[Adopted 4-20-2010 by Ord. No. 991]
[Amended 3-19-2019 by Ord. No. 11077-18-2023 by Ord. No. 1167]
A certain document, three copies of which are on file and available for public use, inspection and examination in the office of the Secretary for the Borough of West Reading, being marked and designated as the International Fire Code, 2018 Edition, including the Appendixes, as published by the International Code Council is hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as amended as the Fire Prevention Code of the Borough of West Reading, 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 therefore; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Fire Code on file in the office of the Borough of West Reading are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this article, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in § 228-28 of this article.
[Amended 3-19-2019 by Ord. No. 1107]
The following sections are hereby revised:
A. 
Section 101.1 Title. These regulations shall be known as the Fire Prevention Code of the Borough of West Reading, hereinafter referred to as "this code."
B. 
Section 106.2.1 Inspection requests shall be supplemented by adding thereto the following:
Section 106.2.1.1 Inspection notices. Notices scheduling inspections shall be mailed via regular mail to the owner at the address of record. Owners receiving notices shall notify tenants of the inspection without delay. If the tenant objects to the inspection, the tenant shall advise the owner who shall so inform the fire code official. Nothing in this section shall preclude inspection without notice. It shall be the duty of the owner to provide access to and means for inspections.
Section 106.2.1.2 Failure to appear for inspection. Owner or their representatives who cannot be available at the proposed time and date shall, no less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled inspection, provide the Borough of West Reading written notice of their unavailability. Failure to appear or provide twenty-four-hour written notice of unavailability will result in the assessment of a failure to appear or reinspection fee as listed in the fee schedule.
C. 
Section 109.4 Violation penalties shall be amended to read in its entirety as follows: Any person who violates or fails 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 provisions of this Code, shall be guilty of a summary offense punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs and restitution, or by imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both such fine and imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues after due notice has been served shall be deemed a separate offense.
D. 
Section 110 Unsafe buildings shall be supplemented by adding thereto the following:
110.5 Placard. The Fire Code Official is authorized to post structures and premises ordered evacuated in accordance with Section 110.2 with a placard prohibiting entry or occupancy.
110.5.1 Placard removal. The Fire Code Official shall remove the placard when the unsafe condition or conditions are remedied or eliminated. Any person who conceals, covers, hides, removes or causes to be removed or defaces placard without the approval of the Fire Code Official shall be guilty of a summary offense.
E. 
Section 111.4 Stop work order, failure to comply shall be amended to read in its entirety as follows: 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 $100 or more than $1,000.
F. 
Section 113.1 Fees shall be amended to read in its entirety as follows: Fees required by this ordinance for inspections, permits and other items shall be established by resolution of the Borough Council of West Reading as amended from time to time.
G. 
Section 113.2 Schedule of permit fees shall be amended to read in its entirety as follows:
Section 113.2 Schedule of permit and inspection fees. A fee for each permit and inspection shall be paid as required, in accordance with the schedule as established by the applicable governing authority.
Section 113.2.1 Permits. A permit shall not be issued until the fees have been paid, nor shall an amendment to a permit be released until the additional fee, if any, has been paid.
Section 113.2.2 Inspections. Fees for inspections shall be due and payable upon issuance of an inspection report.
H. 
Section 903.2 Automatic sprinkler systems is adopted in its entirety and supplemented by adding thereto the following:
Addition: All new, altered or additions to structures shall be installed and where installed maintained with an automatic fire suppression system, supervised by a remote central station. The system shall be designed, installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA requirements. This includes groups A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R, S and U. The automatic fire suppression system is only required in an altered structure when the value of the improvement is 20% of the property value or greater. Unless otherwise required by law, this section does not apply to: (1) single-family detached, two-family semidetached and townhouse residences; (2) areas of buildings where electrical power distribution equipment is housed; and (3) areas of buildings where water-reactive chemicals are stored.
I. 
904.1 Alternative automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be amended in its entirety to hereafter read as follows: Automatic fire-extinguishing systems, other than automatic sprinkler systems, shall be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this section and the applicable referenced standards.
J. 
Subsection 904.4 through 904.11 and subparts thereof are hereby adopted to the extent they require inspection, testing and maintenance of the systems referenced therein and their compliance with the applicable NFPA sections.
K. 
906.2 Portable fire extinguishers shall be amended in its entirety to hereafter read as follows: Portable fire extinguishers shall be maintained in accordance with NFPA 10
Nothing in this article or in the International Fire Code hereby adopted shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding impending in any court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, or any cause or causes of action acquired or existing, under any act or ordinance hereby repealed; nor shall any just or legal right or remedy of any character be lost, impaired or affected by this article.
[Added 3-19-2019 by Ord. No. 1107]
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Borough of West Reading's designated Fire Marshal/Fire Code Official, Fire Chief, official authorized by the Fire Marshal or Borough of West Reading Council to enforce the provisions of this Code. The designated enforcement officer of this Code is herein referred to as the Code Official.