[Adopted 12-5-2016 by Ord. No. 24-2016]
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
Fire lanes (aka fire apparatus access roads) shall be designated as follows for the efficient and effective use of fire apparatus, for firefighting, police vehicles, and ambulances. Fire lanes shall have a minimum width of 20 feet except for approved security gates with an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet six inches
A. 
Where needed. The Fire Official of the Local Enforcing Agency may establish fire areas on property devoted to public and private use, in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-3, 503.1.1; including, but not by way of limitation, shopping centers, strip malls, houses of worship, swimming pools, offices, warehouses, factories, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. and similar uses within the Township of Westampton as deemed necessary to protect the public health and safety.
(1) 
When the markings details cannot be strictly complied with, the number, location, width, length, and markings shall be at the discretion of the Fire Official.
(2) 
Consideration is to be given to the size, type, and location of the building or buildings, the number of persons using and occupying the premises, existing means of egress and ingress, the total area of the property, including the size of the parking lot or lots, and all other relevant factors.
(3) 
Definitions. For the purposes of fire lane enforcement, the following terms are defined as follows:
FIRE APPARATUS ACCESS ROAD
A road that provides fire apparatus access from a fire station to a facility, building or portion thereof. This is a general term inclusive of all other terms such as fire lane, public street, private street, parking lot lane and access roadway.
FIRE AREA
The same as "fire lane."
FIRE LANE
A road or other passageway developed to allow the passage of fire apparatus. A fire lane is not necessarily intended for vehicular traffic other than fire apparatus.
NO ON-STREET PARKING
A vehicle may not be parked along the street unless loading or unloading passengers or materials, with a limit of three minutes.
NO PARKING ANYTIME
A vehicle may not be parked within the designated area unless loading or unloading passengers or materials, with a time limit of two minutes.
NO STOPPING OR STANDING
No vehicle may be stopped within the designated zone, whether or not attended or unattended, with or without the motor running or brakes set.
PARKING IN DESIGNATED STALLS ONLY
A vehicle may only be parked within an area so designated for parking.
B. 
Concurrent jurisdiction. The Township of Westampton Police Department shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention to enforce the provisions of this article.
C. 
Existing fire lanes. Any and all fire lanes created prior to this chapter are hereby continued in effect, and when repairs or modifications are made to such fire lanes, they shall be brought into the conformity with this chapter, as much as shall be practical in the Fire Official's judgment. The standard for exercise of said judgment shall conform to those contained in Subsection A above.
D. 
Markings. The owner shall, within 30 days of being given a notice to do so by the Fire Official, mark the lane(s) as follows:
(1) 
Signs, with minimum dimensions of 12 inches by 18 inches, constructed of metal and with raised red letters a minimum of two inches in size on a white background, shall be posted at a level of at least seven feet above grade, indicating NO PARKING ANYTIME, PARKING IN DESIGNATED STALLS ONLY, or NO STOPPING OR STANDING, at the Fire Official's discretion after giving due consideration to the needs of the fire service and the public. Immediately under these signs shall be another sign, with a minimum dimension of 12 inches by six inches saying FIRE LANE VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE or FIRE LANE NO ON-STREET PARKING VEHICLE TOWED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. Spacing of signs shall be even, with a minimum of one sign for every 50 feet of fire lane or part thereof, or as ordered by the Fire Official. All signs and marking must be unobstructed and visible for a distance of at least 100 feet when viewed from a position approximately five feet above ground while in the fire lane.
(2) 
The area of a fire lane on improved areas shall be delineated along its entire length with yellow lines 18 inches in width. Between the yellow lines shall be marked NO PARKING FIRE LANE in yellow letters 18 inches in height. The number of times this wording is to be repeated shall be at the discretion of the appropriate Fire Official, with the recommended spacing to be at one-hundred-foot intervals and spaced so as to be between and alternate with the metal signs required above. If the designated fire lane abuts a curb, the curbing shall be yellow in color where it abuts the fire lane.
(3) 
Fire lanes for vehicle access shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width except for approved security gates with an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet six inches.
E. 
