[Adopted 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-10]
All newly constructed buildings equipped with an automatic fire suppression system or standpipe shall conform to the following requirements for the Fire Department connection (F.D.C.) in addition to those specified in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code:
A. 
Five-inch-diameter connection utilizing Storz-type connections.
B. 
Dual two-and-one-half-inch Siamese connection utilizing the National Standard Thread (NST).
C. 
A blue light shall be illuminated 24 hours per day over any Fire Department connection. In such suppression systems where Siamese connections supply zoned areas of suppression, the blue light shall flash intermittently over the Fire Department connection of the activated zone. The rate of flash shall not be less than 60 flashes per minute.
D. 
A weather-resistant sign shall be affixed to, adjacent to, or above the Fire Department connection. Specifications for the sign are as follows:
(1) 
Sign to be red in color with contrasting lettering.
(2) 
Minimum four-inch letters indicating F.D.C.
(3) 
Minimum six-inch letters indicating sprinkler, standpipe, or sprinkler/standpipe.
(4) 
Partial sprinkler system: two-inch letters indicating area protected.
E. 
Interior standpipe connections within structures, in some cases, will require additional plain language on signs to identify location, particular system and supply location.
HVAC systems installed in any building or structure subject to the provisions of the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code shall be inspected to ensure that fire and smoke dampers remain functional. The following are guidelines for periodic inspections.
A. 
Periodic inspection and testing standards recommended by the National Fire Protection Association:
(1) 
Each damper shall be tested and inspected one year after installation. The test and inspection frequency shall then be every four years.
(2) 
Care shall be exercised that all tests are completed in a safe manner and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.
(3) 
Full unobstructed access to the damper shall be verified and corrected as required.
(4) 
Where a fusible link is installed on a combination fire/smoke damper, the fusible link shall be removed for testing the damper for full closure simulating a fire condition, per the requirements and frequencies of 19.5.4 of NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives.
(5) 
The test shall be conducted with normal HVAC airflow.
(6) 
The operation of the damper shall verify that there is no damper interference due to rust or bent, misaligned, or damaged frame or blades, or defective hinges or other moving parts.
(7) 
The damper frame shall not be penetrated by any foreign objects that would affect proper fire damper operations.
(8) 
The damper shall be verified to not be blocked from closure in any way.
(9) 
The fusible link shall be reinstalled after testing is complete. If the link is damaged or painted, it shall be replaced with a link of the same size, temperature rating, and load rating.
(10) 
All inspections and testing shall be documented indicating the location of the damper, date of inspection, name of inspector, and deficiencies discovered. The documentation shall have a space to indicate when and how the deficiencies were corrected.
(11) 
All documentation shall be maintained by the property owner and available for review by the authority having jurisdiction.
B. 
Maintenance.
(1) 
Any reports of abrupt changes in airflow or noise from the duct system shall be investigated to verify that they are not related to damper operation.
(2) 
All exposed moving parts of the damper shall be dry lubricated as required by the manufacturer.
(3) 
If the damper is not operable, repairs shall begin as soon as possible.
(4) 
Following any repairs, the damper shall be initiated at a time interval recommended by the actuator manufacturer.
(5) 
All maintenance shall be documented, and records shall be retained in accordance with § 152-26A(10) and (11).
C. 
Compliance with the provisions of this article shall be monitored by the local enforcing agency and the Township's Fire Official.
D. 
All inspections shall be conducted by technicians and contractors who have been certified by the International Certification Board (ICB) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to ensure the quality of the inspection process.
E. 
All results of the inspections are to be given to the Township Fire Official within 30 days of the completion of the inspection. The Fire Official will keep inspection reports until the next inspection is completed four years later. If the fire and smoke damper systems are found to be faulty, repairs must be completed and approved by an ICB and ANSI certified technician and contractor within 60 days from the date the system was found to be faulty.
A. 
Fire apparatus obstruction. It shall be unlawful to attempt or conspire to, hamper, obstruct, restrict, block or fail to yield to the path of travel of any fire emergency vehicle, in any way, operating during a fire or emergency.
B. 
Fire hose. A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected fire hose of a Fire Department when laid down on any street, or any other vehicular roadway, without the consent of the fire officer in command.
C. 
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain any speed bumps, speed humps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses, vehicles, or any other type of obstruction in or on any street within the boundaries of the municipality without prior approval from the Fire Official. The word "street" as used in this section shall mean 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 in the boundaries of the municipality. Approval from the Fire Official shall be a variance from this article and shall be documented as such.
D. 
Street closings. Prior to the closing of any street, notification shall be made to the Lumberton Township Fire Department and the Lumberton Township Police Department. Such notice shall include why the street is to be closed, when the street is to be closed, and how long such closing shall last. Notification shall also be made upon the reopening of the street.
