[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City of Northfield 7-5-1977 by Ord. No. 10-1977 (Ch. 67 of the 1974 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department — See Ch. 25.
Vehicles and traffic — See Ch. 111.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 171.
Smoke and fumes — See Ch. 301.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 330.
There is hereby adopted by the City of Northfield the fire control measures and regulations as herein set forth for the purposes of controlling conditions which could impede or interfere with fire suppression forces.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
The Fire Chief or his duly authorized representatives 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 take any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of his duty. The Fire Chief 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. The Fire Chief 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 reenter the area until authorized to do so by the Fire Chief.
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.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of the Fire Chief or interfere with the compliance attempts of another individual.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
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 Chief in command of said operation.
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which are defined and authorized under the laws of the State of New Jersey.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle giving audible or visual signals, 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 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 to 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.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
A person shall not, without proper authorization from the Fire Chief in charge of said 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 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.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
A. 
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in § 160-6 of this chapter, shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights on or disobey any existing traffic regulation, except when said vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when responding to, but not upon returning from, a fire.
B. 
The driver of any emergency vehicle may:
(1) 
Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of existing traffic regulations.
(2) 
Proceed past a red or stop signal or other sign, but only after coming to a complete stop, as may be necessary for safe operation.
(3) 
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.
C. 
The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle, as may be reasonably necessary, and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet from the front of such vehicle.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
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, obstruction or encroachments are not removed, the Fire Chief shall proceed to remove the same. Costs incurred in the performance of necessary work shall be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the Fire Chief and with the approval of the chief administrative official, and the legal authority of the municipality shall institute appropriate action for the recovery of such costs.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
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 Fire Chief and the water company having jurisdiction. This section shall not apply to the use of such hydrants by a person employed by and authorized to make such use by the water company having jurisdiction.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
The Fire Chief shall recommend to the chief administrative official of the municipality 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.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
A. 
All new and existing shipyards, oil storage plants, lumberyards, amusement or exhibition parks and educational or institutional complexes and similar occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards and which are located more than 150 feet from a public street or which require quantities of water beyond the capabilities of the public water distribution system shall be provided with properly placed fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall be capable of supplying fire flows as required by the Fire Chief and shall be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices.
B. 
The Fire Chief shall designate and approve the number and location of fire hydrants. The Fire Chief may require the installation of sufficient fire hose and equipment housed in accordance with the approved rules and may require the establishment of a trained fire brigade when the hazard involved requires such measures.
C. 
Private hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service until approved by the Fire Chief.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
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 Fire Prevention Code except for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes, recharging or making necessary repairs or when permitted by the Fire Chief. 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 Chief.
[Amended 2-2-1993 by Ord. No. 5-93]
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain any bumps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses or any other type of obstruction in or on any street within the boundaries of the municipality. The word "street," as used in this chapter, shall mean any roadway accessible to the public for access lanes, as well as all public streets and highways within the boundaries of the municipality.
The penalty for violation of any provision of this chapter shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-15.
[1]
Editor's Note: Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).