Notification. Once a fire lane has been designated by the Fire Official, approved as provided above and properly marked by the owner of the premises, the appropriate Fire Official shall notify the Police Department, Construction Code Department and Municipal Court Administrator, in writing, of the existence and location of the designated fire lane(s).
F. 
Unpaved areas. Unpaved fire lanes installed on public or private property shall comply with the "Fire Lane Typical Details" installation methods and be approved by the Fire Official. Signs and markings shall be provided as required by the Fire Official and this chapter.
G. 
Restricted areas. Gates, chains or other approved methods shall be utilized to prevent unauthorized access to installation, provided that such restrictions will not impede access by firefighting apparatus or other emergency vehicles. The Fire Official shall determine whether any changes or deviations from the appropriate methods may be utilized.
H. 
Installation and maintenance. Fire lanes shall be installed and maintained by the owner of the premises or a designee in conformity with the provisions of this chapter. Fire lanes in existence prior to the enactment of this section shall be required to conform to the provisions herein at the discretion of the Fire Official. Fire lanes must be accessible for fire apparatus at all times.
I. 
Parking, standing and obstruction prohibited.
(1) 
Designated fire lanes shall be maintained free of snow and obstructions, including vehicles, at all times.
(2) 
The appropriate Fire Official, designee, or a police officer of the Township of Westampton shall have the authority to remove or have removed such obstructions or vehicles as may violate any section of this chapter, at the expense of the owner of the vehicle. The presumption of ownership may be overcome by proof furnished to the satisfaction of the Municipal Court or Superior Court, Law Division, that some other person was the actual offender.
(3) 
It shall be a separate violation of this chapter for any driver or operator of any motor vehicle to fail to present a driver's license and/or vehicle registration upon demand of any person authorized to enforce this chapter when requested as part of the enforcement procedure.
J. 
Notice of violation. The Fire Officials may complete a municipal summons or a notice of violations, and said summons or notice of violations shall be issued for all offenders by personally serving same upon any offender, or if the offender is not attendant to the vehicle shall mail the notice of violations by certified mail, return receipt requested to the person's last known address.
K. 
Enforcement. This chapter shall supersede any and all provisions of any other ordinance promulgated for the enforcement of parking in fire lanes. Enforcement shall only be done by personnel from either the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention or the appropriate local enforcement agencies. Personnel enforcing these provisions shall be either uniformed or carry appropriate identification.
L. 
Violations and penalties.
(1) 
It shall be the right of any person receiving such a summons to plead guilty or not guilty to the charge of violating this chapter. Those persons pleading not guilty to the charge of violating this chapter shall be given the opportunity to present their defense before the Municipal Court of Westampton Township or the Burlington County Construction Board of Appeals.
(2) 
All persons pleading guilty in Municipal Court or convicted of violating this chapter shall be fined a maximum of $100 per violation for passenger vehicles and $250 per violation for commercial vehicles and equipment, plus court costs. All fines and court costs shall be payable to the Municipal Court. All fines assessed as a result of summonses issued shall be paid thereafter to the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention by the Court Clerk. All court costs shall be paid thereafter to the Court.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
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; and
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 that 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 two-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 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 § 128-28A(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.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
A. 
Fire apparatus obstruction. It shall be unlawful to attempt, conspire, 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 ordinance and shall be documented as such.
D. 
Street closings. Prior to the closing of any street, notification shall be made to the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention and the Westampton 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 Westampton 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 Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
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 Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention 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, upon the order of the Fire/EMS Chief, Fire Official, or Incident Commander.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
A. 
A "fire watch" is defined as a: temporary measure to ensure continuous and systematic surveillance of and response to the Township or a portion thereof, or a building, or portion thereof, by one or more trained, competent, responsible, able-bodied and qualified individuals whose only duties shall be to perform constant patrols of the protected premises for the purpose of identifying and controlling fire and other life/property hazards, detecting early signs of unwanted fire, raising an alarm of fire, notifying the Fire Department, and engaging in firefighting or other emergency response. The Fire Official shall determine whether a fire watch is deemed necessary. A fire watch may be posted in any portion of the Township and also in public and privately owned buildings and/or properties.
B. 
