A.
It shall be the duty of the Fire Marshal to enforce all laws and
ordinances of the state, county and Township covering the following:
(1)
The prevention of fires;
(2)
The storage and use of explosives and flammables;
(3)
The installation and maintenance of fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing
equipment and fire escapes;
(4)
The means and adequacy of exit in case of fire, from factories, schools,
hotels, lodging houses, churches, asylums, hospitals, halls, theaters
and all other places in which numbers of persons work, live or congregate
from time to time for any purpose;
(5)
The investigation of the cause, origin and circumstances of fire.
B.
He shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as
are set forth in other sections of this ordinance and as may be conferred
and imposed from time to time by law.
It shall be the duty of the Fire Marshal to investigate and
to recommend to the Township Committee such additional ordinances
or amendments to existing ordinances as he may deem necessary for
safeguarding life and property against fire.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall investigate the cause, origin
and circumstances of every fire occurring in the Township by which
property has been destroyed or damaged, and, so far as possible, shall
determine whether the fire is the result of carelessness or design.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Fire Marshal to inspect, as often as
may be necessary, all buildings, premises and public thoroughfares,
except the interiors of private dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining
and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or
any violations of the provisions or intent of any ordinance of the
Township affecting the fire hazard.
B.
Whenever the Fire Marshal shall find in any building or upon any premises or other place combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of rubbish or any highly flammable materials especially liable to fire and which is so situated as to endanger property, or shall find obstructions liable to interfere with the operations of the fire company or egress of occupants in case of fire, he shall order the same to be removed or remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupant of such premises or buildings, subject to appeal within forty-eight (48) hours to the Township Committee as provided in § 46-6 of this ordinance.
C.
Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within a
reasonable period after the service of such order shall be liable
to a penalty as hereinafter provided.
D.
The service of any such order may be made upon the occupant of the
premises to whom it is directed, either by delivering a copy of same
to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and leaving
it with any person in charge of the premises, or in case no such person
is found upon the premises, by affixing a copy thereof in a conspicuous
place on the door to the entrance of said premises and mailing a copy
thereof by certified mail to such person at his last known address.
Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner
of premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and
leaving with the said person a copy of the said order or, if such
owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the Fire Marshal making the
order, by mailing such copy to the owner's last known post office
address.
A.
The Fire Marshal shall, upon complaint of any person, inspect all
buildings and premises within his jurisdiction, and whenever the Fire
Marshal shall find any building or other structure which, for want
of repairs, lack of or insufficient fire escapes or fire alarm apparatus
or fire extinguishing equipment or by reason of age or dilapidated
condition, or from any other cause, is especially liable to fire and
which is so situated as to endanger other property, and whenever such
officer shall find in any building combustible or explosive matter
or flammable conditions dangerous to the safety of such building,
he shall order such dangerous conditions or materials to be removed
or remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the
owner or occupant of such premises or building.
B.
If such order is made by the Fire Marshal, such owner or occupant
may, within forty-eight (48) hours, appeal to the Township Committee,
who shall within five (5) days review such order and its decision
thereon, and unless by its authority the order is revoked or modified,
it shall remain in full force and be complied with within the time
fixed in said order or decision of the Fire Marshal; provided, however,
that any such owner or occupant may, within five (5) days after the
making or affirming of any such order by the Fire Marshal, file his
petition with the Municipal Court, praying a review of such order,
and it shall be the duty of such Court to hear the same within not
less than five (5) days nor more than ten (10) days from the time
the petition is filed, and to make such order in the premises as right
and justice may require, and such decision shall be final. Such parties
so appealing to the Municipal Court shall file with said Court within
four (4) days a bond in an amount fixed by the Court, to be approved
by the Court, conditioned to pay all the costs of such appeal in case
such appellant fails to sustain his appeal or the same to be dismissed
for any cause.
The Fire Marshal may, at all reasonable hours, enter any building
or premises within his jurisdiction for the purpose of making any
inspection or investigation which, under the provisions of this ordinance,
he may deem necessary to be made.
Any person or persons, firm or corporation violating any of
the provisions of this ordinance or neglecting to comply with any
order issued pursuant to any section thereof shall be punished by
a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) or be imprisoned
for a term not to exceed ninety (90) days, or both.
