[Amended 6-22-1982 by L.L. No. 9-1982; 12-13-1988 by L.L. No. 2-1988; 1-23-1996 by L.L. No. 1-1996]
A. 
No place of assembly, as defined in Subsection B of this section, shall be maintained, operated or used as such without a certificate of compliance.
[Amended 3-16-2010 by L.L. No. 1-2010[1]]
[1]
This local law also repealed former § 143-79, Decorative material, § 143-80, Pyroxylin-coated fabric, and § 143-81, Motion-picture screens, which immediately followed this section, and redesignated former § 143-82 through § 143-92 as § 143-57 through § 143-67, respectively.
B. 
"Place of assembly" shall mean any building, room or space used for assembly or gathering for recreation, political, religious, social, amusement or entertainment purpose. "Place of assembly" occupancies shall include, but shall not be limited to, live performance and motion-picture theaters, meeting halls, auditoriums, exhibition halls, museums, skating rinks, gymnasiums, bowling alleys, poolrooms, restaurants, licensed premises dispensing alcoholic beverages, churches, dance halls and club rooms.
C. 
Posting of maximum occupancy. The maximum number of occupants permitted within assembly spaces shall be established by the Code Enforcement Official, and a sign setting forth such maximum number shall be conspicuously posted in each space and shall not be exceeded. Posting of the occupancy limit sign shall be deemed notice to the owner, manager or person in charge and shall be deemed an order to comply. Violation of the occupancy requirements is a violation of this chapter and punishable pursuant to § 143-6 of this chapter.
D. 
Overcrowding.
(1) 
It is the responsibility of the owner, manager or person in charge to assure that the occupant load does not exceed the number established by the Code Enforcement Official; and he shall not permit overcrowding or admittance of any person beyond the approved number of occupants of any place of assembly nor permit, allow or suffer the total number of persons at any one time to be in such a number so as to constitute a threat or danger to the public health, safety or welfare.
(2) 
The Chief Fire Safety Inspector, Fire Safety Inspector or Assistant Fire Safety Inspectors or the Police Department, upon finding overcrowding conditions, shall cause the performance, presentation, spectacle or entertainment to be stopped until such a condition is corrected.
[Amended 12-31-1996 by L.L. No. 18-1996]
[Amended 6-13-1989 by L.L. No. 2-1989]
A. 
No exit doors, passageways, hallways or stairs leading to the exit shall be locked, bolted or otherwise fastened or obstructed by any means so that the door cannot be opened from the inside by the use of the ordinary door latch or knob or by pressure on the device or on a panic release device and will allow the free egress of the occupants from the building or the unobstructed ingress of Fire Department personnel at all times.
B. 
The exit doors to the exterior of the building shall be equipped with approved panic hardware which releases when pressure is applied to the release device.
[Amended 6-13-1989 by L.L. No. 2-1989; 3-16-2010 by L.L. No. 1-2010]
In each room where chairs or tables and chairs are used, the arrangement shall be such as will provide for ready access by aisles to each exit doorway. Aisles leading directly to exit doorways shall have not less than 36 inches clear width, which shall not be obstructed by chairs, tables or other objects. Except where single exits or limited dead ends are permitted by the Building Code or other regulations, such aisles shall be arranged as to provide access to at least two remote exits by separate paths of travel.
[Amended 6-13-1989 by L.L. No. 2-1989]
In buildings containing assembly space, the required exit doors shall be plainly marked by approved exit signs sufficiently illuminated and readily distinguished and shall be maintained illuminated at all times. If the direction of travel to the exit door is not clear and/or the exit sign over the exit doorway is not clearly visible, the use of directional exit signs shall be required, said signs to be sufficiently illuminated at all times.
[Amended 12-31-1996 by L.L. No. 18-1996]
A plan showing the capacity and location of exitways and of aisles leading thereto shall be submitted for approval to the Chief Fire Safety Inspector, and an approved copy shall be kept on display in the premises.
When smoking is permitted, there shall be provided on each table and at other convenient places suitable noncombustible ashtrays or match receivers.
All fire-protection equipment required under Article VIII shall be kept in working condition. Extinguishers and hoses and similar appliances shall be visible and convenient at all times. It shall be the duty of the owner and the tenant of each building or part of a building occupied as a place of assembly to properly train sufficient regular employees in the use of fire appliances so that such appliances can be quickly put in operation.