The following fire prevention regulations shall be applicable within the Township of Jackson:
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. 
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.
C. 
Fire hose. A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected fire hose of a fire company when laid down on any street or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of the fire officer in command.
D. 
Street closure. A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place, or maintain any fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses, or any other type of obstruction, on any street without permission from the Fire Official and the Chief of Police. The word "street," as used in this chapter, shall mean any 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 within the boundaries of the Township of Jackson. The Fire Official shall notify the Fire Department upon approval.
E. 
Combustion engine storage. No person shall store or park, or cause to be stored or parked, any internal combustion vehicle, including, but not limited to, those commonly known as "motorcycle," "moped," "go-cart," "dirt bike," "lawn mower," "snow blower," etc., in or on any apartment unit porch, balcony, covered patio area, entrance, exit, or any other private area of an apartment or multi-dwelling unit.
F. 
Building identification. New and existing commercial and multifamily buildings shall display approved address numbers and building numbers, a minimum of eight inches in height, as described in Jackson Township Code § 372-27, entitled "Installation and display of numerals." In addition, unit number shall be placed on the front door of the business, and all commercial buildings which contain multiple exit doors shall label rear exterior exit doors with unit number in not less than four-inch minimum, stroke of one-half inch, letters, as per minimum requirements of the NJUFC.
G. 
Emergency lock key box and key padlock, with the exception of owner occupied, one and two-family or attached single family dwellings used exclusively for dwelling purposes, and buildings, structures, and premises owned or operated by the federal government, interstate agencies or the State of New Jersey, shall be installed at all buildings that are protected by a fire detection or suppression system, or as deemed necessary at the discretion of the Fire Official.
(1) 
These keys must include but are not limited to the following:
(a) 
Keys to locked points of ingress whether on the interior or exterior of such buildings.
(b) 
Keys to locked mechanical equipment rooms.
(c) 
Keys to locked electrical rooms.
(d) 
Keys to elevator controls.
(e) 
Keys to fire alarm panel/sprinkler rooms and controls.
(f) 
Keys to chemical rooms.
(g) 
Keys to roof access.
(h) 
Keys to fences/gates.
(i) 
Any door codes.
(j) 
Keys to other areas as directed by the Fire Official.
(2) 
When a business changes ownership the new owner shall make the required modifications to the existing key box to update it to the present Bureau standards.
(3) 
This article applies to both existing and future structures.
H. 
Penalties. Any building owner and/or other such responsible party violating this article shall be subject to a fine up to $500. Each day that such violation continues shall be considered a separate violation and subject to a fine of up to $500 per day.
I. 
Registration fee. There shall be a $25 registration fee when a key lock box is initially installed.
J. 
Maintenance fee. There shall be a $25 annual fee that will cover routine maintenance to the lock cylinder.
K. 
All properties that have access gates that are not staffed 24 hours a day will require an automatic gate opening device. Such a device must have the capabilities to operate the gates through the emergency radio communication system and must be installed at each unstaffed gate.
L. 
Building evacuation. It shall be a violation of this article for any person, manager, firm, corporation, owner, tenant, or person responsible for a given structure or premises to fail to immediately notify the Fire Department and immediately evacuate the entire structure when and if the following conditions are present: fire alarm is activated, smoke is 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 Chief, Fire Official or Incident Commander.
M. 
Building evacuation action plan. Fire safety evacuation and emergency action plans shall be prepared as set forth in the NJUFC, Chapter 4, Emergency Planning and Preparedness. The fire safety evacuation and emergency action plans shall be approved by the Fire Official and shall be distributed by the owner to all tenants and employees. The evacuation plan shall be conspicuously posted on every floor and in each tenant space for the occupants' use. The fire safety evacuation and emergency action plans shall be maintained to reflect changes in the use and physical arrangement of the building. If an emergency action plan assigns employees with specific responsibilities in areas such as evacuation coordination, firefighting, or material leak and spill handling, the employer shall provide a minimum of annual training sessions to prepare the employee for such activities.
N. 
