[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.