[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of South River 5-8-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-6.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Department of Public Safety — See Ch. 72.
Alarm systems — See Ch. 99.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 129.
Fees — See Ch. 155.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 258.
[1]
Editor’s Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch.
169, Fire Prevention, adopted 8-8-1985 by Ord. No. 1985-19 (Ch. 101A
of the 1977 Code), as amended.
Pursuant to Section 11 of the Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L.
1983, c. 383; N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.), the New Jersey Uniform
Fire Code shall be locally enforced in the Borough of South River.
The local enforcing agency shall be the County of Middlesex,
Department of Public Safety and Health, pursuant to the shared services
agreement authorized by N.J.S.A. 40A:65-1 et seq. The Borough Attorney
shall assist said agency in enforcing its code. The designated attorney
shall advise the agency and undertake such actions at law as the Fire
Official shall deem necessary to gain compliance with the code.
A.
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 South
River, 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.
B.
The local enforcement agency shall also enforce the storage of explosives,
blasting agents, flammable liquids and bulk storage of petroleum gases
pursuant to the Uniform Fire Safety Act as well as all codes and regulations
adopted pursuant to it.
The local enforcing agency established by § 169-2 of this chapter shall carry out the periodic inspections of life-hazard uses required by the Uniform Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
The local enforcing agency established by § 169-2 of this chapter shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Fire Official.
A.
Appointment of Fire Official who shall be designated by the County
of Middlesex, Department of Public Safety and Health.
B.
Inspectors and employees. Such inspectors and other employees as
may be necessary in the local enforcing agency shall be appointed
by the County of Middlesex, Department of Public Safety and Health.
C.
Any notification and enforcement of the within provisions shall be
made by the Fire Official pursuant to the Uniform Fire Safety Act.
Pursuant to Sections 15 and 17 of the Uniform Fire Safety Act
(N.J.S.A. 52:27D-206 and 27D-208), any person aggrieved by any order
of the local enforcement agency shall have the right to appeal to
the Construction Board of Appeals of Middlesex County.
In addition to the inspection and fees required pursuant to
the Act and the regulations of the Department of Community Affairs,
additional inspections and fees shall be required.
Any and all fines levied by the local enforcing agency shall
be collected by the Violations Bureau of the Municipal Court of the
Borough of South River in accordance with the shared services agreement
with the County of Middlesex.
A copy of the new fire code, the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code
and shared services agreement with the County of Middlesex is on file
in the office of the South River Municipal Clerk.
A.
A structure used or intended for use for residential purposes classified
as a Use Group R-3 or R-4 dwelling shall comply with the requirements
set forth by N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.3.
B.
Before any Use Group R-3 or R-4 structure is sold, leased or otherwise
made subject to a change of occupancy for residential purposes, the
owner shall obtain a certificate of smoke detector and carbon monoxide
alarm compliance (CSDCMAC), evidencing compliance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.19,
from the appropriate enforcing agency.
C.
Upon application for a certificate of smoke detector and carbon monoxide alarm compliance (CSDCMAC), an applicant shall be charged a basic fee as provided in Chapter 155, Fees.
(1)
In the event that a reinspection is necessary to complete the evidencing
compliance, an additional fee of 1/2 the fee schedule shall be charged
and shall be made payable prior to the receipt of the CSDCMAC certificate.
D.
The Tax Collector of the Borough of South River shall provide to
each person requesting a tax search from his or her office a statement
calling attention with respect to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide
alarms.
E.
Any owner who sells, leases, rents or otherwise permits to be occupied
for residential purposes any premises subject to the provisions of
this section when the premises do not comply with said section or
without complying with the inspection and certificate requirements
of said section shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $500. Said
section shall be enforced within the Municipal Court of the Borough
of South River by the Fire Official or a representative of same.
A.
The County of Middlesex Department of Public Safety and Health pursuant
to the shared services agreement authorized by N.J.S.A. 40A:65-1 et
seq., upon approval of the Borough Council in the form of an ordinance,
is authorized to establish fire areas and/or fire lanes on quasi-public
property and on property devoted to public use, including, but not
by way of limitation, shopping centers, bowling alleys, drive-in theaters,
churches, swimming pools and similar uses involving parking of a sufficient
number of motor vehicles to make necessary such regulation for the
protection of persons and property in case of fire or other emergency.
B.
The fire areas and fire lanes shall be established to ensure fire
equipment and other emergency vehicles unobstructed means of ingress
to and egress from such properties and the buildings, persons, vehicles,
fire hydrants, including wall hydrants, and Siamese connections for
automatic sprinkler and standpipe systems thereon in case of fire
or other emergency.
C.
Markings. The owner shall, within 30 days of being given a notice
to do so by the Fire Official, mark the lane as follows:
(1)
Signs constructed of metal and with raised red letters a minimum
of two inches in size on a white background with the wording NO PARKING
FIRE LANE shall be posted. Spacing of the signs shall be even, with
a minimum of one sign for every 100 feet of fire lane or part thereof,
or as ordered by the Fire Official.
(2)
The area of the fire lane on improved areas shall be delineated along
its entire circumference with yellow lines four inches in width. Within
the yellow lines shall be marked NO PARKING FIRE LANE in yellow letters
18 inches in height. The number of times this wording is to be repeated
shall be at the discretion of the Fire Official. The inside of the
fire lane shall be further marked with diagonal striping yellow in
color and four inches in width spaced at intervals of five feet. If
the designated fire lane abuts a curb, the curbing shall be yellow
in color where it abuts the fire lane.
D.
Size. Fire lanes for vehicle access shall be a minimum of 18 feet
in width. Fire lanes for egress of occupants shall be a minimum of
at least the width of the exitway served.
E.
Notification. Once a fire lane has been designated by the Fire Official
and properly marked by the owner of the premises, the Fire Official
shall notify the Police Department, Construction Code Agency and Municipal
Court Clerk, in writing, of the existence and location of the designated
fire lane.
F.
Unpaved areas. Unpaved fire lanes installed on public or private
property shall comply with the fire lane typical details installation
methods blueprint available from the South River Engineering Department
and be approved by the Fire Official. Selection of a method to be
used as per the typical details shall be subject to the approval of
the Fire Official. Signs and markings shall be provided as required
by the Fire Official.
G.
Restricted access. Gates, chains or other methods utilized to prevent
unauthorized access to fire lanes shall be approved by the Fire Official
prior to installation.
H.
Installation and maintenance. Fire lanes shall be installed and maintained
by the owner of the premises in conformance with the provisions of
this section. Fire lanes in existence prior to the enactment of this
section shall be required to conform to the provisions herein at the
discretion of the Fire Official.
I.
Obstructions. Designated fire lanes shall be maintained free of obstructions
and vehicles at all times.
J.
Approval of Borough Council. Any and all fire areas and fire lanes
shall be determined by the Fire Official with the approval of the
Borough Council, which shall be by ordinance, and designated accordingly.
K.
The regulations as to the fire areas and fire lanes shall be jointly
enforceable by the Fire Official and the South River Police Department.
A.
Installation. When a property is protected by an automatic alarm
system and access to or within a structure or an area on that property
is unduly difficult because of secured openings, and where immediate
access is necessary for lifesaving or firefighting purposes, the Fire
Official may require a key box to be installed in an approved location.
The key box shall be of a type approved by the Fire Official.
B.
Contents. The key box shall contain:
