[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Lebanon as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire fighting mutual aid agreement — See Ch. 56, Art. II.
Alarm systems — See Ch. 116.
Removal of dangerous buildings — See Ch. 147.
Certificate of continued occupancy — See Ch. 161.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 178.
[Adopted by Ord. No. 22-1985 (Ch. XIII of the 1985 Revised General Ordinances)]
The Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L. 1983, c. 383)[1] was enacted for the purpose of establishing a system for the enforcement of minimum fire safety standards throughout the State of New Jersey. The Uniform Fire Safety Act authorizes municipalities to provide for local enforcement and to establish local enforcement agencies for that purpose; and it is in the best interest of the Township of Lebanon, County of Hunterdon, to have the Uniform Fire Safety Act enforced locally. The Lebanon Township Fire Department was asked to administer and enforce the Uniform Fire Safety Code; and the Lebanon Township Fire Department has not responded to the Township Committee, as of June 18, 1985.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1-1988]
Pursuant to Section 11 of the Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L. 1983, c. 383),[1] the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code shall be locally enforced by the Township.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-202.
The local enforcing agency shall be the Bureau of Fire Prevention which is hereby created in the Office of Code Enforcement.
The local enforcement agency shall enforce the Uniform Fire Safety Act and the codes and regulations adopted under it in all buildings, structures and premises within the established boundaries of Lebanon Township, other than owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings, and shall faithfully comply with the requirements of the Uniform Fire Safety Act and the Uniform Fire Code.
The local enforcing agency established by § 214-3 of this article shall carry out the periodic inspections of life-hazard uses required by the Uniform Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1-1988]
The local enforcing agency established by § 214-3 of this article shall be a part of Lebanon Township Code Enforcement Office and shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Fire Official.
[Amended 9-6-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-06]
A. 
Appointment of Fire Official. The local enforcing agency shall be under the direct supervision of the Fire Official.
B. 
Term of office. The Fire Official shall serve at the pleasure of the Township Committee, subject to Subsection D below.
C. 
Fire Inspectors and employees. Such Fire Inspectors and other employees as may be necessary in the local enforcing agency shall be appointed by Township Committee of the Township of Lebanon upon the recommendation of the Fire Official.
D. 
In the absence of a Fire Official, the Fire Inspector will be the Acting Fire Official, and if a vacancy of 45 days or more for the Fire Official exists, the Township Committee shall appoint a new Fire Official.
E. 
Removal from office. Fire Inspectors and other employees of the enforcing agency shall be subject to removal by the Lebanon Township Committee for inefficiency or misconduct. Each inspector or employee to be so removed shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard by the appointing authority or a designated hearing officer.
Pursuant to Sections 15 and 17 of the Uniform Fire Safety Act,[1] any person aggrieved by any order of the local enforcement agency shall have the right to appeal to the Construction Board of Appeals of Hunterdon County.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-206 and 52:27D-208, respectively.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1-1988[1]]
In addition to the inspection and fees required pursuant to the Act and the regulations of the Department of Community Affairs, the inspections and fees set forth in Chapter 205, Article II, Fee Schedule, shall be required. All commercial establishments which are not considered life hazard uses shall be inspected once a year.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
[Amended by Ord. No. 1-1988[1]]
Fees established. The permit fees established by the Uniform Fire Code shall be set forth in Chapter 205, Article II, Fee Schedule.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
Technical amendments to the code must go beyond the minimum established by the code. The specific paragraphs in the code to be changed must be reproduced and the language to be changed must be shown in brackets, and the correct language to be inserted in the section must be clearly underlined.
A copy of this article shall be sent to the State Bureau of Fire Safety.
[Adopted by Ord. No. 18-1991 (Sec. 9-4 of the 1985 Revised General Ordinances)]
A structure located in Lebanon Township used or intended for use for residential purposes by not more than two households shall have a smoke-sensitive alarm device on each level of the structure and outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and located near the ceiling in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association Standard Number 74-1984 for the installation, maintenance, and use of household fire warning equipment and Public Law 1991, Chapter 92.[1] The installation of battery-operated smoke-sensitive alarm devices shall be accepted as meeting the requirements of this article. The smoke-sensitive device shall be tested and listed by a product certification agency recognized by the Bureau of Fire Safety. This article shall not be enforced except pursuant to §§ 214-16 and 214-17 of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-198.1 et seq.
Each structure, other than a seasonal rental unit, shall also be equipped with at least one portable fire extinguisher in conformance with rules and regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of Community Affairs pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, P.L. 1968, c. 410 (N.J.S.A. 52:14B-1 et seq.).
[1]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER
An operable portable device, carried and operated by hand, containing an extinguishing agent that can be expelled under pressure for the purpose of suppressing or extinguishing fire, and which is:
A. 
Rated for residential use consisting of an ABC type;
B. 
No larger than a ten-pound rated extinguisher; and
C. 
Mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen area, unless otherwise permitted by the enforcing agency.
SEASONAL RENTAL UNIT
A dwelling unit rented for a term of not more than 125 consecutive days for residential purposes by a person having a permanent residence elsewhere, but shall not include use or rental of living quarters by migrant, temporary or seasonal workers in connection with any work or place where work is being performed.
[1]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
A. 
In the case of occupancy of any building subject to the requirement of § 214-13 of this article, no owner shall sell, lease or otherwise permit occupancy for residential purpose of that building without first obtaining from the Fire Subcode Official a certificate evidencing compliance with the requirements of this article.
B. 
The owner may submit to the Fire Subcode Official a certificate of inspection by a certified fire official, or certified fire prevention inspector, or a licensed fire subcode official or licensed fire protection inspector for his approval.
The fee for conducting each inspection is set forth in Chapter 205, Article II, Fee Schedule.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).
An owner who sells, leases, rents or otherwise permits to be occupied for residential purposes any premises subject to the provisions of this article, when the premises does not comply with the requirements of this article, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $500 in the case of a violation for an alarm device, or a fine of not more than $100 in the case of a violation for a portable fire extinguisher, which may be collected and enforced by the local enforcing agency by summary proceedings pursuant to the Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999, P.L. 1999, c. 274 (N.J.S.A. 2A:58-10 et seq.).
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. III).