[Ord. No. 5-2017]
It shall be a violation of this code for any person or person
having knowledge of same to fail to report to the fire department
and/or the appropriate Fire Official the activation of any fire protection
system or device or to fail to report the occurrence of any fire or
attempted arson; or to fail to report the spill or leakage of any
flammable or combustible liquid or gas or of any hazardous material
immediately upon gaining such knowledge.
[Ord. No. 5-2017]
A.
Private fire hydrants, connections and appliances shall be installed
and maintained in accordance with this section, NFPA #24 and the regulations
of the County of Middlesex.
B.
Blocking Fire Hydrants or Connections: No person shall 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 or fire department
connections that are located on public or private streets and access
lanes, or on private property. Minimum clearance to any fire hydrant
or connection shall be 10 feet in all directions.
C.
Use of Appliances: A person shall not obstruct, remove, tamper with
or otherwise disturb any fire hydrant except under permit from the
County of Middlesex, or fire appliance required to be installed or
maintained under the provisions of this code except for the purpose
of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes, recharging, making
necessary repairs, or when permitted by the appropriate Fire Official.
In all situations other than fire extinguishment, notification and
approval of the appropriate Fire Official shall be required prior
to such activity. 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 non-approved fire
appliances or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as directed
by the Fire Official. Use of hydrants for training by fire departments
is exempt from this section.
D.
Public Water Supply: The appropriate Fire Official shall inform the
County of Middlesex as to the location of any apparent inadequacies
of the water distribution system deemed detrimental to fire protection
in the provision of adequate fire flows and distribution of hydrants.
A fire hydrant shall not be removed from service until notification
to the appropriate Fire Official has been made. The appropriate Fire
Official will cooperate with the appropriate Fire Chief in this matter
to see that reasonable protection is maintained.
E.
Private Yard Systems: All new and existing oil storage plants, lumber
yards, amusement or exhibition parks, educational or institutional
complexes, residential, commercial, or industrial occupancies, or
occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards, or which
have lot depths greater than 150 feet from a public street or which
require flow delivery points beyond the public water distribution
system shall be provided with properly spaced fire hydrants. Such
fire hydrants shall be capable of supplying fire flows as required
by the appropriate Fire Official and shall be connected to a water
system in accordance with fire protection and other applicable standards.
The appropriate Fire Official shall designate and approve the number
and placement of fire hydrants with the cooperation of the Fire Departments.
The appropriate Fire Official shall require the installation of sufficient
fire hose and specialized firefighting equipment such as nozzles,
deluge sets, foams, etc. as he shall determine is necessary and shall
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 appropriate Fire
Official.
F.
Fire Hydrants — Local Standards: Sections 14.F.1 and 14.F.4
shall be considered minimum standards for the installation and placement
of public or private fire hydrants in newly constructed areas and
shall be used as a guide in upgrading existing areas already protected
by fire hydrants and water mains.
(1)
Public Hydrants: Hydrants in detached single family residential zones
shall be spaced with a hydrant installed at each intersection and
one every 400 feet along the roadway(s) measured along the roadway
edge, or as approved by the appropriate Fire Official. Fire hydrant
placement shall be in accordance with Residential Site Improvement
Standards N.J.A.C. 5:21-5.4.
Hydrants in residential townhouse, condominium, cluster and
multi-family zones shall be spaced with a hydrant at each intersection
and one every 400 feet along the roadway(s) edge, or as approved by
the appropriate Fire Official. Fire hydrant placement shall be in
accordance with Residential Site Improvement Standards N.J.A.C. 5:21-5.4.
Hydrants in business, commercial, and industrial zones shall
be spaced with a hydrant at each intersection and one every 300 feet
along the roadway(s) edge, or as approved by the appropriate Fire
Official.
(2)
Private Hydrants: Hydrants installed on private property shall be
located and spaced according to the occupancy and site design requirements
based on firefighting needs with & 14.F.1 utilized as the MINIMUM
standard requirement. The top bonnet of all private hydrants shall
be painted yellow to conform to the County of Middlesex standards.
(3)
Additional Requirements: All hydrants shall be equipped with outlets
of National Standard threads; be located within 24" of a curb, roadway,
fire lane or parking area; be provided with an individual control
valve; and shall be installed in accordance with the standards of
the American Water Works Association and NFPA #24, the more stringent
of the two to govern in any conflicting areas. All hydrants shall
meet the requirements of and be approved for installation by the County
of Middlesex.
(4)
Approval: The appropriate Fire Official shall approve the placement
of all fire hydrants prior to the commencement of the installation.
G.
Fire Department Connections: All new fire department connections
shall be placed within 100 feet of a public fire hydrant on the front
side of the building being protected. Existing fire department connections
shall be brought into conformity with this section whenever there
is a change of use in the building or major work is done on the fire
protection systems.
H.
Fire Department Signage: All fire department connections shall be
provided with a two foot by two foot red sign with three inch white
reflective letters. The sign shall state "FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTION"
and the type of system covered, for example: AUTOMATIC SPRINKLERS,
STANDPIPES, etc.
