Township of New Hanover, PA D Fire Prevention Code.

§ 5-231 Adoption of Code.

[Ord. 91-2, 8/26/1991, § 2; as amended by Ord. 93-6, 8/9/1993, § 1; by Ord. 95-1, 4/24/1995, §§ 1-4; by Ord. 97-7, 10/13/1997, § 5-401; by Ord. 04-5, 6/28/2004, § 9; by Ord. 17-03, 3/27/2017; and by Ord. No. 21-10, 11/4/2021]

1. Election. New Hanover Township hereby adopts the 2015 edition of the International Fire Code, regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises in New Hanover Township; providing for the issuance of permits and collection fees therefor; repealing Code of Ordinance Ch 5 Part 2D of New Hanover Township and all other ordinances or parts of law in conflict therewith.

2. That a certain document, is on file in the office of the Director of Code Enforcement of New Hanover Township, being marked and designated as the International Fire Code, 2015 edition, (see International Fire Code Section 101.2.1, 2015 edition), as published by the International Code Council, be and hereby adopted as the Fire Code of New Hanover Township in the State of Pennsylvania regulating and governing the safeguarding of life and property from fire and explosion hazards arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life or property in the occupancy of buildings and premises as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Fire Code on file in the office of New Hanover Township are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this legislation with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in Subsection 2 of this section.

3. That the following sections are hereby revised:

A. Section 101.1 Insert New Hanover Township.

4. That the geographic limits referred to in certain sections of the 2015 International Fire Code are hereby established as follows:

A. Section 5706.2.4.4 of the 2015 International Fire Code shall provide as follows:

(1) Section 5706.2.4.4 The storage of class I and class II liquids in above-ground tanks is prohibited in the TC-Town Center District and in the TN-Traditional Neighborhood District of the Township.

B. Section 5806.2 of the 2015 International Fire Code shall provide as follows:

(1) Section 5806.2 The storage of flammable cryogenic fluids in stationary containers is prohibited within the TC-Town Center District and within the TN-Traditional Neighborhood District of the Township.

C. Section 6104.2 of the 2015 International Fire Code shall provide as follows:

(1) Section 6104.2 The storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted for the protection of heavily populated or congested areas and is prohibited in the TC-Town Center District and TN-Traditional Neighborhood District of the Township. The aggregate capacity of any one installation shall not exceed a water capacity of 2000 gallons.

5. Additional Fire Regulations.

A. Fire Hydrants.

(1) All fire hydrants placed on a public roadway within New Hanover Township shall be placed 800 feet apart, unless roadway conditions, such as an intersection, property line, or driveway, prevent placement 800 feet apart; in such cases, the hydrants may be placed closer than 800 feet, but shall not exceed 800 feet apart.

(2) All fire hydrants installed within New Hanover Township shall have a five-inch stroz steamer connection, plus two side two-and-a-half-inch threaded connections.

B. Open Burning. No person shall open burn any material within New Hanover Township without first obtaining a permit for open burning.

6. Existing Ordinances.

A. All Fire Prevention Code ordinances or portions of ordinances which were adopted by New Hanover Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which will equal or exceed the requirements of this Code shall continue in full force and effect until such time as such provisions fail to equal or exceed the minimum requirements of the Code, as amended from time to time.

B. All Fire Prevention Code ordinances or portions of ordinances which are in effect as of the effective date of this part and whose requirements are less than the minimum requirements of the code are hereby amended to conform with the comparable provisions of the code.

C. All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of New Hanover Township not governed by the code shall remain in full force and effect.

7. Violation. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a magisterial district judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000 plus costs and, in defaults 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.