[Adopted 3-5-2007 by Ord. No. 07-668]
The Governing Body has determined that the health, welfare and safety
of the Township's residents are promoted by requiring certain structures
within the Township to install and maintain a rapid entry system in the form
of a key lock box system on the exterior of the structure, which will permit
the Township's Fire Department and other public safety departments of
the Township to gain immediate and unfettered access to the structure when
responding and reporting to the structure.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
As used herein, a secured, locked device affixed to the exterior
of the structure(s) identified below, and, as necessary, the entry to the
property on which the structure(s) is situated.
As used herein, shall mean and include a person, corporation, partnership
or any other similar entity.
As used herein, shall mean and include any premises and property
on which the structures identified below are situated that have security or
other gated properties impeding unfettered ingress and egress.
As used herein, shall mean and include property the entrance to which
having limited access due to a vehicular gate.
As used herein, shall mean and include those structures identified
below, and shall be afforded the meaning as is afforded elsewhere throughout
this Code.
The owner of the following types of structures shall be required to
install and maintain a key lock box system that will provide the Township's
Fire Department and other public safety departments with immediate and unfettered
access to the structure and property on which the structure is situated:
A.Â
Any and all commercial or industrial structures protected
by an automatic activated alarm system, an automatic dialer, an automatic
fire-suppression system, and/or such structures that are secured in a manner
that restricts access during an emergency;
B.Â
Any and all facilities providing medical, nursing, congregate
and/or other care;
C.Â
Any and all multiresidential structures, including apartment
and condominium complexes, that have restricted access through locked doors
and have a common corridor for access to the individual residential units;
D.Â
Any and all nursing homes, assisted-living residences,
hospice facilities, and/or other structures providing for long-term care for
senior citizens;
E.Â
Any and all public buildings;
F.Â
Any and all high-rise structures, not otherwise identified
herein, having floors above 75 feet ground level;
G.Â
Any and all existing buildings when undergoing renovations
of at least 25% of the building; and
H.Â
Any and all newly constructed buildings of the type and kind identified in § 137-14A through G. All newly constructed buildings of the type and kind identified in § 137-14A through G shall comply with the provisions of this article before a certificate of occupancy or temporary certificate of occupancy may be granted.
Any structure having on-site twenty-four-hour security personnel or
on-site twenty-four-hour door service personnel may be exempt from the requirements
of this article. Exemptions shall be at the discretion of the Chief of the
Township's Fire Department.
The key lock box system shall be located at or near the main entrance
to the structure. If the structure is located on property, ingress and egress
to which is inhibited by a security or other form of gate, then two lock box
systems shall be installed: the first at or near the main entrance to the
property on which the structure is situated, and the second at or near the
main entrance to the actual structure. The key lock box system shall be mounted
at a height of six feet above the final grade or as otherwise designated by
the Chief of the Township's Fire Department.
A.Â
The key lock box system shall contain labeled keys to
locked points of ingress and egress, whether interior or exterior; labeled
keys to locked mechanical rooms; labeled keys to any gate or secured areas;
labeled keys to any other areas that may be required by the Chief of the Township's
Fire Department, the Chief of the Township's Police Department, or the
duly appointed director of the Township's other public safety departments;
and a list containing the name(s), address(es), telephone number(s), including
cellular, of at least one contact person who may be contacted by the reporting
public safety agency.
B.Â
If the structure contains or otherwise stores hazardous
materials as defined by the Code or the State of New Jersey, then the structure
must also install and maintain a HAZMAT document storage box system immediately
adjacent to the key lock box system. The document storage box system shall
contain material safety data sheets; blueprints and/or floor plans of the
structure illustrating the location of the hazardous materials; and any other
information as required by the Chief of the Township's Fire Department,
the Chief of the Township's Police Department, or the duly appointed
director of the Township's other public safety departments.
C.Â
The above list of contents of the key lock box system
and the HAZMAT document storage box system should not be considered an exhaustive
list.
Within 30 days after the installation of the key lock box system, each
person or entity using such system shall provide to the Chief of the Township's
Fire Department a list of the name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s),
including cellular, of at least one contact person who may be contacted by
the reporting public safety agency. If no contact person is provided as required
by this section, then the owner of the structure shall be designated the contact
person.
A test of the key lock box system, and a walk-through of the structure,
shall be conducted by the Chief of the Township's Fire Department in
the presence and with the participation of the structure's authorized
contact person(s) upon completion of the installation of the key lock box
system. Such testing and walk-through shall occur annually or when required
by the Chief of the Township's Fire Department.
The Chief of the Township's Fire Department shall enforce the provisions
of this article.
Any owner of a structure identified in this article who violates any
portion or section of this article shall, upon conviction, be subject to a
fine not to exceed $2,000, or imprisonment in the county jail for a period
not to exceed 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and each violation
of any of the provisions of this article of the Code and each day the same
is violated shall be deemed and taken to be a separate and distinct offense.
