Pursuant to Section 11 of the Uniform Fire Safety
Act (P.L. 1983, c. 383; N.J.S.A. 52:27D-202), the New Jersey Uniform
Fire Code shall be locally enforced in the municipality of the Township
of Bloomfield.
The local enforcing agency shall be the Bloomfield
Fire Department.
The local enforcing agency shall enforce the
Uniform Fire Safety Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-193 et seq.) and the code
and regulations adopted under it in all buildings, structures and
premises within the established boundaries of the Township of Bloomfield
other than owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings and shall
faithfully comply with the requirements of the Uniform Fire Safety
Act and the Uniform Fire Code.
The local enforcing agency established by § 239-27 of this article shall carry out the periodic inspections of life hazard uses required by the Uniform Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of Community Affairs.
A.
The local enforcing agency, the Bloomfield Fire Department, Fire Prevention Bureau, established by § 239-26 of this article, shall carry out periodic inspections in all buildings and spaces other than one- and two-family residential dwelling units. The Fire Prevention Bureau shall also complete inspections upon the sale or transfer of any property, including one -and two-family residential dwelling units, within the Township. These inspections will create a safer environment for the public. Upon completion of these inspections, a firesafety certificate of compliance will be issued to the owner or resident to show compliance. This section will not affect any buildings presently classified as life-hazard uses.
[Amended 3-28-2022 by Ord. No. 22-12]
B.
No certificate of compliance will be issued without
a firesafety inspection being completed by a licensed Fire Inspector.
This will show that the building is following the regulations for
the State of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70 and 5:71.
An application must first be obtained from the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
[Amended 3-28-2022 by Ord. No. 22-12; 7-18-2022 by Ord. No. 22-48]
(1)
The application will state the name and address of
the owner and a list of the tenants occupying the apartments in the
dwelling unit, if applicable. Upon approval of the application by
the Township of Bloomfield Fire Official, an inspection shall be made,
and a certificate issued.
C.
The fees for the firesafety inspections shall be as
follows:
(1)
On all multiple-family R-2 structures (three-family
and over): $20 per building and $5 per apartment unit over three-family
to a maximum of $50 per structure.
(2)
Twenty-five dollars per location on all commercial
and business structures under total combined floor areas of 6,000
square feet.
(3)
Forty-five dollars per location on all commercial
and business structures with total combined floor area of 6,000 square
feet or greater but less than 10,000 square feet.
(4)
Seventy-five dollars per location on all commercial
and business structures 10,000 square feet and over combined floor
area.
Means of egress doors shall conform to the following:
A.
All dwelling unit doors and guest room or rooming
unit corridor doors in buildings of R-1, R-2 and 11 (Uniform Fire
Code use classification) shall be one-and-three-eighths-inch solid
core wood or approved equal, with approved door closers, and shall
not have any glass panels other than approved wire glass in metal
frames. Corridor doors shall not be constructed of hollow core wood,
shall not contain louvers, shall not be of panel construction and
shall not be treated with intumescent paint. Doors shall fit both
plumb and level in frames and be reasonably tight fitting. All replacement
doors shall be one-and-three-fourths-inch solid core wood or approved
equal, unless the frame will accommodate only a one-and-three-eighths-inch
door.
The local enforcing agency established by § 239-27 of this article shall be the Fire Department of the Township of Bloomfield and shall be under the direct supervision and control of the Fire Chief.
The local enforcing agency shall be under the
direct supervision of a Fire Official who shall be assigned by the
Fire Chief.
Pursuant to Sections 15 and 17 of the Uniform
Fire Safety Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-206 and 52:27D-206, respectively),
any person aggrieved by any order of the local enforcement agency
(or agencies) shall have the right to appeal to the Construction Board
of Appeals of the County of Essex.
The permit fees established by the Uniform Fire
Code shall be as set forth in N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.9(c).
[Amended 5-5-2008 by Ord.
No. 08-18; 8-19-2019 by Ord. No. 19-47; 3-28-2022 by Ord. No. 22-12; 7-18-2022 by Ord. No. 22-48]
A.
Devices required.
(1)
All devices required under the Uniform Fire Code, N.J.A.C. 5:70-1
et seq., shall be required.
B.
Change of occupancy.
(1)
In any case where a change of occupancy of any building subject to the requirements of Subsection A of this section is subject to the issuance of a certificate of compliance or other documentary certification relating to safety, no such certificate shall be issued until the Fire Prevention Bureau has determined that the building is equipped with an alarm device or devices and tested to ensure that the device or devices are functioning correctly as required by Subsection A of this section.
(2)
In the case of a change of occupancy of any building subject to the requirements of Subsection A of this section to which the provisions of Subsection B(1) of this section do not apply, no owner shall sell, lease or otherwise permit occupancy for residential purposes of that building without first obtaining from the local enforcing agency, the Bloomfield Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, a certificate evidencing compliance with requirements of this section.
C.
No such certificate shall be issued until a Fire Inspector from the Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention, responsible for issuance has determined that the building is equipped with an alarm device or devices which are functioning correctly, as required by Subsection A of this section. To obtain a firesafety certificate evidencing compliance with this section, an application must first be obtained from the office of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
D.
An owner who sells, leases, rents or otherwise permits to be occupied for residential purposes any premises subject to the provisions of and requirements of Subsection A hereof or without complying with the inspection and certification requirements of Subsection C hereof is guilty of a violation of the Act to which this section is a supplement (P.L. 1983, c. 383, N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.) and shall be subject to any and all applicable penalties in that Act, which may be collected and enforced by the Township's Fire Prevention Bureau. All such rules and regulations as may be necessary or expedient for the proper and timely effectuation of this section shall be in effect.
E.
It shall henceforth be required that a notice be posted in the vestibule
and business office(s) of all units to which this article applies
setting forth that, under this article, a new certificate of compliance
is required on all changes in occupancy.
F.
The fees for the certificate of compliance by the Fire Prevention
Bureau shall be as follows:
|
Type
|
Fee
|
|---|---|
|
Single-family residential dwelling
|
$125
|
|
Two-family residential dwelling
|
$185
|
|
Three-family residential dwelling
|
$280
|
|
Each additional dwelling unit
|
$95 (not to exceed $1,000 total)
|
|
Commercial and manufacturing buildings:
| |
|
Buildings up to 5,000 square feet
|
$315
|
|
Buildings from 5,001 to 20,000 square feet
|
$625
|
|
Buildings from 20,001 to 50,000 square feet
|
$935
|
|
Buildings over 50,001 square feet
|
$1,250
|
|
Any reinspection of a residential or commercial building
|
$25
|
There shall be charged annually a fee of $150
payable on the first of April, and on the first of April thereafter,
to any property owner, whether public or private, for the maintenance
of a Gamewell Fire System installation located in such public or private
building. In the event that there is more than one Gamewell Fire System
installation in a building, there shall be an additional fee of $150
per installation. This fee will be prorated.
