[Adopted 11-16-1981 by Ord. No. 81-15]
There is hereby adopted by the Board of Supervisors the fire
control measures and regulations as herein set forth for the purposes
of controlling conditions which could impede or interfere with fire
suppression forces.
The fire official or duly authorized representatives, as may
be in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency involving the
protection of life and/or property, is empowered to direct such operations
as may be necessary to extinguish or control any suspected or reported
fires, gas leaks or other hazardous conditions or situations or of
taking any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of
their duty. The fire official may prohibit any person, vehicle or
object from approaching the scene and may remove or cause to be removed
from the scene any person, vehicle or object which may impede or interfere
with the operations of the Fire Department. The fire official may
remove or cause to be removed any person, vehicle or object from hazardous
areas. All persons ordered to leave a hazardous area shall do so immediately
and shall not reenter the area until authorized to do so by the fire
official.
No person shall interfere with, attempt to interfere with, obstruct
or restrict the mobility of or block the path of travel of any Fire
Department emergency vehicle in any way or interfere with, conspire
to interfere with, obstruct or hamper any Fire Department operation.
No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of the fire official or interfere with the
compliance attempts of another individual.
No person shall drive any vehicle over any unprotected fire
hose of the Fire Department when laid down on any street, alleyway,
private drive or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of
the fire official in command of such operation.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Restricted to those vehicles which are defined and authorized
as such under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania.
No person shall, without proper authorization from the fire
official in charge of such Fire Department emergency equipment, cling
to, attach himself to, climb upon or into, board or swing upon any
Fire Department emergency vehicle, whether the same is in motion or
at rest; or sound the siren, horn, bell or other sound-producing device
thereon; or manipulate or tamper with or attempt to manipulate or
tamper with any levers, valves, switches, starting devices, brakes,
pumps or any equipment or protective clothing on or a part of any
such emergency vehicle.
A.
No person shall obscure from view or damage, deface, obstruct or
restrict the access to any fire hydrant or any Fire Department connection
for the pressurization of fire suppression systems, including fire
hydrants and Fire Department connections that are located on public
or private streets, access lanes or private property.
B.
If, upon the expiration of the time mentioned in a notice of violation,
obstructions or encroachments are not removed, the fire official shall
proceed to remove the same. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the municipal treasury on certificate of the
fire official and with the approval of the Township Manager, and the
Solicitor shall institute appropriate action for the recovery of such
costs.
No person shall use or operate any fire hydrant intended for
the use of the Fire Department for fire suppression purposes unless
such person first obtains authorization for such use from the fire
official and the water company having jurisdiction. This section shall
not apply to the use of such hydrants by a person employed by and
authorized to make such use by the water company having jurisdiction.
All new and existing shipyards, oil storage plants, lumberyards,
amusement or exhibition parks and educational or institutional complexes
and similar occupancies and uses involving high fire or life hazards
and which are located more than 150 feet from a public street or which
require quantities of water beyond the capabilities of the public
water distribution system shall be provided with properly placed fire
hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall be capable of supplying fire flows
as required by the fire official and shall be connected to a water
system in accordance with accepted engineering practices. The fire
official shall designate and approve the number and location of fire
hydrants. The fire official may require the installation of sufficient
fire hose and equipment housed in accordance with the approved rules
and may require the establishment of a trained fire brigade when the
hazard involved requires such measures. Private hydrants shall not
be placed into or removed from service until approved by the fire
official.
No person shall obstruct, remove, tamper with or otherwise disturb
any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed or maintained
under the provisions of the Fire Prevention Code except for the purpose
of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes, recharging, making
necessary repairs or when permitted by the fire official. Whenever
a fire appliance is removed as herein permitted, it shall be replaced
or reinstalled as soon as the purpose for which it was removed has
been accomplished. Defective and nonapproved fire appliances or equipment
shall be replaced or repaired as directed by the fire official.
No person shall erect, construct, place or maintain any fences,
gates, chains, bars, pipes or any other type of permanent obstruction
in or on any street, within the Township boundaries. The word "street,"
as used in this article, means any roadway accessible to the public
for vehicular traffic, including but not limited to private streets
or access lanes, as well as all public streets and highways within
the Township boundaries.
