[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Mamaroneck 8-12-2009 by L.L. No.
3-2009. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
The Town Board finds that in order to protect the health, safety
and welfare of the citizens of the unincorporated area of the Town
of Mamaroneck, during fires or when other emergencies arise, the Fire
Department must be able to gain access to buildings of a certain size
or which contain a certain use and to properties where access is restricted.
B.
One recognized method for providing access to firefighters and other
emergency responders is the installation of "key boxes." Key boxes
are located outside buildings. They contain keys to locks within the
building which lock areas, such as mechanical rooms, to which firefighters
need access to, for example, to shut off electrical service during
a conflagration. To maintain security, only the Fire Department will
have the keys that open the key boxes.
C.
For properties to which access is restricted by locked fences or
gates, security padlocks or key switches provide access to firefighters
and other emergency responders when there is an emergency. As with
key boxes, for security purposes, only the Fire Department will have
the keys that unlock the security padlocks or turn the key switches.
D.
This chapter of the Code provides the rules and the requirements
for key boxes, security padlocks and key switches.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated in this section:
The Chief of the Fire Department or the Fire Chief's
designee.
The Fire Department of the Town of Mamaroneck.
The unincorporated area of the Town of Mamaroneck.
A box of a size and type approved by the Fire Department
that utilizes the security key adopted by the Fire Department.
A two-position key switch, approved by the Fire Department
that utilizes the security key adopted by the Fire Department.
A container which holds the material safety data sheets regarding
the hazardous materials or controlled substances located within a
protected building and such other information as the Fire Chief may
require.
Information regarding hazardous materials or controlled substances
located within a protected building.
Any structure located within the Fire District which contains or was built to contain a use which meets the description of either a principal use or a special use in §§ 240-21A(2), 240-21B(1), (2) or (3), 240-21.1, 240-24A(2), 240-25, 240-30, 240-31, 240-32 or 240-32.1 of the Code. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, a building which contains more than one dwelling unit but either contains no commercial uses or contains commercial uses that are used primarily by the residents of that building is a protected building only if it contains five or more dwelling units.
The owner of and any person designated by the owner to manage
a protected property or a restricted property.
Property to which access is restricted by a barrier which
can be opened only by a key, a swipe card, the entry of a code or
some other means not known by the general public.
A padlock approved by the Fire Department that utilizes the
security key adopted by the Fire Department.
Key boxes for a protected building shall contain:
A.
Three individual duplicate rings of keys for all locked:
(1)
Points of ingress to, or egress from that building;
(2)
Mechanical rooms;
(3)
Utility rooms;
(4)
Storage rooms;
(5)
Garages;
(6)
Control valves;
(7)
Fire alarm panels;
(8)
Fences or secured areas;
(9)
Accesses to elevators;
(10)
Control rooms;
(11)
Panels containing controls or shut-off devices for systems within
the building;
(12)
Firefighter service operations for facility elevators;
(13)
Common areas of the occupancy;
(14)
Mandatory Storage Cabinets; and
(15)
Other areas that may be required by the Fire Chief.
B.
A card the minimum size of which is three inches by five inches,
which contains the names and the telephone numbers of the people to
be contacted in the case of an emergency.
C.
If required by the Fire Chief, floor plans of the building showing
the location of all shutoff valves.
A.
One or more key boxes shall be installed on the exterior wall of
each protected building. The Fire Chief shall determine the number
and designate the location(s) of the key box or key boxes. Once installed,
a key box shall not be relocated without the express written consent
of the Fire Chief.
B.
Any protected building storing hazardous materials or controlled
substances shall have one or more mandatory storage cabinets. A mandatory
storage cabinet shall contain material safety data sheets for the
hazardous materials or controlled substances stored in such building.
The Fire Chief shall determine the number and designate the location(s)
for the mandatory storage cabinet. Once installed, a mandatory storage
cabinet shall not be relocated without the express written consent
of the Fire Chief.
C.
All barriers to a restricted property shall be equipped with a key box, a key switch or a security padlock. The Fire Chief shall determine the number and designate the location(s) for each key box, key switch and/or security padlock. Once installed, neither a key box, a key switch nor a security padlock shall be relocated without the express written consent of the Fire Chief. If a restricted property is equipped with a key box, such key box shall not be required to contain all of the items specified in § 91-3 but shall contain the device by which such barrier can be opened or the instructions for opening the barrier.
A.
Both the owner of and the responsible party for a protected building
shall be responsible for installing and maintaining all key boxes
that are required for such building.
B.
Both the owner of and the responsible party for a restricted property
shall be responsible for installing and maintaining all key boxes,
key switches and/or security padlocks that are required for such property.
C.
Key boxes, key switches and security padlocks shall be installed
and maintained in a manner that makes them free from physical and
visual obstruction.
D.
Key boxes, key switches and security padlocks shall not be of a color
which obscures them from view.
E.
Both the owner of and the responsible party for a protected building
shall be responsible for installing a decal in a form approved by
the Fire Chief to each key box and at such other location(s) as the
Fire Chief may determine. Once affixed, decals shall not be relocated
without the express written consent of the Fire Chief.
F.
Both the owner of and the responsible party for a protected building
shall be responsible for:
(1)
Notifying the Fire Department whenever a key inside the key box for
that building no longer will open the item within the building it
is supposed to open;
(2)
Providing the Fire Department with a key that opens such item;
(3)
Notifying the Fire Department whenever the telephone numbers of the
people to be contacted in the case of an emergency and the name and
telephone number of an occupant changes;
(5)
Notifying the Fire Department whenever floor plans of the building
or the location of any shutoff valve changes; and
(6)
Providing the Fire Department with up-to-date floor plans showing
the location of all shutoff valves if the Fire Chief required a floor
plan to be provided for the key box.
G.
The owner of a protected building or a restricted property shall
be responsible for notifying the Fire Department whenever there is
a new person designated by the owner to manage such building or property.
A.
All protected buildings and restricted properties for which a certificate
of occupancy shall not have been issued on the effective date of this
chapter must comply with this chapter before a certificate of occupancy
can be issued.
B.
All protected buildings and restricted properties for which a certificate
of occupancy shall have been issued on or before the effective date
of this chapter shall comply with this chapter by August 31, 2010.
C.
The owner of a protected building or a restricted property shall
bear all of the costs incurred in order to comply with this chapter.
[Amended 1-20-2016 by L.L. No. 1-2016]
Summonses for the violation of any provision of this chapter
can be issued by the Building Inspector, the Director of Building
Code Enforcement and Land Use Administration, an Assistant Building
Inspector, a Code Enforcement Officer or a Fire Inspector.
Any person who violates any provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation which shall be punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 days, or both, and also shall be liable for the civil penalty imposed by § 106-55C of the Code. Each day a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.
This chapter shall not apply to buildings or properties owned
by the United States of America, the State of New York, the County
of Westchester or the Mamaroneck Union Free School District.