Pursuant to § 11 of the Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L.
1983, c. 383), the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code shall be locally enforced
in the Borough of Collingswood.
The local enforcement agency of this article shall be the Bureau
of Fire Prevention of the Municipal Fire Department or any other agency
designated by the Borough.
[Amended 5-3-2021 by Ord. No. 1708]
The local enforcing agency shall enforce the Uniform Fire Safety
Act, codes and regulations adopted under it in all buildings,
structures and premises within the geographic boundaries of the Borough
of Collingswood other than one- and two -unit owner-occupied dwellings
used exclusively for dwelling purposes and buildings, structures,
and premises owned or operated by the federal government, interstate
agencies or the State of New Jersey and shall faithfully comply with
the requirements of the Uniform Fire Safety Act and the Uniform Fire
Code.
[Amended 5-3-2021 by Ord. No. 1708]
The local enforcing agency established by §
163-2 of this chapter shall carry out the periodic inspections of life-hazard uses required by the Uniform Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
The local enforcing agency established by §
163-2 of this chapter shall be a part of the Department of Public Safety. This local enforcing agency shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Fire Official, who shall report to the Municipal Fire Chief of the Borough of Collingswood. If the Fire Official and the Fire Chief are the same person, the Fire Official shall report to the Director of Public Safety.
Pursuant to §§ 15 and 17 of the Uniform Fire
Safety Act, any person aggrieved by any order of the local enforcement
agency shall have the right to appeal to the Construction Board of
Appeals of Camden County.
In addition to the inspection and fees required pursuant to
the Act and the regulations of the Department of Community Affairs,
the following additional inspections and fees shall be required:
A. All commercial, business or office uses which are not covered by
the life-hazard use registration shall be inspected annually. Multifamily
dwellings (other than owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings)
shall be included herein as a commercial use.
(1) The fee per unit for inspections for such units shall be:
|
Housing Inspection
|
Fee
|
---|
H1
|
1 to 7 units
|
$65
|
H2
|
8 to 14 units
|
$55
|
H3
|
15 to 21 units
|
$50
|
H4
|
22 to 29 units
|
$40
|
(2) Nonprofit organizations shall be exempt from the fee.
B. A license shall be issued by the Borough and shall be displayed in
the place of business, evidencing that the inspections required herein
have occurred. The license shall state the type of business being
conducted on the premises.
All buildings with an automatic fire alarm system or sprinkler system are required to have a rapid access key box in accordance with Chapter
186, Key Boxes, of the Code of Collingswood.
The Fire Official or his/her designee shall have the ability to issue civil penalties against persons who stop or stand a vehicle in a fire lane located within the Borough of Collingswood as such fire lanes are described in Schedule XXIV of Chapter
293 of the Borough of Collingswood Municipal Code (§
293-71.2).
This article shall amend Chapter
163 of the Borough of Collingswood Uniform Fire Safety Regulations and is intended to promote the public health, safety and welfare and to safeguard the health, comfort, living conditions, safety and welfare of the citizens of the Borough of Collingswood by regulating the air pollution and fire hazards of open burning and outdoor burning.
This article applies to all outdoor burning and open burning
within the Borough of Collingswood.
A. This article does not apply to grilling or cooking food using charcoal,
wood, propane or natural gas in cooking or grilling appliances.
B. This article does not apply to burning for the purpose of generating
heat in a stove, furnace, fireplace or other heating device within
a building used for human or animal habitation.
C. This article does not apply to the use of propane, acetylene, natural
gas, gasoline or kerosene in a device intended for heating, construction
or maintenance activities.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
CAMPFIRE
A small outdoor fire intended for recreation or cooking,
but not including a fire intended for disposal of waste wood or refuse.
CLEAN WOOD
Natural wood which has not been painted, varnished or coated
with a similar material; has not been pressure treated with preservatives;
and does not contain resins or glues as in plywood or other composite
wood products.
CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE
Building waste materials, including but not limited to waste
shingles, insulation, lumber, treated wood, painted wood, wiring,
plastics, packaging, and rubble that results from construction, remodeling,
repair, and demolition operations on a house, commercial or industrial
building, or other structure.
FIRE OFFICIAL
The Fire Official of the Borough of Collingswood or other
person designated by the Fire Official.
OPEN BURNING
Kindling or maintaining a fire where the products of combustion
are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through
a stack or a chimney. This includes burning in a burn barrel.
OUTDOOR BURNING
Open burning or burning in an outdoor wood-fired boiler or
patio wood-burning unit.
OUTDOOR WOOD-FIRED BOILER
A wood-fired boiler, stove or furnace that is not located
within a building intended for habitation by humans or domestic animals.
PATIO WOOD-BURNING UNIT
A chimnea, patio warmer, outdoor fireplace or other portable
wood-burning device used for outdoor recreation and/or heating.
REFUSE
Any waste material, except trees, logs, brush, stumps, leaves,
grass clippings, and other vegetative matter.
Open burning and outdoor burning are prohibited in the Borough
of Collingswood unless the burning is specifically permitted by this
article.
Open burning of refuse is prohibited.
Open burning of trees, logs, brush, stumps, leaves, and grass
clippings is prohibited.
No person shall install, use, or maintain an outdoor wood-fired
boiler in the Borough of Collingswood, unless approved by permit through
the Construction Office.
A patio wood-burning unit may be installed and used in the Borough
of Collingswood only in accordance with all of the following provisions:
A. A permit must be obtained through the Fire Official.
B. The patio wood-burning unit shall not be used to burn refuse.
C. The patio wood-burning unit shall burn only clean dry wood.
D. The patio wood-burning unit shall be located at least 15 feet from
the nearest structure which is not on the same property as the patio
wood-burning unit. The unit shall not be located less than five feet
from combustible structures on the same property or on any decks,
porches or balconies.
E. The patio wood-burning unit and its by-products shall not cause a
nuisance to neighbors.
F. Must be in an approved container with an ember-suppressing lid. (Stone/block
fire pits must have a lid or screen.)
G. The use of flammable liquids and accelerants is prohibited.
H. Trees, brush, grass, leaves or other material is prohibited.
I. Must have working garden hose stretched to fireplace or proper fire
extinguisher within 10 feet.
A permit must be obtained through the Borough Fire Official's
office. There will be no fee for the permit, and it will be valid
to the person or agency to which it is issued for the length that
that person or agency occupies the property. This permit must be on
hand, and available for inspection, anytime that the patio wood-burning
unit is in use.
A person utilizing or maintaining an outdoor fire shall be responsible
for all fire-suppression costs and any other liability resulting from
damage caused by the fire.
The Fire Official or any authorized officer, agent, employee
or representative of the Borough of Collingswood who presents credentials
may inspect any property for the purpose of ascertaining compliance
with the provisions of this article.