E. 
Fire appliances. 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 fires, training or testing purposes, recharging, or making necessary repairs, or when 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.
F. 
Compliance order. A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with the order or direction of a firefighter, or interfere with the compliance attempts of another individual, during a fire or emergency.
G. 
Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court of the Township of Lumberton of a violation of the terms of this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of the Municipal Court Judge. Any fines collected shall be forwarded to the Lumberton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention.
It shall be a violation of this section for any person, manager, firm, corporation, owner, tenant, or person responsible for a given structure or premises to fail to immediately notify the Lumberton Township Fire Department and immediately evacuate the entire structure when, and if, the following conditions are present: a fire alarm is activated, there is smoke in the structure, an explosion has occurred, there is a fire in the structure, any fire protection system is activated, any hazardous or flammable material is spilled or leaked, or upon the order of the Fire Chief, Fire Official, or Incident Commander.
A. 
The Fire Official shall investigate, or cause to be investigated, the activation of any fire alarms, fire detector or fire protection system occurring within the jurisdiction to determine the cause for such activation and to determine if the device and/or equipment have been properly restored to full service.
B. 
Failure to report. It shall be a violation of this article for any person or persons, having knowledge of same, to fail to report to the Lumberton Township Fire Department and/or its Bureau of Fire Prevention the activation of any fire protection system or device or to fail to report the occurrence of any fire, any attempted arson, or the spill or leakage of any flammable or combustible liquid or gas or of any hazardous material immediately upon gaining such knowledge.
A. 
The location and distribution of fire hydrants to be placed upon public property as well as installation of water mains to assure adequate fire flow based on the hazard to be protected shall be determined by the project developer utilizing accepted engineering and industry standards. During the planning and zoning approval process, the Fire Official shall be provided with site plans indicating the hydrant location and the size and location of fire service water mains. The Fire Official and Fire Chief shall review and approve all submitted plans prior to the installation of any fire hydrant or fire service water distribution system. A fire hydrant shall not be placed into or removed from service until approved by the Fire Official and Fire Chief. Fire hydrants must be located within 50 feet of all Fire Department connections.
B. 
Fire hydrant use approval. A person or private company shall not use or operate any fire hydrant unless a permit and approval for such is obtained from the Fire Marshal and the water company having jurisdiction.
C. 
Private yard systems locations and relocation. All new and existing shopping centers, apartment complexes, oil storage plants, lumber yards, educational or institutional complexes and similar occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards, and which are located more than 100 feet from a public street or which require quantities of water beyond the capabilities of the public water distribution, shall be provided with properly placed fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall be capable of supplying fire flows as required by the Insurance Services Office or the American Water Works Association standards and shall be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The Fire Official and the Fire Chief shall review and approve the number and location of all fire hydrants. Private fire hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service until approved.
D. 
Temporary water. At any temporary construction site or new construction site, all parties shall provide a water source for firefighting purposes, subject to the approval of the Fire Official.
All business and multiple-family buildings and complexes must post a list of the emergency contacts and service companies for use by emergency personnel in a conspicuous location as determined by the Fire Official.
A. 
It is the responsibility of the owner or occupant to have snow removed from their property in a manner which will not delay the response of emergency personnel. Removal of snow shall not obstruct the following:
(1) 
Access to the parking lot, to the perimeter of any building, and any fire lanes or designated "No Parking" areas.
(2) 
All fire hydrants.
(3) 
All means of egress and exit doors.
(4) 
All fire protection systems and Fire Department water supply connections.
A sign shall be provided at each floor landing in all interior exit stairways more than three stories above grade, designating the floor level, the floor level above (at) the floor of discharge, the identification of the stairway and the availability of roof access from the stairway. Floor level characters shall be at least six inches in height and characters of other information shall be a least 1 1/2 inches in height. Signage shall be located approximately five feet above the floor landing in a position which is readily visible when the doors are in the open and closed positions.
The rear exterior doors on multiple-tenant commercial properties shall be identified with a minimum of four-inch letters of contrasting color stating the business name and the unit number. The signage shall be provided and maintained up-to-date by the landlord at his/her expense. Names shall be updated as soon as occupancy changes.
A. 
All elevator keys utilized for emergency operations of elevators within buildings and structures in the Township of Lumberton will have standardized operation keys as follows: Phase I and II - Yale 3502.
B. 
Building owners/occupants will have one year from the date of inspection to comply with this requirement.
A. 
When exit signs are required, additional approved low-level exit signs which are internally illuminated, photoluminescent or self-luminous shall be provided in all interior exit corridors serving guest rooms of hotels in Group R-1. The bottom of the sign shall not be less than six inches or more than eight inches above the floor level. For exit doors, the sign shall be on the door or adjacent to the door with the closest edge of the sign within four inches of the latch side of the doorframe.