In no case shall a required and/or installed fire alarm or fire sprinkler system be rendered inoperable in an attempt to eliminate preventable alarms without the written consent of the fire official. In the event of a fire protection system found not operating, provisions for a constantly attended fire watch shall be posted in the building or premise on which the fire protection system is located. No fire alarm or fire sprinkler system shall remain out of service for any period of time without notification of the Fire Official. Any alarm found to be out of service without the written consent of the Fire Official shall be subject to penalties described in the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code.
C. 
A fire watch may include firefighting, rescue, recovery and other emergency responses; the maintaining of posted fire lanes, means of egress, and posted occupancy loads; enforcement of no smoking in posted areas; area and building surveillance; checking for proper permits; inspecting for proper safety precautions of cooking equipment; and such other functions as required by the Fire Official or his assigned designee.
D. 
A fire watch shall be paid for by a building owner, tenant, lessee, or organization under the following circumstances:
(1) 
Required fire protection systems are out of service;
(2) 
A fire watch is directed by the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention or is requested by the building owner, tenant, or lessee; public and private events where 100 people or more are in attendance; events where with the approval of the Fire Official or his assigned designee the posted occupancy load is exceeded; all other situations deemed necessary by the Fire Official or his assigned designee.
(3) 
All fire watch services ordered for the benefit/protection of private property shall be paid at the rate of $45 per hour per person, and there shall be a minimum payment of four hours per worker plus an administration fee of 15% applied for the individual and the vehicle used. Additionally, there will be a fee of $250 per hour for the use of each Township fire apparatus. All payments shall be paid to the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention within 10 days after the service is provided. No volunteer firefighter shall be paid for any fire watch under this article.
E. 
Fire watches shall be performed by active employees of the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention. Any qualified individuals used for the purposes of a fire watch shall report directly to the Fire Official or his/her assigned designee.
F. 
Any building otherwise subject to this ordinance can opt out of a fire watch by submitting proof to the Fire Department that the building is covered by a private security watch or other comparable substitute for a fire watch at the discretion of the Fire Official. A "fire watch" log as provided by the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention in this instance must be maintained and forwarded to the Fire Official immediately upon restoration of the affected systems in order to allow for the completion of said fire watch.
G. 
Failure for property owner or designated property representative to establish, maintain, or properly document a fire watch when requested by the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention will result in an assessed penalty not to exceed $500 per day for every day the condition exists.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
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 code for any person or persons, having knowledge of same, to fail to report to the Westampton Township 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.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
A. 
A fee of $25 shall be required for all requests for fire investigation reports. All other file information requests shall be charged at the photocopy rate of $0.75 per page. A fee of $25 shall be required for all requests for fire investigation photos.
B. 
The cost for the issuance of a certificate of Fire Code status shall be $50.
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 hydrant location, size and location of fire service water mains. The Fire Official and Fire/EMS 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/EMS 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 Service Organization or the American Water Works standards and shall be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The Fire Official and the Fire/EMS 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 by 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 "No Parking" designated 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 Westampton 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, photo luminescent 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, 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 § 128-40 must be installed within three years of the adoption of the section.
D. 
All reflective low-level exit signs required by § 128-40B must be installed within one year of adoption of the section.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
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 Westampton 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 Westampton 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 chapter.
C. 
Violations and penalties. Any person, firm or corporation found guilty in the Municipal Court for a violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 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.
[Amended 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
A. 
Fire exit announcement. At indoor places of assembly with occupant loads of 50 and over, such as theatres, 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 Westampton, whether inside a structure or outside, to make advanced notification to the Westampton Township Bureau of Fire Prevention and the Westampton 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 with fees for such a service not to exceed $100 per hour and payable by the responsible party.
