[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Old
Bridge 8-18-1986 by Ord. No. 31-86 (Sec.
4-13 of the 1973 Revised General Ordinances). Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby adopted by the Township of Old Bridge 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.
The Fire Chief or duly authorized representative, as defined in Chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Revised Statutes and the rules of the fire district or districts of the Township of Old Bridge, 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 his duty. The Fire Chief or duly authorized representative 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 or duly authorized representative 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 or duly authorized representative.
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 duly authorized representative 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 Chief
or duly authorized representative in command of said operation.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
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
duly authorized representative 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.
A person shall not, without proper authorization from the Fire Chief
or duly authorized representative 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 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.
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in § 176-6 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. Tactical strategies, such as but not restricted to move-ups, do not constitute an emergency call. 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 slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
(3)
Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as the action
does not endanger life or property.
(4)
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement
or turning in specified directions.
B.
The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle
shall apply only when the driver of any such vehicle, while in motion, sounds
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 to the front of such vehicle.
A.
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, damage, deface,
obstruct or restrict 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 Fire Official
shall proceed to remove the same. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the Fire
Official 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.
A.
No person shall tamper with, turn on, adjust, damage
or attempt to tamper with, open, turn on or adjust any fire hydrant which
is the property of the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority or is connected
to the Township's water system. Nothing in this subsection shall apply to
any person authorized by the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority or Township
Fire Company to use or have proper contact with a fire hydrant.
The Fire Official 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 Official.
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 Official and shall be connected
to a water system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The Fire
Official shall designate and approve the number and location of fire hydrants.
The Fire Official 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. Private hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service
until approved by the Fire Official.
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 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.
A person shall not sell, trade, loan or give away any form, type or
kind of fire extinguisher which is not approved by the Fire Official or which
is not in proper working order or the contents of which do not meet the requirements
of the Fire Official. The requirements of this section shall not apply to
the sale, trade or exchange of obsolete or damaged equipment for junk when
said units are permanently disfigured or marked with a permanent sign identifying
the unit as junk.
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 section, shall mean any roadway accessible
to the public for vehicular traffic, including but not limited to private
streets or access lanes, as well as all public streets and highways within
the boundaries of the municipality.
No person shall raise, create or continue a false alarm of fire.