B. 
Business Use Group floor-level exit signs. When exit signs are required, additional approved reflective exit signs shall be provided in Business Use Group buildings of three or more stories. The bottom of the sign shall be not less than six inches or more than eight inches above the floor level. For exit doors to stairwells, the sign shall be on the door or adjacent to the door with the closest edge of the sign within four inches of the latch side of the doorframe.
C. 
Implementation: all residential. All electrical-operated low-level exit signs required by § 152-37 must be installed within three years of the adoption of this article.
D. 
All reflective low-level exit signs required by § 152-37 must be installed within one year of adoption of this article.
A. 
Prohibited acts. It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person, firm or corporation to:
(1) 
Obstruct, hinder, delay or interfere by force or otherwise with the Lumberton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention in the exercise of any power or the discharge of any function or duty under the provisions of the chapter.
(2) 
Prepare, utter or render any false statement pertaining to reports, documents, plans or specifications permitted or required under the provisions of this chapter.
(3) 
Render ineffective or inoperative, or fail to properly maintain, any protective equipment or system installed, or intended to be installed, in a building or structure.
(4) 
Refuse or fail to comply with a lawful ruling, action, order or notice of the Lumberton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(5) 
Violate or cause to be violated any of the provisions of this chapter.
(6) 
Refuse to provide identification and/or vehicle registration information.
B. 
Summons. The Fire Official and/or designee shall be empowered to issue a Municipal Court summons for violations of this article.
C. 
Violations and penalties. Any person, firm or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court for a violation of the provisions of this article shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 and/or imprisonment for a period of not exceeding 90 days, or both. Each and every day a violation continues shall be a separate offense. Such penalty shall not relieve the violator of the duty to take corrective actions.
A. 
Fire exit announcement. At indoor places of assembly with occupant loads of 50 and over, such as theaters, auditoriums, multipurpose rooms, or similar occupancies used for noncontinuance programs, an audible announcement by the venue host, or by recorded announcement, shall be made not more than 10 minutes prior to the start of each program, to notify the occupants of the location of exits to be used in the event of a fire or emergency.
B. 
Notice of large gatherings. It shall be required for any responsible party involved in any gatherings at which over 100 attendees are anticipated within the Township of Lumberton, whether inside a structure or outside, to make advanced notification to the Lumberton Township Fire Department and the Lumberton Township Police Department. The Fire/EMS Chief shall determine whether or not an emergency ambulance will be required to provide standby services for the duration of the event. Applicable fees for such service are detailed in the universal fee chart located in Chapter 18, § 18-2, reference number 63, of the Code of the Township of Lumberton.
[Amended 11-10-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-13]
A "board-up" service is defined as one which provides on-call means to secure properties within Lumberton Township against unauthorized access via boarding up openings and/or perimeter fencing in the event of unsafe structural conditions or fire. Any licensed, permitted, and insured company providing board-up services that desires to provide said services, on a rotational basis, within the Township of Lumberton shall submit an annual application with the Clerk of Lumberton Township by November 30 of each year for inclusion on the next year's list of board-up service providers.
Parapet walls present collapse and fall hazards to firefighters, and their dangers are well known to the fire service community, and the Lumberton Township Fire Official has requested that all buildings built with parapet walls be marked with a placard indicating their height above the roofline to provide for the safety of their fire suppression members.
A. 
Definitions. For the purpose of this section, certain words and phrases are defined as follows:
PARAPET WALL
The part of a wall entirely above the roofline or a barrier which is an extension of the roof, terrace, balcony or other structure.
ROOFLINE
The roofline shall be that portion of the roof structure or truss which sits or is affixed to the outside bearing wall.
B. 
General regulations.
(1) 
All buildings constructed with walls that extend above the level of the roofline or roof deck shall be marked with a rectangular placard that indicates the height of the highest parapet wall on the building.
(2) 
Said placard shall be affixed on the front side of the building that contains the parapet wall, preferably the top left corner. The design of the placard shall be as determined by the Fire Official.
(3) 
The placard shall consist of a blue rectangle with white reflective letters and numbers. These letters and numbers will indicate the wall height above the roof deck.
C. 
Compliance schedule. All existing buildings shall comply with this section within 12 months of its effective date. All newly constructed buildings or structures, not yet occupied and/or currently under construction, shall comply immediately.
All buildings, including new and existing, shall be marked with a placard indicating the distance to a predetermined area of the property in order to expedite and correctly identify proper large diameter hose lay placement at the discretion of the Lumberton Township Fire Official and the Lumberton Township Fire Chief. This placard will display a measured distance starting point for the fire apparatus to begin laying hose in order to ensure a properly secured water supply and expedite water being applied to the fire. Such signs shall be property of the Fire Department, and their removal shall be prohibited.