Township of Cranberry, PA
Butler County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 7 Fire Protection
[Ord. 93-226, 7/1/1993, § 1]
The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, organized and existing in the Township of Cranberry, Butler County, Pennsylvania, is hereby designated as the officially recognized volunteer fire company for the Township of Cranberry.
[Ord. 93-226, 7/1/1993, § 2]
1. 
The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, its officers, members, and fire police are hereby authorized to provide such services to the Township of Cranberry as may be necessary for the protection of property and persons situate therein, which include, by way of example and not of limitation, the extinguishment and prevention of loss of life and property from fire, automobile accidents, medical emergencies, hazardous material incidents, and other dangerous or emergency situations. The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, its officers, members, and fire police, may also provide nonemergency and public service functions, such as, again by way of example and not of limitation, removing water from property after storms, and assisting in the removal, abatement and prevention of damage or injury to persons or property, whether through natural causes or man-made situations.
2. 
The Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company may also conduct and participate in such training activities and drills, either within or outside of the Township of Cranberry as may be deemed necessary by its officers to maintain proficiency in providing services and may also respond to fire and other emergency calls and provide services to municipalities outside the Township of Cranberry.
[Ord. 93-226, 7/1/1993, § 3; as amended by Ord. 2005-362, 12/15/2005]
In addition to actually participating in the activities of the fire company as authorized above, or in going to or returning from any activity, the officers, members, and fire police of the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company are also authorized to do the following things:
A. 
Engage in any type of drill, training, ceremony, practice, test or parade, when duly called for or authorized by an officer or officers of the fire company.
B. 
Engage in fund-raising activities for the fire company, when authorized by an officer or officers of the fire company and the Township of Cranberry.
C. 
Participate in parades, ceremonies, conferences, or trade shows within 250 miles of Cranberry Township, provided that the participation in each ancillary event is approved in advance by the Cranberry Volunteer Fire Company Fire Chief and to engage in the foregoing ancillary activities when the activities are further than 250 miles if that participation is additionally approved by the Cranberry Township Director of Public Safety.
[Added by Ord. 2005-362, 12/15/2005]
1. 
The Cranberry Fire Department shall have the right to attend and assist at fires in neighboring municipalities.
2. 
No liquor, beer, or other alcoholic beverages shall be sold, given away, stored or consumed on the premises of the Cranberry Volunteer Fire Company at any time.
3. 
No equipment, fire trucks or property, real or personal, of the Volunteer Fire Company shall be sold, leased, or transferred without the consent of the Board of Supervisors first had and obtained.
4. 
The buildings housing the Volunteer Fire Company of Cranberry Township shall not be leased to any club, organization, or party which plans to use or permit the use of intoxicating liquor at any time.
[Ord. 2009-393,[1] 11/5/2009]
For the purpose of this Part, the following definitions shall pertain:
BARBEQUE GRILL/PIT
Devices and/or equipment that are solely utilized and designed for the cooking of food. Barbeque grills/pits can be constructed to be portable, permanent or in-ground equipment. In-ground pits shall be below grade level and not be larger than 25 square feet in area.
BONFIRE
An outdoor fire utilized for ceremonial purposes.
OPEN BURNING
The burning of materials wherein products of combustion are emitted directly into the ambient air without passing through a stack or chimney from an enclosed chamber. "Open burning" does not include road flares, smudge-pots and similar devices associated with safety or occupational uses typically considered open flames or recreational fires. For the purposes of this definition, a chamber shall be regarded as enclosed when, during the time combustion occurs, only apertures, ducts, stacks, flues or chimneys necessary to provide combustion air and permit the escape of exhaust gas are open.
RECREATIONAL FIRE
An outdoor fire, burning materials other than trash or rubbish, where the fuel is being burned for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, cooking, warmth or similar purposes, which is not contained in an incinerator, outdoor fireplace, barbeque grill or barbeque pit and has a total area of three feet or less in diameter and two feet or less in height.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Part 2, Open Burning, adopted 7/2/2009 by Ord. 2009-392.
[Ord. 2009-393, 11/5/2009]
A person shall not kindle or maintain or authorize to be kindled or maintained any open burning unless conducted and approved in accordance with this Part.
[Ord. 2009-393, 11/5/2009]
1. 
Recreational Fires.
A. 
Recreational fires shall not exceed three feet in width and two feet in height.
B. 
Recreational fires shall have a supervising adult present at all times and shall not be closer than 25 feet to any structure or property line.
C. 
Recreational fires shall be completely extinguished before the supervising adult leaves the fire location.
D. 
Recreational fires are limited to dry and seasoned tree wood which is not rotted or rotting or construction wood which is not chemically preserved or treated, in order to avoid smoldering or offensive odors.
E. 
Recreational fires shall not be burned between 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m., and all fires shall be contained via a fire ring.
2. 
Fires may be set in the performance of official duties by the Fire Chief or his designee when necessary for any of the following purposes:
A. 
For the abatement of a fire hazard which cannot be abated by other means.
B. 
For training in firefighting or for research in control of fires under supervision of the Fire Chief or his designee.
C. 
In an emergency or other extraordinary circumstances when open burning is determined by the Fire Chief to be in the public interest.
3. 
Other Open Burning Allowed.
A. 
Open burning shall be allowed for kindling a fire for recognized silvicultural or range or wildlife management practices, prevention or control of disease or pests on recognized agricultural property or other locations as approved by the Township.
B. 
Open burning for the removal of felled trees for land development purposes shall be allowed through the use of air curtain destructor or other approved methods of land clearing as permitted by the Pennsylvania DEP and EPA after obtaining a fire prevention permit from the Township.
C. 
Open burning of trees and tree debris shall be permitted by the Township under special circumstances such as extensive storm damage and the like. All persons conducting open burning for storm damage reasons shall do so only after announcement from the Township that such burning is allowed and after registering with the Township Department of Community Development.
D. 
Open burning of bonfires for ceremonial purposes by recognized organizations within the Township after receiving approval via a fire prevention permit from the Township.
E. 
Nothing in this Part shall allow open burning in violation of burning bans imposed by the State of Pennsylvania or any other prohibitions enacted by the State of Pennsylvania, the County of Butler, or the Township.
4. 
Use of Burn Barrels.
A. 
Burn barrels shall be allowed for providing warmth for persons that are outdoors and shall only be allowed when the air temperature is 45° Fahrenheit or lower.
B. 
Burn barrels shall not be allowed closer than 25 feet to any structure.
C. 
Burn barrels shall not be used for the disposal of trash, garbage or other waste. Only clean burning wood shall be allowed for fuel.
D. 
Burn barrels shall only be used while under supervision of an adult and must be completely extinguished when the supervision ceases.
[Ord. 2009-393, 11/5/2009]
1. 
Adequate means for extinguishing fires shall be within reasonable distance from any fire and shall be there for the duration of the fire.
2. 
Fires shall not be burned during periods of high wind or extreme drought nor when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make such fires hazardous.
3. 
Fires shall be prohibited if conditions are such that burning would be hazardous to the health, safety and general welfare of persons or property in the community, including but not limited to smoke or odor emissions that are considered to be offensive. Any person who refuses to extinguish such a fire after being informed by a Township firefighter, police officer or other Township officer or employee shall be in violation of this Part.
[Ord. 2009-393, 11/5/2009]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a district judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus costs, and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues or each Section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense. This Part may be enforced by a Cranberry Township Police Officer, the Township Manager or designee, or a Cranberry Township Code Enforcement Officer.