[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Borough of Rockaway 6-9-2022 by Ord. No. 08-22[1]. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 131,
False Alarms, adopted 5-12-1988 by Ord. No. 7-88, as amended.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any mechanical or electronic signal reporting by means of
telephone cables or other means of transmission, which signals are
monitored by the Rockaway Borough Fire Department at its headquarters,
or an audible alarm which is heard and/or called in by another and
which signals, upon receipt or upon activation, indicate to the Fire
Department that any emergency exists at the sending location. Said
alarms shall include those types installed to indicate fires at the
sending location.
Any fire report or request for fire service directed to the
Fire Department by any means of any communication wherein the situation,
condition, incident or emergency as subject of the report or request
did not and does not exist.
The Fire Department located within the Borough of Rockaway.
A secured, locked device that is located on the exterior
of the premises at or near the main entrance which can be accessed
by the Rockaway Borough Fire Department in the event that an alarm
is activated and it is or becomes necessary to gain access to the
premises in order to adequately determine the cause of the activation
of the alarm.
Any individual, partnership, association, syndicate, company,
firm, trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency, or other entity
recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Official
and the Subcode Official shall have the power and the duty to enforce
the provisions of this chapter.
A.
The provision of this chapter shall apply to any person who operates,
maintains or owns any alarm device or local alarm designed to summon
Fire Departments to any location in response to any type of alarm
signal. This chapter shall not apply to municipally owned property.
In the case of a false alarm, the Fire Chief or designated representative
shall notify the Chief/fIre Official who shall issue the appropriate
penalty. For such false alarms, the Council prescribes that the following
penalties shall be assessed for each false alarm occurring within
a twelve-month period.
(1)
The
penalties shall be assessed as follows:
|
False Alarm
|
Single- and Two-Family Residences
|
All Others
|
|---|---|---|
|
2nd
|
$0
|
$250
|
|
3rd
|
$50
|
$350
|
|
4th
|
$75
|
$450
|
|
5th
|
$100
|
$550
|
|
6th
|
$125
|
$650
|
|
7th
|
$150
|
$750
|
|
8th
|
$175
|
$850
|
|
9th
|
$200
|
$950
|
|
Tenth and any subsequent false alarms within a 12-month period
|
$225
|
$1,050
|
(2)
Any
person or persons who shall maliciously cause a false alarm of fire
shall be subject to a fine of not more than $200 per offense.
(3)
Any
person who knowingly resets an active fire alarm before the Fire Department
arrival shall be subject to a penalty not to exceed $500 per occurrence.
B.
Precautions to prevent false alarms; notifications.
(1)
The owner shall take all necessary steps to ascertain immediately
the cause of any false alarm and shall alleviate the problem. Failure
by the owner to take reasonable precautions to avoid false alarms
shall be deemed to be in violation of the Uniform Fire Code.
(2)
All fire alarm panels shall be labeled with a notification sticker
as approved by the Borough of Rockaway. This shall serve as your written
warning with all false alarms that occur without notification shall
be subject to penalties.
C.
Testing of alarm equipment. Testing of alarms required by the Uniform
Fire Code without prior notice to Morris County Dispatch and the Fire
Marshal shall be in violation of the Uniform Fire Code and a maximum
penalty of $500 shall be issued.
A.
Response
to fire alarms. Upon the activation of a fire alarm or other fire
emergency in any structure other than a one- or two-family dwelling,
the owner, tenant, occupant, or their designated representative shall
respond to the structure in order to reset the alarm system. The designated
representative shall respond to the structure within 30 minutes. If
no one in the organization resides in close enough proximity to respond
within the required thirty-minute time period, such person, persons,
organization or entity shall be notified after the occurrence of the
first alarm that they are required to have a Knox Box installed on
the premises.
B.
Evacuation
of premises.
(1)
When
a fire alarm occurs in any building, structure or premises containing
a fire alarm or fire protection system, the occupants will be notified
and, once so notified, shall immediately leave the structure or premises.
Once notified, no persons shall enter or reenter, until so authorized
to do so by the Fire Chief, fire official or his/her representative.
(2)
Any
person who refuses to leave, interferes with the evacuation of the
occupants or continues any operation after having been given an evacuation
order, except such work as that person is allowed to perform, shall
be deemed in violation of the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code and shall
be subject to the penalties as provided therein.
(3)
The
Fire Chief or his/her representative shall certify, in writing, to
the Chief/Fire Official any violation of the above prior to the issuance
of any notice of violation or penalty. The certification shall include
the name of any occupant who failed to evacuate and the date and time
of such occurrence.
Enforcement, violations, and penalties shall be managed in conformity
with the Uniform Fire Safety Act, the Uniform Fire Code and all other
laws of the State of New Jersey.
