[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Explosives and fireworks — See Ch. 179.
Fire Prevention Code — See Ch. 190.
Fuel oil delivery — See Ch. 200.
Gasoline service stations — See Ch. 211.
Nuisances — See Ch. 278.
[Adopted 5-26-1987 by Ord. No. 1323]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
EXPENDABLE ITEMS
Any items used to extinguish any fire or stop or contain any leak or spill involving any hazardous material which cannot be reused or cannot be replenished without cost after that particular fire, leak or spill. These include but are not restricted to fire-fighting foam, chemical extinguishing agents, absorbent material, sand, recovery drums and specialized protective equipment, to include but not be restricted to acid suits, acid gloves, goggles and protective clothing.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL
Any material, solid, liquid or gas, listed as such under the National Fire Protection Association Guide of Hazardous Materials or Department of Transportation Guide Book.
VEHICLE
Any motorized equipment, registered or unregistered, including but not limited to passenger cars, motorcycles, trucks, tractor-trailers, construction equipment and farm machinery.
VESSEL
Any container, drum, box cylinder or tank used to hold or contain or carry or store any hazardous material.
A. 
This article provides for the reimbursement for or the replacement of the specialized and sometimes nonreusable equipment required by state and federal regulations to be made available in the Borough in case of fire, leakage or spillage involving any hazardous material.
B. 
This article entitles the Borough of Ridgefield to reimbursement for any expendable items used by the Borough or any of its agencies in extinguishing any fire, stopping or containing any leak or controlling any spill of hazardous materials.
Reimbursement to the Borough of Ridgefield for any expendable items used shall be made by the following parties:
A. 
The owner or operator of any vehicle responsible for any fire, leak or spill of hazardous material.
B. 
The owner or person responsible for any vessel containing hazardous material involved in any fire, leak or spill on public or private property, whether stationary or in transit, whether accidental or through negligence.
C. 
The owner or person responsible for any property from which any leak or spill of hazardous material emanates, whether accidental or through negligence.
D. 
Any person responsible for any fire, leak or spill of hazardous material on public or private property, whether accidental or through negligence.
[Amended 6-24-1996 by Ord. No. 1563]
Any person or company responsible for any fire, leak or spill involving a hazardous material must provide reimbursement in accordance with the schedule below for services rendered or materials expended by any recovery company, towing company, municipal agency or other technical assistance called for by the Fire Department to handle such incident:
Schedule of Reimbursement Fees
A. 
Expendable materials: Prevailing rate of expendable equipment, materials and supplies.
B. 
Vehicle and personnel charges.
[Amended 5-28-2013 by Ord. No. 2229]
(1) 
Use of police vehicles: $125 per hour per vehicle.
(2) 
Use of police personnel: current rate per hour.
(3) 
Use of fire vehicles: $125 per hour.
(4) 
Use of ambulance: $125 per hour.
(5) 
Use of any Borough-paid personnel: current rate per hour.
(6) 
Use of Department of Public Works' vehicles: $125 per hour per vehicle.
(7) 
Mitigating service: $125.00 flat rate.
(8) 
Use of Fire Department personnel: $125 per hour.
C. 
This schedule of charges may be amended in the future by resolution of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield, without the necessity of ordinance passage procedure.
Any person, owner or company responsible for any fire, leak or spill of hazardous materials shall reimburse the Borough of Ridgefield for the full price of any expendable items used to extinguish such a fire, stop or contain such a leak or control such a spill within a period of forty-five (45) days after receipt of a bill for such items from the Borough of Ridgefield.
[Amended 5-28-2013 by Ord. No. 2229]
Any person, owner or company responsible for any fire, leak or spill of hazardous material who or which fails to reimburse the Borough of Ridgefield within the time set forth in this article shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 per day or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six months, or both.
[Adopted 7-27-1992 by Ord. No. 1476]
There is hereby established an article, by and within the Borough of Ridgefield, to require the owner and occupants of certain covered premises, as defined herein, to install and maintain wind socks on or about those premises, as set forth at length herein.
