[Adopted 5-22-2019 by Ord. No. 04-2019]
A. 
A "fire watch" is defined as a Borough-ordered temporary measure intended to ensure continuous and systematic surveillance of and response to the Borough or a portion thereof, or a building or portion thereof, by one or more qualified individuals, for the purpose of identifying and controlling fire and other life/property hazards, detecting early signs of an unwanted fire, raising an alarm of fire to the occupants, notifying the Fire Department and engaging in firefighting or other emergency response.
B. 
A fire watch may be ordered by the Fire Official with the preapproval of the Mayor or the Mayor's designee, except that in an emergency the Fire Official, or in the Official absence, the ranking Fire Department officer present, may act on his or her own. A fire watch may be posted in any portion of the Borough and also in public and privately owned buildings and/or properties As the Borough may direct, a fire watch shall be paid for by the Borough, or by a building owner, tenant, lessee, or organization under the following circumstances: required fire protection systems are out of service; a fire watch is directed by the Borough or is requested by the building owner, tenant, or lessee; public and private events where 100 people or more are in attendance; events where the posted occupancy load is exceeded with the approval of the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee; all other situations deemed necessary by the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee.
C. 
A fire watch may include: firefighting, rescue, recovery and other emergency responses; maintaining posted fire lanes, means of egress, and posted occupancy loads; area and building surveillance; and such other functions as required by the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee.
D. 
Fire watches may be performed by employees of the Borough of Riverdale Fire Prevention Bureau, active regular members of the Riverdale Fire Department, and Riverdale Police Department. Other qualified individuals may be utilized at the discretion of the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee with prior approval of the Mayor. Any qualified individuals used for the purposes of a fire watch shall report directly to the Fire Official or the Official's assigned designee, who will, in turn, report to and be subject to the direction of the Mayor. Persons appointed to a fire watch shall be subject to all Borough ordinances, rules and regulations.
E. 
Payment for fire watch services.
(1) 
Payment for fire watch services provided to the Borough. All fire watch services incurred by the Borough of Riverdale directly shall be paid at the Fire Warden duty rate of $20.15 per hour, which rate may be, from time to time, amended in accordance with the Borough budget. Borough-incurred payments shall be made to individuals directly by the Borough.
(2) 
Payment for fire watch services provided to private persons or properties. All fire watch services ordered for the benefit and protection of private property shall be paid at the rate as outlined in Chapter 95, Fees for Police Services, Article VII, § 95-15, Use by outside contractors. All payments for this service to private persons/property shall be made within 10 days after service is provided. All such payments shall be made payable to the Borough of Riverdale. The Borough shall pay the individual performing the service directly.