[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of
the City of Paterson 8-27-1985 as Ord. No. 85-077. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Division — See Ch. 39.
Alarm systems — See Ch. 109.
Brush, grass and weeds — See Ch. 149.
Dangerous and unfit buildings — See Ch. 157.
Certificates of re-rental and compliance — See Ch. 175.
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 183.
Illegal conversions — See Ch. 187.
Housing-property maintenance — See Ch. 271.
Housing standards — See Ch. 275.
Pursuant to Section 11 of the Uniform Fire Safety
Act, P.L. 1983, c. 383,[1] the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code shall be locally enforced
in the City of Paterson.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-202.
The local enforcing agency shall be the Bureau
of Fire Prevention of the Department of Public Safety, Fire Division,
in the City of Paterson.
The local enforcing agency shall enforce the
Uniform Fire Safety Act and the codes and regulations adopted pursuant
thereto in buildings, structures and premises within the established
boundaries of the City of Paterson and shall faithfully comply with
the requirements of the Uniform Fire Safety Act and the Uniform Fire
Code.
The local enforcing agency shall carry out the
periodic inspections of life-hazard uses required by the Uniform Fire
Code on behalf of the Department of Community Affairs of the State
of New Jersey.
The local enforcing agency shall be a part of
the Department of Public Safety, Fire Division, of the City of Paterson
and shall be under the supervision and control of the Chief of the
Fire Division of the City of Paterson.
The local enforcing agency shall be under the
direct supervision of a Fire Official who shall be the Supervisor
of the Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Department of Public Safety,
Fire Division, of the City of Paterson. The Fire Official shall serve
at the discretion of the Chief of the Fire Division of the Department
of Public Safety.
Such inspectors and other employees as may be
necessary for the local enforcing agency to properly fulfill its responsibility
shall be assigned by the Chief of the Fire Division of the Department
of Public Safety.
[Amended 11-25-2003 by Ord. No. 03-074]
Pursuant to Sections 15 and 17 of the Uniform
Fire Safety Act,[1] any person aggrieved by any order of the local enforcing
agency shall have the right to appeal to the Construction Board of
Appeals for the County of Passaic.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-206 and
52:27D-208.
[Amended 5-14-1991 by Ord. No. 91-024; 11-25-2003 by Ord. No.
03-074]
A.
In addition to the registrations required by the State
of New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, the following non-life-hazard uses
shall register with the Bureau of Fire Prevention. Uses required to
register with the state as life-hazard uses shall not be required
to register under this section. These non-life-hazard uses shall be
inspected once per year for possible fire hazards and compliance with
State of New Jersey Uniform Fire Codes and shall pay an annual registration
fee as set forth below:
|
Any Occupancy
|
Fee
| |
|---|---|---|
|
Up to 999 square feet
|
$50
| |
|
1,000 to 4,999 square feet
|
$100
| |
|
5,000 to 9,999 square feet
|
$250
| |
|
10,000 square feet and over
|
$400
|
B.
Registration applications are nontransferable. Any
changes in use or occupancy shall require a new registration.
C.
False fire alarm service fees.
[Added 9-8-2009 by Ord. No. 09-024]
(1)
ALARMS
FALSE ALARM
PERSON
Definitions. As used in this section, the following shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any mechanical or electronic signal, reporting by means of
telephone cables, municipal fire alarm system or other means of transmission,
which signals are monitored by the Police Department of the City of
Paterson at its headquarters, or an audible alarm which is heard and/or
called in by another, and which signals, upon receipt or upon activation,
indicate to the Department that an emergency exists at the sending
location. Said alarms shall include those types installed to indicate
fires at the sending location.
Any report or request for fire service directed to the Police
Department or Fire Department by any means of any communication wherein
the situation, condition, incident, or emergency as subject of the
report or request did not and does not exist. This definition shall
include alarms caused by testing, repairing, tampering or altering
an alarm system on both commercial and residential property and also
alarms caused by a failure to properly maintain an alarm system. This
definition shall not include alarms caused by extraordinary circumstances
or acts of God.
Any individual, partnership, association, syndicate, company,
firm, trust, corporation, department, bureau, agency, or other entity
recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
(2)
In the event that the Paterson Fire Department responds to an active
fire alarm that is determined to be a false alarm, a service fee shall
be paid to the Bureau of Fire Prevention by the person, persons, corporation,
owner or lessee of any commercial property or residence in which a
fire alarm has been installed who shall cause, suffer, allow or permit
the accidental or purposeful transmission of a false fire alarm signal
from any property in the City of Paterson to the Paterson Police Department
or the Paterson Fire Department.
(a)
Commercial property.
[1]
For the first, second, or third false fire alarm in a calendar
year, a warning shall be issued.
[2]
For the fourth false fire alarm in a calendar year, a false
fire alarm service fee of $50 shall be paid to the Bureau of Fire
Prevention.
[3]
For the fifth false alarm in a calendar year, a false fire alarm
service fee of $75 shall be paid to the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
[4]
For the sixth through 19th false fire alarm in a calendar year
a false fire alarm service fee of $100 shall be paid to the Bureau
of Fire Prevention.
[5]
For the 20th and subsequent false fire alarm in a calendar year,
a false fire alarm service fee of $500 shall be paid to the Bureau
of Fire Prevention.
(b)
Residential property.
[1]
For the first, second, or third false fire alarm in a calendar
year, a warning shall be issued.
[2]
For the fourth false fire alarm in a calendar year, a false
fire alarm service fee of $25 shall be paid to the Bureau of Fire
Prevention.
