[Amended 12-12-1990 by Ord. No. 1613]
A. 
The Fire Official of the Township is authorized to establish fire lanes on property devoted to public use, including but not limited to schools, shopping centers, churches, restaurants, apartments and apartment complexes, hotels, motels, and similar uses involving the parking of a sufficient number of motor vehicles to warrant regulation of said vehicles for the protection of persons and property in case of fire or other emergency.
B. 
Fire lanes shall be approved by the Chief of Police and adopted by formal resolution of the Franklin Township Board of Fire Prevention. Said resolutions shall not be declared null and void unless specifically rescinded by the Board of Fire Prevention.
C. 
Fire lanes shall be established to ensure that fire and other emergency vehicles will have unobstructed access to such properties and the structures, persons, vehicles, fire hydrants and other fire equipment thereon in case of fire or other emergency.
D. 
The location, length, and width of said lanes shall be determined by the Fire Official and shall be based on the use of the property, the size, type and location of structures thereon, number of vehicles operated and parked, number of persons using and occupying the premises, existing means of ingress and egress, area of property, parking lots, and all other relevant factors.
A. 
Fire lanes shall be identified by a four-inch-wide yellow line painted on the pavement within said lanes, parallel to curbs or the pavement edges, and between three and four feet from the curbs or pavement edges.
B. 
Where the Fire Official determines that additional pavement marking is needed to clearly identify any fire lane, they may require the words FIRE LANE to be painted on the pavement between the painted yellow line and the curb or pavement edge. These words shall be yellow block letters not less than 12 inches high with four-inch wide strokes.
C. 
Fire lane pavement markings shall be painted as frequently as needed to maintain clear identification.
Traffic signs for fire lanes shall be installed in accordance with the following standards of this chapter:
A. 
Signs shall be a rectangular shape with red letters and border on a white background, and shall be a minimum of 12 inches by 18 inches with the longer dimension vertical.
B. 
Signs shall be made of metal or comparable durable material, and all corners shall be rounded.
C. 
Signs shall be illuminated or reflectorized so as to be clearly visible during hours of darkness.
D. 
The message on signs shall read: NO PARKING FIRE LANE.
E. 
There shall be a sufficient number of signs for each fire lane to face all directions of traffic flow into and within said areas, and so as not to exceed a maximum distance of 100 feet between signs facing the same direction of traffic flow.
F. 
Signs shall be mounted at right angles to the direction of and facing the traffic they are intended to serve, and shall be installed so that the bottom of each sign is five feet above the pavement. The bottom of the sign may be seven feet above the pavement where subject to pedestrian traffic at that location.
G. 
Signs shall be kept in good condition and clearly legible at all times. Damaged, destroyed or missing signs shall be promptly replaced.
[Amended 2-14-2006 by Ord. No. 3591]
A. 
All new fire lanes not previously adopted by the Township of Franklin shall comply fully with the provisions of this article.
B. 
All existing fire lanes currently identified as fire zones per previous editions of this article may continue to be so identified until June 30, 1992, after which date all existing fire lanes noted herein shall comply fully with the provisions of this article.
The Fire Official is further authorized, with approval of the Board of Fire Prevention, to regulate, restrict, and prohibit the parking, stopping, or standing of motor vehicles in said fire lanes, and to impose other regulations deemed necessary to ensure that said areas are free from obstruction.
[Amended 9-14-1999 by Ord. No. 3070]
It shall be unlawful to park any motor vehicle in, or to obstruct in any manner, fire lanes as herein so defined, or to obstruct with any motor vehicle any public or private fire hydrant, building Fire Prevention Department connection, or similar fire protection device or equipment.
A. 
The Township police, duly elected Township Fire Company Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, and official Township Fire Prevention Department inspectors shall have concurrent jurisdiction together with the Fire Official of Franklin Township, to enforce the provisions of this section by the issuance of Township Municipal Court summons to vehicles found parked in violation of this article.
B. 
The Municipal Court shall assess a penalty of not less than $50 for a first violation and for any subsequent violations not more than $200 and/or 10 days' community service.
C. 
Any vehicle found parked in any fire lane in violation of this article by the Fire Official or any police officer may be deemed a hazard to the citizens of Franklin Township and may be towed to garage facilities approved by the Police Department, at the vehicle owner's expense.