For the purpose of prescribing regulations governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire or explosion, the Fire Prevention Code for the Township of Maple Shade shall be the current edition of the International Fire Prevention Code as adopted by the State of New Jersey. Such code is incorporated herein by reference thereto, except that those parts of said code which are hereinafter deleted, modified, or amended by this article are not incorporated herein. The regulations, as set forth herein, shall be known as the "Fire Prevention Code of the Township of Maple Shade," and are herein referred to as such or as the "code." The Township Council hereby declares that three copies of the code shall be on file in the office of the Township Clerk and available for public inspection during regular business hours.
As used in this article and the code adopted hereby, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
The Fire Official as defined in N.J.A.C. 5:71.
The Attorney of the Township of Maple Shade.
The Township of Maple Shade.
A.
The Fire Prevention Code shall be enforced by the Office of the Fire Marshal in the Fire Department of the Township of Maple Shade, which is hereby established, and which shall be operated under the direct supervision of the Chief Fire Marshal.
B.
The individuals serving as Chief Fire Marshal in charge of the Office of the Fire Marshal and the Deputy Fire Marshal shall be appointed and serve in accordance with § 95-30 herein and shall have a current New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Fire Official Certification. All fire inspectors appointed pursuant to § 95-30 shall hold a current New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Fire Inspection certification.
C.
A report of the Office of the Fire Marshal shall be made annually and transmitted to the Township Manager and Fire Chief; it shall contain a report of all proceedings under the Fire Prevention Code, with such statistics as the Chief Fire Marshal may wish to include therein.
D.
In the event of the absence of the Chief Fire Marshal for less than 30 days, the Deputy Fire Marshal shall assume the responsibilities of the Fire Official as defined in N.J.A.C. 5:71 until such time as the Chief Fire Marshal returns to duty. Any absence of the Chief Fire Marshal for more than 30 consecutive days shall require a new appointment of a Chief Fire Marshal to serve in the capacity as defined above and assume the responsibilities as Fire Official as defined in N.J.A.C. 5:71.
The limits referred to in the International Fire Prevention Code (current approved edition), in which the storage of explosives and blasting agents is prohibited, are hereby established as follows: the entire corporate limits of the Township of Maple Shade.
A.
The limits referred to in the State Fire Prevention Code, in which the storage of flammable liquids in outside aboveground tanks is prohibited, are hereby established as follows: the entire corporate limits of the Township of Maple Shade except for those areas designated as being within the LM Limited Manufacturing Districts and HC Highway Commercial Zones by Chapter 205, Zoning.
B.
All aboveground storage tanks must be enclosed by an approved safety fence and visual screen to buffer the tanks from adjacent properties and surrounding views. Plant material shall be of sufficient height and quantity to provide screening within three years.
A.
The Chief Fire Marshal or their designee shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the municipality. Such investigation shall begin immediately upon the occurrence of such fire. At the conclusion of such investigation, a written report shall be entered in the Fire Department records as to the cause, origin and circumstances of the said fire. If it appears such fire is of suspicious origin, the Chief Fire Marshal shall take charge immediately of the physical evidence, shall notify the proper authorities designated by law to pursue the investigation of such matters and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of the case.
B.
The Chief Fire Marshal shall keep a record of all fires and all facts concerning the same, including statistics as to the extent of such fires and the damage caused thereby and whether such losses were covered by insurance, and if so, in what amount. Such a record shall be kept weekly.
C.
The Fire Chief shall annually transmit to the Township Manager a report which shall contain a list of all proceedings under this article and the code adopted thereby, with a recommendation for amendments to be made to the code.
A.
No person shall knowingly make or cause to be made any false report or alarm or misleading call or request for any of the services of the Fire Department of the Township of Maple Shade.
B.
Whoever knowingly gives or turns in a false alarm of fire by any common or recognized alarm of fire is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $200 and not more than $1,000 or to undergo imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
C.
Whoever knowingly gives, turns in or causes to be given or turned in a false alarm of fire by any common or recognized alarm of fire, the result of which causes death, injury or property damage to a person or equipment responding to such false alarm, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $500 and not exceeding $2,000 or to undergo imprisonment for a term of not exceeding three years, or both.
A.
Where the parking of motor vehicles or other obstructions may interfere with the ingress and egress of Fire Department vehicles for the protection of persons and property, such as at shopping centers, bowling lanes, theaters, hospitals, schools, nursing centers, apartments and similar locations, such areas shall be marked as fire lanes upon the approval of the Chief Fire Marshal or Chief of Police.
B.
Parking of motor vehicles or otherwise obstructing fire lanes shall be prohibited at all times.
C.
Obstructions to or on designated access openings in exterior walls, doors or windows liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or egress of occupants in case of fire shall be prohibited.
D.
Any unoccupied vehicle parked or standing in violation of this article shall be deemed a nuisance and a menace to the safe and proper regulation of traffic, and the Chief Fire Marshal and their designee, or Township Police Department may provide for the removal of such vehicle. The owner shall pay the reasonable costs of the removal and storage which may result from such removal before regaining possession of the vehicle.
A.
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this article or the code hereby adopted or fail to comply therewith, or who shall violate or fail to comply with any order made thereunder, or who shall build in violation of any detailed statement of specifications or plans submitted and approved thereunder or any certificate or permit issued thereunder, and from which no appeal has been taken, or who shall fail to comply with such an order as affirmed or modified by the Chief Fire Marshal or by a court of competent jurisdiction, within the time fixed herein, shall, upon conviction, severally for each and every such violation and noncompliance, respectively, be subject to the penalties provided in the Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.12, in accordance with the schedule listed in § 88-6 of the Fee Schedule.
B.
The imposition of one penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue; and all persons convicted of such violations shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable time; and when not otherwise specified, each day that prohibited conditions are maintained shall constitute a separate offense.
C.
The application of the above penalty shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited conditions.