A "board-up" service is defined as one which provides on-call means to secure properties within Westampton 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 Westampton shall submit an annual application with the Clerk of Westampton Township by November 30 of each year for inclusion on the next year's list of "board-up" service providers.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
Parapet walls present collapse and fall hazards to firefighters, and their dangers are well known to the fire service community; and the Westampton 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 article, 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 roof line 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 article within 12 months of its effective date. All newly constructed buildings or structures, not yet occupied and/or currently under construction, shall comply immediately.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
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 Westampton Township Fire Official and the Westampton 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.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
Electric/hybrid vehicle fires involving the battery can take several months to prevent reignition. Damaged vehicles including those that were on fire are not to be stored inside of a structure or within 50 feet of any structure, vehicle, property line, or combustibles. A concrete enclosure as approved by the Fire Chief or Fire Official shall be considered to have met this requirement.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
If, within a calendar year, the Westampton Township Emergency Services responds to three false fire or medical alarms at the same address, the owner or manager of the property shall be assessed a fee of $250 for each and every subsequent false alarm response during the remainder of the calendar year. False fire or medical alarms caused by failure to properly maintain an alarm system, or by negligence on the part of the property owner, manager, agents or contractors may be assessed per occurrence.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
A. 
The term "construction activities" as used in this section shall refer to those activities which require a permit under the Uniform Construction Code N.J.A.C. 5:23. All construction requiring a construction permit under the Uniform Construction Code shall also comply with the Fire Prevention Code regarding site fire safety.
B. 
All active construction sites and locations shall be provided with non-combustible refuse container(s) in such numbers as shall be necessary to contain all combustible refuse generated by the construction activities.
(1) 
All combustible refuse, rubbish and debris shall be cleaned up and deposited in the container(s) on a daily basis.
(2) 
Refuse container(s) shall be a minimum of 20 feet away from any building, structure, lot line or combustible material storage location.
C. 
Flammable or combustible liquids and gases shall be stored, handled, and/or used in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Fire Prevention Code and the latest standards of the National Fire Protection Association.
D. 
When construction activities take place in occupied buildings, special fire safety precautions shall be taken as required by the Fire Official in accordance with the Fire Prevention Code such as a fire watch.
E. 
Whenever fire protection systems, devices, or alarms are removed from service, the Fire Official is to be notified:
(1) 
When fire suppression, detection or alarm systems or devices are affected by construction activities, their down time shall be kept to a minimum. When possible, isolation of system components shall occur to ensure operation in unaffected areas.
(2) 
A fire watch shall be posted in all cases deemed necessary by the Fire Official. When the area affected is of a high hazard use, normal operations and occupancy of the area may be required to be suspended by the Fire Official until protection is restored.
F. 
Temporary all-weather surface access roads, gravel or equivalent material, capable of supporting a 30 ton emergency vehicle shall be provided at all times for fire department vehicular access to all structures under construction and all storage areas of combustible construction materials as approved by the Construction Official.
(1) 
Access to said locations shall be within 100 unobstructed feet at all times.
(2) 
Every dead-end roadway more than 300 feet in length shall be provided at the closed end with a temporary turn around approved by the Fire Official.
G. 
The fire protection water supply system, including hydrants shown on the approved site plan, shall be installed and in service prior to placing combustible materials on the project site or utilizing them in the construction of buildings or structures. A coordinated phased installation of the fire protection water system shall be permitted if phase construction is approved. The coordinated phase installation shall be approved by the fire official, with the following subsections as minimum requirements:
(1) 
In one and two family dwelling developments, fire hydrant(s) shall be within 300 feet of combustible construction material and accessible by roadways as required in Subsection F of this subsection.
(2) 
In multi-family apartments, condominiums, and townhouse development(s), fire hydrants shall be within 250 feet of combustible construction material and accessible by roadways as required by Subsection F of this subsection.
(3) 
Industrial, commercial, and business development sites shall be provided with fire hydrants as required by the Fire Official on a case by case basis, taking into consideration the planned construction activities and site design, with the minimum requirement being the installation of any required public water main(s) and/or fire hydrant(s) prior to the introduction of combustible materials to the site.
[Added 3-5-2024 by Ord. No. 4-2024]
In addition to the illuminated blue light indicating the location of the Fire Department Connection as required by § 128-27C, all exterior doors leading to rooms containing fire protection equipment shall be painted red in color with contrasting letters indicating which equipment is contained inside. For example, all fire pump rooms, fire alarm control panel rooms, and fire sprinkler rooms shall have red exterior doors with contrasting signage utilizing the phrases contained in this section.