Open burning. A person shall not kindle, maintain, or authorize to be kindled or maintained, any open burning, unless in accordance with the NJUFC, Chapter 3, Section 307, Open Burning and Recreational Fires. "Recreational fire" is burning that contains material other than rubbish where the fuel being burned is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbecue grill or pit having a total fuel area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height, for pleasure, ceremonial, cooking, warmth, or similar purpose. Additionally, a person shall not conduct agricultural burnings unless they are conducted in compliance with a valid permit issued by the New Jersey State Forest Fire Service Department of Environmental Protection.
O. 
False fire alarm. Any property containing a fire-protection alarm system shall not have activated more than three false fire alarms within a 180-day period. Violation is subject to the fines and penalties outlined in § 204-14B below. A "false fire alarm" shall be defined as either a signal, message or warning transmitted to the fire communications central dispatch indicating a fire condition, or the emission of an audible, visual or electronic transmission of any signal, message or warning intended to summon the services of fire-fighting personnel or apparatus, which signal, message, or warning is activated by a cause other than one for which the transmitting system is specifically designed to respond, at a time when no fire exists. The alarm shall not be considered false if caused by a power or telephone line interruption.
P. 
Fire-protection system impaired. When a fire-protection system is out of service, the Fire Department and the Fire Code Official shall be immediately notified and, if the Fire Code Official determines that an imminent hazard exists pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.16, the building shall either be evacuated in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.17, or an approved fire watch shall be provided for all occupants left unprotected by the shutdown until the fire-protection system has been returned to service. Fire watch shall be provided with at least one approved means of communication to dial 9-1-1, and their only duty shall be to perform constant patrols of the protected premises and keep watch for fires.
Q. 
Fire watch conditions and standby personnel.
(1) 
A fire watch is initiated by the Fire Department as a temporary measure to ensure continuous and systematic surveillance of a building, or portion thereof, by one or more assigned individuals for the purposes of identifying and controlling fire hazards, detecting early signs of unwanted fire, raising an alarm of fire, and notifying the Fire Department. Where conditions exist that are deemed an imminent hazard, or hazardous to life and property by the Fire Official, Fire Department standby crews may be permitted by the Fire Official in order to maintain occupancy of a building or structure for the following, but not limited to, conditions:
(a) 
Any building occupied with impaired fire-protection systems.
(b) 
Situations where fire load is greater than normal day-to-day operations.
(c) 
As deemed necessary by the Fire Official.
(2) 
A Fire Department standby fee shall be paid by the owner of the building. Fire Department standby fees shall follow the Federal Emergency Management Agency schedule of equipment rates for fire apparatus.
(a) 
Firefighter/personnel fee: $80 per hour.
R. 
Construction. All construction requiring a Uniform Construction Code (hereinafter "UCC") permit shall comply with the requirements of the NJUFC.
S. 
Place of assembly fire exit announcement. In places of assembly with occupant loads of 50 and over, such as theaters, auditoriums, multipurpose rooms, or similar occupancies shall have an audible announcement by the venue host, or by recorded announcement, made not more than 10 minutes prior to the start of each program, to notify the occupants of the location of the exits to be used in the event of a fire or emergency.
T. 
Reimbursable services. The Fire District has the right to bill for services rendered, any applicable charges for services rendered to a person shall be billed to said person and or said person's insurance carrier.
U. 
Duty to respond. The Fire Department has the duty to respond notwithstanding the ability to pay or lack of insurance of the recipient of said services. The Fire Department shall not refuse nor delay any emergency service to any person, firm, organization, or company based on the ability to pay or lack of insurance.
A. 
No person shall at any time park a motor vehicle or place any obstruction within a 10-foot perimeter of a fire hydrant, a draft site, or fire department connection (hereinafter "FDC")/appliance. The LEA and/or its designated agents are authorized to tow motor vehicles and remove obstructions at their discretion at the owner's expense.
B. 
No person shall conceal, cover, paint, or disguise any fire hydrant, FDC, or drafting site. Commercial property owners shall always keep a 10-foot perimeter clear around fire hydrants, FDCs, or drafting sites and shall not allow snow, brush, bushes, grass, flowers, or trees to encroach upon or conceal or hamper the ability to access fire hydrants, FDCs, or drafting sites.
C. 
The Jackson Municipal Utilities Authority (hereinafter "JTMUA") shall maintain all fire hydrants, both public and private, in accordance with JTMUA regulations and the shared services agreement with the fire districts in accordance with American Water Works Association standards, Insurance Services Office installation, maintenance and water flow testing, annual written reports, and National Fire Protection Association paint schedule.
