[Adopted by Ord. No. 18-1981 (§ 11-2 of the Revised General Ordinances)]
The Mayor and Borough Council hereby adopt fire control measures
and regulations as herein set forth for the purposes of controlling
conditions which could impede or interfere with fire suppression forces.
The Fire Chief or other Fire Department officer, as may be in
charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency involving the protection
of life and/or property, is empowered to direct such operations as
may be necessary to extinguish or control any suspected or reported
fires, gas leaks, or other hazardous conditions or situations or of
taking any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of
their duty. The Fire Chief or other Fire Department officer may prohibit
any person, vehicle or object from approaching the scene and may remove
or cause to be removed from the scene any person, vehicle or object
which may impede or interfere with the operations of the Fire Department
and may remove or cause to be removed any person, vehicle or object
from hazardous areas. All persons ordered to leave a hazardous area
shall do so immediately and shall not re-enter the area until authorized
to do so by the Fire Chief or other Fire Department officer in charge.
It shall be unlawful to interfere with, attempt to interfere
with, conspire to interfere with, obstruct or restrict the mobility
of, or block the path of travel of any Fire Department emergency vehicle
in any way, or to interfere with, attempt to interfere with, conspire
to interfere with, obstruct or hamper any Fire Department operation.
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of the Fire Chief or other Fire Department
officer in charge, or to interfere with the compliance attempts of
another individual.
A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected
fire hose of the Fire Department when laid down on any street, alleyway,
private drive or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of
the Fire Department officer in command of the operation.
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which
are defined and authorized under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle, giving
audible and visual signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall
immediately drive the same to a position as near as possible and parallel
to the right-hand edge or curb of the street or roadway, clear of
any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until
the authorized emergency vehicle or vehicles shall have passed, unless
otherwise directed by the Fire Chief or other Fire Department officer
in charge, or a police officer.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle, other
than one on official business, to follow closer than 300 feet from
any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm, or to drive
any vehicle within the block or immediate area where fire apparatus
has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
A person shall not, without proper authorization from the Fire
Chief or other Fire Department officer in charge of the Fire Department
emergency equipment, cling to, attach himself to, climb upon or into,
board or swing upon any Fire Department emergency vehicle, whether
the same is in motion or at rest, or sound the siren, horn, bell or
other sound-producing device thereon, or to manipulate or tamper with,
or attempt to manipulate or tamper with any levers, valves, switches,
starting devices, brakes, pumps, or any equipment or protective clothing
on, or a part of, any Fire Department emergency vehicle.
It shall be unlawful for any person to damage or deface, or
attempt, or conspire to damage or deface any Fire Department emergency
vehicle at any time, or to injure, or attempt to injure or conspire
to injure Fire Department personnel while performing departmental
duties.
A.
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, damage, deface, obstruct
or restrict the access to any fire hydrant or any Fire Department
connection for the pressurization of fire suppression systems, including
fire hydrants and Fire Department connections that are located on
public or private streets and access lanes, or on private property.
B.
If upon the expiration of the time mentioned in a notice of violation,
obstructions or encroachments are not removed, the Code Enforcement
Officer, Fire Official or any member of the Police Department, shall
proceed to remove the same. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the Borough treasury on certificate of the
Code Enforcement Officer, Fire Official or any member of the Police
Department, and with the approval of the chief administrative official;
and the legal authority of the Borough shall institute appropriate
action for the recovery of such costs. Any time a police officer enforces
this section, it shall be in addition to any violation that may be
brought under N.J.S.A. 39:1 et seq.
A person shall not use or operate any fire hydrant intended
for use of the Fire Department for fire suppression purposes unless
such person first secures a permit for such use from the Borough Clerk's
office and the water company having jurisdiction. This section shall
not apply to the use of such hydrants by a person authorized to make
such use by the Fire Chief or other Fire Department officer in charge,
or employed by, and authorized to make such use by, the water company
having jurisdiction.
The Fire Chief shall recommend to the chief administrative official
of the Borough the location or relocation of new or existing fire
hydrants and the placement or replacement of inadequate water mains
located upon public property and deemed necessary to provide an adequate
fire flow and distribution pattern. A fire hydrant shall not be placed
into or removed from service until approved by the Fire Chief.
A person shall not obstruct, remove, tamper with or otherwise
disturb any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed
or maintained under the provisions of the Uniform Fire Code of the
State of New jersey except for the purpose of extinguishing fire,
training or testing purposes, recharging, or making necessary repairs,
or when permitted by the Fire Official. Whenever a fire appliance
is removed as herein permitted, it shall be replaced or reinstalled
as soon as the purpose for which it was removed has been accomplished.
Defective and nonapproved fire appliances or equipment shall be replaced
or repaired as directed by the Fire Official.
