[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Township of Florence 11-1-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-22.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department — See Ch. 15.
Alarm systems — See Ch. 35.
Blasting — See Ch. 47.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 64.
Housing standards — See Ch. 87.
Land development — See Ch. 91.
Public health nuisances — See Ch. 104.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 116.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
former Ch. 76, Fire Prevention, adopted 12-18-1991 by Ord. No. 1991-42,
as amended.
In accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A.
52:27D-192 et seq., the Uniform Fire Safety Act (P.L. 1983, c. 383),
the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code shall be locally enforced in the
Township of Florence by the Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Florence
Township Fire District No. 1.
The local enforcing agency shall be the Bureau
of Fire Prevention in the Florence Township Fire District No. 1 and
shall hereafter be referred to as the "Bureau."
The Bureau shall consist of the Fire Official/Marshal
and such Fire Inspectors as may be required to carry out the intent
of the code, as well as and any other support staff as may be required.
The Bureau shall enforce the Uniform Fire Safety
Act and the codes and regulations adopted under it in all buildings,
structures, and premises within the established boundaries of the
Township of Florence, other than owner-occupied one- and two-family
dwellings used exclusively for dwelling purposes, and faithfully comply
with the requirements of the Uniform Fire Safety Act and the Uniform
Fire Code.
A.
The Fire Official/Marshal shall be hired by the Board
of Fire Commissioners in accordance with New Jersey Department of
Personnel regulations.
B.
The Fire Official/Marshal shall enforce the New Jersey
Uniform Fire Code, all related ordinances of the Township of Florence
and those regulations set forth in the New Jersey Administrative Code
or adopted locally in accordance with the authority vested by the
New Jersey Uniform Fire Code.
C.
The Fire Official/Marshal shall meet all qualifications
for the position as required by law.
D.
The Fire Official/Marshal shall:
(1)
Be in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Bureau.
(2)
Take all actions necessary to enforce the provisions
of the Fire Safety Act.
(3)
Make or cause to be made an investigation of each
occurrence of fire within the Township of Florence.
(4)
Provide the Board of Fire Commissioners, upon request,
specific reports relating to the Bureau.
(5)
Establish standing operating procedures for the operation
of the Bureau.
(6)
Respond to enforcement and information requests from
the Township Administrator and provide the Township Administrator
with such reports as may be requested by the Township Administrator.
A.
Those Fire Inspectors as may be determined by the
Board of Fire Commissioners to be necessary for the efficient operation
of the Bureau shall be appointed or hired by the Board of Fire Commissioners
as provided by law.
B.
Fire Inspectors shall enforce the code and regulations
in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:71-3.3(c).
C.
Fire Inspectors shall meet all qualifications for
the position as required by N.J.A.C. 5:71, Subchapter 4.
Appointed personnel serving the Bureau shall
be subject to removal by the Board of Fire Commissioners for inefficiency
or misconduct or otherwise as provided by law. Each person proposed
to be so removed shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard by the
appointing authority or a designated hearing officer.
The Bureau shall carry out the registration
and periodic inspections of life-hazard uses as required by the Uniform
Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of the Department of Community
Affairs.
A.
In addition to the inspections and fees required pursuant
to the New Jersey Fire Safety Act and the Regulations of the State
of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, additional inspections
and fees shall be required for local uses, none of which shall apply
to fees or inspections of life-hazard uses as governed by the New
Jersey Uniform Fire Safety Act.
B.
Whenever the Fire Official/Marshal shall have cause
to believe a building or use is a local use, he shall serve a registration
survey on the owner of the building or use. It shall be a violation
of this chapter for an owner to fail to complete and return the survey
within 30 days of receipt of same.
C.
A registration survey shall contain at least the following
information:
(1)
The name, address, and telephone number of the applicant.
(2)
The name, address, and telephone number of the use.
(3)
A description of the use being registered, including:
(a)
The geographical location, including block and
lot number;
(b)
The height of the building in which the use
is located;
(c)
The location of the use in the building;
(d)
The floor area of the use;
(e)
The capacity, when the use is public assembly;
and
(f)
A description of the processes carried out or
materials stored.
D.
When more than one local use exists at a given business
or entity, only the primary use shall be registered, with the remaining
uses listed as accessory uses incidental to the primary use.
E.
When applying for registration and thereafter as required
by this chapter, the owner of each local use shall appoint an agent
for the purpose of receiving service of process and orders or notices
issued by the Bureau pursuant to this chapter. Each agent shall be
either a resident of this state or a corporation licensed to do business
within this state. If the owner of a local use has not fulfilled the
requirements of this section, the Fire Official/Marshal shall notify
the owner, in writing, that he is in violation of this section and
shall order that registration be accomplished within 30 days. The
notice and order shall include an accurate restatement of the subsection
with which the owner has not complied.
F.