[3]
For the fifth false alarm in a calendar year, a false fire alarm
service fee of $50 shall be paid to the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
[4]
For the sixth and subsequent false fire alarm in a calendar
year, a false fire alarm service fee of $100 shall be paid to the
Bureau of Fire Prevention.
D.
Multiple-family dwelling registration fees.
[Added 11-9-2010 by Ord. No. 10-070]
(1)
As used in this section, "multiple-family dwelling" shall mean any
residential property which contains three dwelling units or more.
(2)
All owners of multiple-family dwellings shall be required to register
and pay an annual fee to the Bureau of Fire Prevention based upon
the following fee schedule:
|
Number of Dwelling Units
|
Fee
| |
|---|---|---|
|
3
|
$180
| |
|
4
|
$190
| |
|
5
|
$200
| |
|
6
|
$210
| |
|
7
|
$220
| |
|
8
|
$230
| |
|
9
|
$240
| |
|
10
|
$250
| |
|
11
|
$260
| |
|
12
|
$270
| |
|
13
|
$280
| |
|
14
|
$290
| |
|
15
|
$300
| |
|
16
|
$310
| |
|
17
|
$320
| |
|
18
|
$330
| |
|
19
|
$340
| |
|
20
|
$350
| |
|
21
|
$360
| |
|
22
|
$370
| |
|
23
|
$380
| |
|
24
|
$390
| |
|
25
|
$400
|
(3)
For those residential properties which contain more than 25 dwelling
units, the fee shall be calculated as follows: $150 (common area fee)
plus $10 for each dwelling unit.
(4)
Multiple-family dwellings that are registered with the New Jersey
Division of Fire Safety as a life-hazard use shall not be required
to pay the common area fee of $150 but will be required to register
the dwelling units located within these structures at the rate of
$10 per dwelling unit.
[Added 11-25-2003 by Ord. No. 03-074[1]]
The use of kerosene heaters, stoves and other
similar fuel-burning appliances is hereby prohibited in the City of
Paterson. A portable kerosene heater is a non-fuel-connected, self-contained,
self-supported heater with integral reservoir, designed to be carried
from one location to another. The sale of kerosene heaters in the
City of Paterson is hereby prohibited unless a conspicuous sign is
posted indicating "The use of portable kerosene heaters is prohibited
in the City of Paterson."
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
former § 215-10, Technical Amendments to New Jersey Uniform
Fire Code.
[Added 11-25-2003 by Ord. No. 03-074]
A.
As per the Uniform Fire Code of the State of New Jersey,
N.J.A.C. 5:70 et seq., the issuance of a certificate of smoke detector
and carbon monoxide compliance, CSDCMC, is required before any one-
or two-family dwelling (R-3 or R-4) is sold, leased or otherwise made
subject to a change of occupancy. This inspection requirement applies
only to one- and two-family dwellings and not to multiple dwellings
(R-2) that are inspected by the State Division of Multi-Dwellings.
The CSDCMC is valid for a period of six months and is not transferable.
B.
At least one smoke detector must be present on each
level of the home, including the basement and attic. All smoke detectors
must be located on the ceiling, no closer than 18 inches from any
wall. A smoke detector must be located outside of every bedroom but
not more than 10 feet from the bedroom doorway. If the bedrooms are
close enough, it is possible that one detector will provide coverage
for multiple bedrooms. If in order to comply with the code, a required
detector is to be installed in the kitchen, the detector must be a
photoelectric-activated detector as opposed to an ionization detector.
An acceptable alternative to using the photoelectric detector would
be to install a standard ionization-type detector inside that bedroom
on the ceiling.
C.
As per recent code revisions, N.J.A.C. 5:70-4-19(d),
carbon monoxide detectors are required to be installed in the immediate
vicinity of all sleeping rooms. The carbon monoxide detectors may
be installed on the ceiling or a wall; however, the manufacturer's
installation instructions must be followed. Carbon monoxide detectors
are required to be manufactured, listed and labeled in accordance
with UL 2034. Each carbon monoxide detector must be labeled indicating
that it meets this requirement.
D.
All detectors must be installed and operating properly
prior to the inspection. The fee for the inspection is as follows:
[Amended 6-22-2004 by Ord. No. 04-058]
[Added 2-28-2006 by Ord. No. 006-016]
Notice of violation shall be served upon the
owner of record provided that such notice shall be deemed to be properly
served upon such owner if a copy thereof is delivered to him personally
or, if not found, by leaving a copy thereof at his usual place of
abode with a person of suitable age and discretion who shall be informed
of the contents thereof or by sending a copy thereof by mail to his
last known address or, if the letter with the copy is returned showing
it has not been delivered to him, by posting a copy thereof in a conspicuous
place in or about the structure affected by the notice.
[Added 2-28-2006 by Ord. No. 006-016]
Whenever the Fire Official determines that there
has been or is a violation or that there are reasonable grounds to
believe that there has been or is a violation of any provision of
this chapter, he shall give notice of such violation or alleged violation
to the person or persons responsible therefor. Such notice shall:
[Added 2-28-2006 by Ord. No. 006-016]
Any person, firm or corporation who or which
shall violate any provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction
thereof, be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000, imprisonment for
a term not to exceed 90 days or a period of community service for
no more than 90 days, or any combination thereof, at the discretion
of the court. Every day that a violation continues after due notice
has been served, in accordance with the terms and provisions hereof,
shall be deemed a separate offense.
