[Adopted 4-16-1981 by Ord. No. 81-5]
[Amended 11-4-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-23; at time of adoption of Code (see
Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
A certain document, three copies of which are on file in the
office of the Clerk of the Township of West Deptford, County of Gloucester
and State of New Jersey, being marked and designated as the International
Fire Code, 2015, New Jersey Edition, be and is hereby adopted as the
basic fire control measures and regulations of the Township of West
Deptford, Gloucester County, New Jersey, and each and all of the regulations
of the International Fire Code, 2015, New Jersey Edition, are hereby
referred to, adopted and made a part thereof, as if fully set out
in this chapter. There is also hereby adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of West Deptford the fire control measures and regulations
as herein set forth for the purposes of controlling conditions which
could impede or interfere with fire suppression forces.
The Fire Official or duly authorized representatives as may
be in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency involving the
protection of life and/or property is empowered to direct such operations
as may be necessary to extinguish or control any suspected or reported
fires, gas leaks or other hazardous conditions or situations or to
take any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of their
duty. The Fire Official may prohibit any person, vehicle or object
from approaching the scene and may remove or cause to be removed from
the scene any person, vehicle or object which may impede or interfere
with the operations of the Fire Department. The Fire Official may
remove or cause to be removed any person, vehicle or object from hazardous
areas. All persons ordered to leave a hazardous area shall do so immediately
and shall not reenter the area until authorized to do so by the Fire
Official.
It shall be unlawful to interfere with, conspire to interfere
with, obstruct or restrict the mobility of or block the path of travel
of any Fire Department emergency vehicle in any way or to interfere
with, attempt to interfere with, conspire to interfere with, obstruct
or hamper any Fire Department operation.
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of the Fire Official or to interfere with
the compliance attempts of another individual.
A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected
fire hose of the Fire Department when laid down on any street, alleyway,
private drive or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of
the Fire Official in command of said operation.
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which
are defined and authorized under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle giving
audible and visual signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall
immediately drive the same to a position as near as possible and parallel
to the right-hand edge or curb of the street or roadway, clear of
any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until
the authorized emergency vehicle or vehicles shall have passed, unless
otherwise directed by the Fire Official or a police officer.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle, other
than one on official business, to follow closer than 300 feet from
any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm or to drive
any vehicle within the block or immediate area where fire apparatus
has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
A person shall not, without proper authorization from the Fire
Official in charge of said Fire Department emergency equipment, cling
to, attach himself to, climb upon or into, board or swing upon any
Fire Department emergency vehicle, whether the same is in motion or
at rest, or sound the siren, horn, bell or other sound-producing device
thereon or manipulate or tamper with, or attempt to manipulate or
tamper with, any levers, valves, switches, starting devices, brakes,
pumps or any equipment or protective clothing on or a part of any
Fire Department emergency vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to damage or deface, or
attempt or conspire to damage or deface, any Fire Department emergency
vehicle at any time or to injure, or attempt to injure or conspire
to injure, Fire Department personnel while performing departmental
duties.
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in § 93-6 of this chapter, shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights on or disobey any existing traffic regulation, except when said vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire. Tactical strategies such as, but not restricted to, move-ups do not constitute an emergency call. The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
A.
Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of existing traffic
regulations.
B.
Proceed past a red or stop signal or other sign, but only after slowing
down as may be necessary for safe operation.
C.
Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as the action does not
endanger life or property.
D.
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning
in specified directions.
E.
The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle shall apply
only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds audible
signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary
and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying
a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance
of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle.
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, damage, deface, obstruct
or restrict the access to any fire hydrant or any Fire Department
connection for the pressurization of fire-suppression systems, including
fire hydrants and Fire Department connections that are located on
public or private streets and access lanes or on private property.
If, upon the expiration of the time mentioned in a notice of violation,
obstructions or encroachments are not removed, the Fire Official shall
proceed to remove the same. Costs incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the
Fire Official and with the approval of the Township Administrator;
and the legal authority of the municipality shall institute appropriate
action for the recovery of such costs.
A person shall not use or operate any fire hydrant intended
for use of the Fire Department for fire-suppression purposes unless
such person first secures a permit for such use from the Fire Official
and the water company having jurisdiction. This section shall not
apply to the use of such hydrants by a person employed by and authorized
to make such use by the water company having jurisdiction.
The Fire Official shall recommend to the Township Administrator
the location or relocation of new or existing fire hydrants and the
placement or replacement of inadequate water mains located upon public
property and deemed necessary to provide an adequate fire flow and
distribution pattern. A fire hydrant shall not be placed into or removed
from service until approved by the Fire Official.
All new and existing shipyards, oil storage plants, lumberyards,
amusement or exhibition parks and educational or institutional complexes
and similar occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards,
which are located more than 150 feet from a public street or which
require quantities of water beyond the capabilities of the public
water distribution system, shall be provided with properly placed
fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall be capable of supplying fire
flows as required by the Fire Official and shall be connected to a
water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The
Fire Official may require the installation of sufficient fire hose
and equipment housed in accordance with the approved rules and may
require the establishment of a trained fire brigade when the hazard
involved requires such measures. Private hydrants shall not be placed
into or removed from service until approved by the Fire Official.
A person shall not obstruct, remove, tamper with or otherwise
disturb any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed
or maintained under the provisions of the Fire Prevention Code except
for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes,
recharging or making necessary repairs or where permitted by the Fire
Official. Whenever a fire appliance is removed as herein permitted,
it shall be replaced or reinstalled as soon as the purpose for which
it was removed has been accomplished. Defective and nonapproved fire
appliances or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as directed
by the Fire Official.
A person shall not sell, trade, loan or give away any form,
type or kind of fire extinguisher which is not approved by the Fire
Official or which is not in proper working order or the contents of
which do not meet the requirements of the Fire Official. The requirements
of this section shall not apply to the sale, trade or exchange of
obsolete or damaged equipment for junk when said units are permanently
disfigured or marked with a permanent sign identifying the unit as
junk.
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain
any bumps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses
or any other type of obstruction in or on any street within the boundaries
of the municipality. The word "street," as used in this chapter, shall
mean any roadway accessible to the public for vehicular traffic, including
but not limited to private streets or access lanes, as well as all
public streets and highways within the boundaries of the municipality.
