Township of Monroe, NJ: Fire Department repository unit required.

[Adopted 12-11-2006 by Ord. No. O-52-2006]

§ 142-1 Fire Department repository unit required.

The owner or person in control of the following types of buildings shall install and maintain a Fire Department repository unit of a type approved by the Director of Public Safety and/or his/her designee:

(1)

Any apartment building or other rental building containing four or more residential living units and in which access to the building or to common areas or mechanical or electrical rooms within the building is denied through locked doors.

(2)

Any nonresidential building where a fire detection or suppression system is monitored by an alarm company or has an external audible alarm.

(3)

Any building or facility containing a quantity of hazardous materials which would require compliance with Title III of SARA (Superfund Amendment Reauthorization Act).

(4)

The provisions of this article are mandatory for the issuance of all business certificates of occupancy and shall be enforced by the Monroe Township Bureau of Fire Safety and/or his/her designee.

Persons or entities who own existing buildings or structures which are subject to the requirements of this article shall have one year from the effective date of this article to comply with the requirements. Persons or entities who construct buildings or structures which would be subject to the requirements of this article shall comply with the requirements at the time of construction.

§ 142-2 Keys required.

The owner or person in control of buildings or facilities described in § 142-1 required to have a Fire Department repository unit shall cause to be placed in such repository unit a key to the following areas:

Locked points of access in the exterior of the building or facility;

Locked points of access to common areas, such as hallways or utility rooms, contained within such buildings or facilities;

Locked mechanical rooms;

Locked electrical rooms;

All other locked areas, other than individual apartments or rented rooms, as directed by the Chief.

§ 142-3 Access to Fire Department repository unit.

The owner or person in control of any building or facility described in § 142-1 required to have a Fire Department repository unit shall be present, himself or through his agent, during access to such repository unit by the Fire Department except when the Fire Department has responded to an emergency at the property.-

§ 142-4 Rules and regulations.

The Chief may establish rules and regulations for the placement and maintenance of Fire Department repository units within the Township, including approved types of Fire Department repository units. Proposed rules and regulations will be submitted to the Township Council and filed with the Township Clerk and shall become effective 14 days after submission to the Township Council.

§ 142-5 Update of keys and information.

The owner or person in control of any building or facility as described in § 142-1 required to have a Fire Department repository unit shall do the following:

Provide keys capable of access to such Fire Department repository units at all times to the Fire Department.

Maintain current information of hazardous materials stored in the building or facility in the Fire Department repository unit or, if the volume of material is too large to place in the repository unit, shall file said information with the Chief.

§ 142-6 Enforceability.

The provisions of this article shall be enforced by the Monroe Township Bureau of Fire Safety and/or his/her designee.

§ 142-7 Limitation of liability.

The Township assumes no liability for any of the following:

Any defects in the operation of the repository unit, of any keys contained within such repository unit or any information stored within the repository unit or otherwise provided to the Township;

The failure or neglect to respond appropriately upon receipt of any alarm from an alarm system;

The failure or neglect of any owner or person in control of a building or facility required to have a repository unit to provide access to the repository unit; or

The security of any property required to have a repository unit due to access to the repository unit by any person.

§ 142-8 Violations and penalties.

Any person or entity who shall be required to comply with this article and is found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter, including all rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Public Safety shall, upon conviction for failure to install said device within 30 days of the initial inspection, be subject to a fine of $250. In the event the device is not installed after the initial notice, the person or entity shall be subject to a fine of $500 for every 30 days thereafter.