[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council
of the Borough of Columbia 11-9-1964 by Ord. No. 381 (Ch. 34 of the 1971 Code).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The office of Fire Inspector is hereby created
in the Borough of Columbia, such officer to be appointed by the Council
of the Borough. Said Fire Inspector shall report to the Committee
on Public Safety, except on those matters of which he is required
by law to report directly to the Council.
A.
Appointments shall be made on the first Monday of
January of each even-numbered year, such appointee to serve until
his respective successors have been duly appointed and qualified.
Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment
was made, for the unexpired portion of the term.
[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726]
B.
The compensation of the Fire Inspector shall be fixed
from time to time by the Council by resolution.
A.
The Fire Inspector shall inspect all constructions
or buildings within the Borough or upon property owned or controlled
by the Borough or a municipal authority of the Borough within the
commonwealth, whether public or business, and private property by
complaint, and shall enforce all ordinances of the Borough relating
to such constructions or buildings for the prevention, containment
or investigation of fire and fire hazards, both as to the constructions
or buildings and as to the contents or occupancies thereof.
[Amended 10-10-1983 by Ord. No. 582]
(1)
Fire
safety inspections will be performed on all commercial businesses
in Columbia Borough. In-home businesses where the business owner lives
in the same building are exempt from the fire safety inspections.
[Added 7-23-2019 by Ord.
No. 915]
B.
The Fire Inspector shall report to the Committee on
Public Safety any faulty or dangerous construction or building or
like condition in any building that may constitute a fire hazard and
any proposed use or occupation of any construction, building or premises
which would create or increase a hazard of fire.
C.
The records of the Fire Inspector relating to his
inspections of constructions, buildings and property within the Borough
shall be open to public inspection.
[Amended 10-10-1983 by Ord. No. 582]
D.
The Fire Inspector shall submit to the Council an
annual report consolidating the information contained in said records
at the first stated meeting in March of each year.
E.
The Fire Inspector, in the discharge of his official
duties and upon proper identification, shall have authority to enter
any building, structure or premises at any reasonable hour.
F.
Fire safety
inspections will be conducted on a biannual basis.
[Added 7-23-2019 by Ord.
No. 915]
A.
No person shall, in any way, obstruct or prevent or
attempt to obstruct or prevent the Fire Inspector in the discharge
of his duties by denying or attempting to deny him access to any premises
owned or occupied by him or by failing or refusing to furnish correct
information requested by him in the investigation into the cause,
origin or circumstances of any fire.
B.
Any person violating any of the provisions of this
section shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine
of not more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution, and, in default
of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment for not more than
30 days.