The purpose of this article is to warn and alert fire fighters and other emergency response personnel, during a hazardous material fire, spill, release or discharge, of the wind direction and wind direction changes and accordingly to help avoid exposure to windblown contaminants.
The following definitions are hereby established for purposes of this article:
COVERED PREMISES
Any building, structure or other premises, including vacant land, where hazardous materials are stored, kept, utilized or handled.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Any substance which, by its nature, containment or reactivity, has the capability of inflicting or causing harm to life. Hazardous chemicals shall include such materials as flammable solids, corrosive liquids, radioactive materials, oxidizing materials, potentially explosive chemicals, highly toxic materials and poisonous gases. The above materials shall be defined as follows:
A. 
CORROSIVE LIQUIDSAcids, alkaline, caustic liquids and other corrosive liquids which when in contact with living tissue will cause severe damage to such tissue by chemical reaction or, in the case of leakage, will materially damage or destroy other containers of hazardous commodities by chemical action and cause the release of their contents or are liable to cause fire when in contact with organic matter or with certain chemicals.
B. 
FLAMMABLE SOLIDA solid substance, other than one classified as an explosive, which is liable to cause fires through friction, through absorption of moisture, through spontaneous chemical changes or as a result of retained heat from manufacturing or processing.
C. 
HIGHLY TOXIC MATERIALA material so toxic to man as to afford an unusual hazard to life and health during fire fighting operations. Examples are parathion, TEPP (tetraethyl phosphate), HETP (hexaethyl tetraphosphate) and similar insecticides and pesticides.
D. 
POISONOUS GASAny noxious gas of such nature that a small amount of the gas in air is dangerous to life. Examples are chlorine, cyanogen, fluorine, hydrogen cyanide, nitric oxide, nitrogen tetraoxide and phosgene.
E. 
OXIDIZING MATERIALSSubstances such as chlorates, permanganates, peroxides or nitrates that yield oxygen readily to stimulate combustion.
F. 
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALSAny material or combination of material that spontaneously emits ionizing radiation.
G. 
UNSTABLE (REACTIVE) CHEMICALSAny substance, other than one classified as an explosive or blasting agent, which will vigorously an energetically react, is potentially explosive, will polymerize, decompose instantaneously, undergo uncontrollable auto-reaction or can be exploded by heat, shock, pressure or combinations thereof. Examples are organic peroxides, nitromethane and ammonium and nitrate.
WIND SOCK
A cloth cone which is open at both ends and is mounted in an elevated position and manner so as to be capable of being easily blown by the wind so as to indicate the wind direction.
Any covered premises shall have mounted thereupon at all times a wind sock which shall otherwise conform to the following requirements of this article.
A. 
Wind socks shall be installed and maintained at a location which is clearly visible to fire and emergency personnel from the nearest street or from the entry point to the covered premises. For buildings and structures, the wind sock shall be mounted on the top of the building or structure. For vacant land, the wind sock shall be pole mounted.
B. 
Wind socks shall be a minimum forty-eight (48) inches in length, measured from end to end, and shall be red, yellow or orange in color.
C. 
Where multiple buildings or structures are located on one (1) covered premises, the wind sock shall be installed at the highest point of the highest building or structure.
D. 
Where any covered premises is greater than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) square feet, wind socks shall be installed, on elevated poles, at each of the corners of the premises.
E. 
All wind socks shall be visible twenty-four (24) hours a day. If necessary for visibility, additional illumination shall be installed in order to maintain visibility after dark.
F. 
All wind socks, their mounting and location shall be approved by the Fire Official of the Borough of Ridgefield prior to installation. The Fire Official may promulgate a form of written application, consistent with the provisions of this article, for the approval of wind socks, their installation and location.
A. 
This article may be enforced by the Fire Official of the Borough of Ridgefield, officers of the Borough's Police Department and such other officials as may be designated by the Mayor and Council from time to time.
B. 
The owner and occupant of any covered premises shall each be responsible for complying with the provisions of this article.
C. 
Any person or entity violating the provisions of this article shall be subject to the penalties set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:18-2.12, the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code.