D. 
All new fire hydrant systems shall have a five-inch Storz connection installed on the main valve opening (steamer side of the fire hydrant), along with cap and cable.
E. 
All new FDCs shall have a minimum of one- two-and-a-half-inch Siamese connection, up to a five-inch Storz connection at the discretion of the sprinkler design professional based on the needed demand with stainless steel screen, locking cap, and cable.
F. 
FDCs shall be located not more than 50 ft. from the nearest fire hydrant connected to an approved water supply.
G. 
Red light display over connections. A red light shall be illuminated 24 hours per day over any FDC. Applicable to new and existing buildings. Existing buildings will have two years to comply from the adoption date of this new ordinance.
A. 
The Fire Official shall require and designate public or private fire lanes or zones, as deemed necessary, for the efficient use of fire apparatus access for firefighting, egress of occupants, or whenever it is deemed necessary for public safety to ensure fire equipment and other emergency vehicles unobstructed means of ingress and egress to properties and buildings, fire hydrants, fire drafting sites, and FDCs in case of fire or emergency.
B. 
The Fire Official, LEAs, Board of Fire Commissioners, and/or their designated agents are further authorized to regulate, restrict, and prohibit parking or obstructions that may affect public safety or the ability to fight or control fires. They shall impose regulations necessary to ensure that such areas are free from obstructions. The LEA shall have jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this chapter, and are authorized to issue violations, tow motor vehicles and remove obstructions, parked or standing by the Jackson Township duty tow, at the owner's expense.
C. 
No person shall, at any time, park a motor vehicle or obstruct a fire lane/zone, loading zones, or driveway, affecting the ability to fight or control fires. The Fire Official or the LEA, and/or designated agents, are authorized to issue summons, tow motor vehicles, and remove obstructions from any fire lane/zone, loading zone, driveway, and fire area or drafting location. If, at any time, due to weather conditions, vandalism or any extenuating circumstances, fire lane/zone or loading zone signs or surface markings are not visible, the remaining markings or signs visible shall be deemed sufficient to provide notice of the existence of such fire lane/zone or loading zone. All signs and ground markings shall always be legible and shall be provided, erected, and maintained by the owner or operator of the property, in conformance with the provisions of this chapter.
D. 
Gates, chains, or other methods utilized to prevent unauthorized access to fire lanes shall be approved by the Fire Official prior to installation.
E. 
Specifications for fire lanes/zones.
(1) 
Fire lane or zone signs shall be erected with the bottom of the sign not less than six feet above the ground, 12 inches wide by 18 inches in length, with a white reflective aluminum background with a red border, and a minimum of three-inch size reflective red letters labeled "NO" on the first line, three-inch size reflective red letters labeled "PARKING" on the second line, two-inch size reflective red letters labeled "FIRE" on the third line, and two-inch size reflective red letters labeled "LANE" or "ZONE" on the fourth line. Spacing of the signs shall be even, with one sign facing the direction of travel, or alternate direction of travel, for a maximum distance of 100 feet per sign or as ordered by the Fire Official.
(2) 
Fire lane ground marking shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide and labeled "NO PARKING-FIRE LANE," bordered by a four-inch-wide yellow stripe on both sides, with approved New Jersey Department of Transportation standard traffic yellow paint. The wording shall face the direction of travel, or alternate direction of travel, for a maximum distance of every 100 feet on paved surface, or as ordered by the Fire Official. The lettering shall be legible, and the letter size shall be a minimum of 24 inches high and four-inch stroke.
(3) 
Fire zone ground marking shall be a minimum of 12 feet wide and 10 feet in length, posted with a fire zone sign and ground marking labeled "FIRE ZONE," bordered by a four-inch-wide yellow stripe and diagonal stripes with approved New Jersey Department of Transportation standard traffic yellow paint lettered legibly on a paved surface. The lettering shall be a minimum of 24 inches high and four-inch stroke. Crash posts shall be installed if required by the Fire Official.
(4) 
Preexisting unpaved fire access roadways installed on public or private property shall be subject to the approval of the Fire Official. Signs and markings shall be provided as required by the Fire Official.