shall be free of any dangerous accumulations of any hazardous, flammable or combustible materials which do not comply with Subsection A.
C.
Open burning; equipment. Open burning or the equipment necessary
for the process of open burning are prohibited unless a permit is
issued in accordance to the International Fire Code and the Borough's
Fire Code.
D.
Operational permits. In accordance to the International Fire Code
and the Borough's Fire Code, no products, operations or processes
shall be permitted on the premises without an approved operational
permit.
A.
Open flame-cooking devices. Charcoal burners and other open-flame
cooking devices shall not be stored or operated on any combustible
decks or balconies, nor shall it be operated within 10 feet of any
overhead combustible decks or balconies or other combustible construction.
B.
Liquefied-petroleum-gas-fueled cooking devices.
(1)
LP-gas burners having a LP-gas container with a water capacity greater
than 2.5 pounds (1.14 kg) [nominal 1 pound (0.454 kg) LP-gas capacity]
shall not be stored or operated on any decks or balconies, nor shall
it be operated within 10 feet of any overhead decks or balconies or
other combustible construction.
(2)
Exceptions. Owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings.
A.
Compliance with applicable codes. All existing properties shall comply
with any and all existing code provisions of the latest versions of
the International Fire Code and National Fire Protection Agency's
101 Life Safety Code.
B.
Kerosene heaters. Use of portable kerosene-fueled heaters. Listed
portable kerosene heaters may be used in dwellings, provided that
they meet the following requirements:
(1)
The heater must have labeling affixed thereto such as to caution
and inform concerning:
(a)
Provision of an adequate source of ventilation when the heater
is in operation;
(b)
Use of only suitable fuel for the heater;
(c)
Proper manner of refueling;
(d)
Proper placement and handling of the heater when in operation;
and
(e)
Proper procedures for lighting, flame regulation and extinguishing
the heater.
(2)
The heater must be packaged with instructions such as to inform concerning
proper maintenance and operation.
(3)
The heater must be constructed with a low center of gravity and minimum
tipping angle of 33° from the vertical with an empty reservoir.
(4)
The heater must have an automatic safety shutoff device or inherent
design feature which eliminates fire hazards in the event of tip-over
and must otherwise conform to the standards set forth in National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) No. 31.
(5)
Exceptions. Kerosene heaters are prohibited in any residential occupancy
other than owner-occupied single-family dwellings.