Failure to comply with the order of the Fire Official/Marshal
within 30 days of the date on which it was received by the owner shall
result in the imposition of a penalty in the amount of $500 for each
such failure. Each day of continued failure to comply shall constitute
a separate violation.
G.
All local uses shall be inspected in accordance with § 76-10 of this chapter for compliance with the provisions of the Uniform Fire Safety Act, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq. Where, in the opinion of the Fire Official/Marshal, there exists a condition liable to cause fire, contribute to the spread of fire, interfere with fire-fighting operations, endanger life or property or cause violations of the provisions or intent of this code, he shall inspect as often as necessary for the purpose of ascertaining these conditions and causing them to be corrected.
[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-6]
[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-6; 5-3-2006 by Ord. No.
2006-12]
A.
Local uses are defined by square footage, regardless
of use. The only exceptions are R-1 uses, R-2 uses and churches. All
local uses shall be inspected annually.
Type
|
Square Feet
| |
---|---|---|
Type L1
|
1 to 500
| |
Type L2
|
501 to 800
| |
Type L3
|
801 to 1,500
| |
Type L4
|
1,501 to 2,000
| |
Type L5
|
2,001 to 5,000
| |
Type L6
|
5,001 to 8,000
| |
Type L7
|
8,001 or more
|
B.
Doubtful local use classifications. When a building
or structure is not specifically provided for in this chapter or the
classification of which is doubtful, the building or structure shall
be included in the local use group which it most nearly resembles
in respect to the existing life and fire hazard, and it shall be so
classified by the Fire Official/Marshal.
[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-6]
A.
The owner of a local use registered within the Township
of Florence shall pay an inspection fee in the amount specified in
this section. Inspection fees shall be paid when due. It shall be
the responsibility of the Fire Official/Marshal to ensure the collection
of inspection fees. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to
pay the fee to the Fire Official/Marshal. The owner of a local use
shall pay the inspection fee within 30 days of the day on which it
was required by the Fire Official/Marshal. For failure to pay the
required inspection fee within 30 days of the day on which it was
demanded, the owner shall be subject to a penalty in the amount equal
to the amount of the inspection fee. Should an owner fail to make
the required payment of both the inspection fee and penalty, the Fire
Official/Marshal may, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2A:58-10 et seq., issue
a certificate to the Clerk of the Municipal Court stating that the
owner is indebted to the local enforcing agency for the payment of
the inspection fee, and the Clerk shall immediately enter upon his
record of docketed judgments the name of the owner and of the local
enforcing agency a designation of the ordinance under which fee is
assessed, the amount of the fee is certified and the date the certification
was made. The making of the entry shall have the same effect as the
entry of the docketed judgment in the office of the Clerk, but without
prejudice to the owner's right of appeal.
B.
Where more than one local use exists under one ownership
at a given structure location, only the inspection fee for the primary
local use registered shall be charged.
C.
The following fees shall be paid to the Florence Township
Fire District No. 1 for local inspections and registration:
Type or Use
|
Fee
| |
---|---|---|
Type L1
|
$35
| |
Type L2
|
$45
| |
Type L3
|
$55
| |
Type L4
|
$65
| |
Type L5
|
$85
| |
Type L6
|
$100
| |
Type L7
|
$125
| |
A-4 (church)
|
$25
| |
R-1
|
$60
| |
R-2, per building
|
$45
|
[Amended 2-2-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-6]
A.
Permits required pursuant to the Uniform Fire Code
shall be charged by the Fire Official/Marshal and paid to the Florence
Township Fire District No. 1.
C.
Fire investigation reports that may be requested from
the Bureau shall be provided for a fee of $25. Photographs will be
provided at cost, plus an administrative fee of $10. Diagrams will
be provided for a fee of $10 per page.
D.
The fee for the issuance of a certificate of smoke
detector/CO detector compliance as required by N.J.A.C. 5:70:2.3 shall
be:
(1)
Forty dollars for requests received 14 days or more
prior to the date on which it is needed.
(2)
Fifty dollars for requests received seven days to
13 days prior to the date on which it is needed.
(3)
Seventy-five dollars for requests received two days
to six days prior to the date on which it is needed.
(4)
One hundred twenty-five dollars for requests received
with less than 48 hours' notice.
E.
The fee for the issuance of a certificate of fire
code status shall be $25.
In accordance with the provisions of the Uniform
Fire Safety Act, any person aggrieved by any order of the local enforcing
agency shall have the right to appeal to the Construction Board of
Appeals of Burlington County.
When code enforcement procedures of the abatement
of a violation require the use of apparatus or manpower of any of
the volunteer fire companies or fire district, the fee for each unit
of apparatus used shall be $100 per hour. The fee for each firefighter
involved in the enforcement or abatement activity shall be $15 per
hour. The units of apparatus and number of firefighters for each enforcement
or abatement activity shall be determined by the fire officer in charge
at the scene of the activity.