It is the intent of this chapter to prescribe regulations consistent with recognized standard practices for the safeguarding to a reasonable degree of life and property from the hazards of fire and explosion arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials, and devices, and from conditions hazardous to life and property in the use or occupancy of buildings or premises.
The following codes are hereby adopted by reference and made a part of the City of Watertown Fire Prevention and Protection Code:
A. 
Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapters SPS 361 through 366.
B. 
Explosives and Fireworks, Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter SPS 307.
C. 
Flammable, Combustible, and Hazardous Liquids Code, Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter SPS 310.
D. 
Gas Systems, Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter SPS 340.
E. 
Fire Prevention Code, Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter SPS 314.
The provisions of this chapter shall apply equally to new and existing conditions, except that existing conditions not in strict compliance with the terms of this chapter shall be permitted to continue where the exceptions do not constitute a distinct hazard to life or adjoining property.
A. 
The Chief of the Fire Department shall hold the office of Fire Inspector with power to appoint one or more Fire Inspectors, who shall perform the same duties and have the same powers as the Fire Inspector.
B. 
Duty of Fire Inspectors. The Fire Inspectors shall inspect when deemed necessary all buildings, premises, and public thoroughfares within the City for the purpose of noting and causing to be corrected any condition liable to cause fire. The Inspector shall also investigate the storage and handling of explosives and flammable liquids within the City.
C. 
Removal of fire hazards. Whenever in the City any inspection by the Fire Chief or his deputies reveals a fire hazard, the Chief or his deputies shall serve a notice in writing upon the owner of the property giving him a reasonable time in which to remove the hazard. If the fire hazard is not removed within the time allowed, it shall be deemed a nuisance. The Fire Chief or his deputy may have the same removed by the City and the cost thereof shall be recovered as a special charge by the City against the owner of the property.
D. 
Record of inspections. The Chief shall keep a written record of each property inspected which shall conform to the requirements of DSPS and shall make the annual report of inspections required by DSPS to qualify the City for 2% dues.
E. 
Denial of access prohibited. The Chief of the Fire Department or any inspectors or subordinates designated by him 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 chapter, he or they may deem necessary to be made. Private dwellings shall not be entered without the consent or permission of an adult occupant.
It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire Department to inspect or cause to be inspected by the Fire Department all buildings and premises, except the interiors of private dwellings, as often as may be necessary 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 this chapter and of any other ordinance affecting the fire hazard, and to ensure compliance in all places of assembly with all laws, regulations and orders dealing with overcrowding, use of decorative materials, maintenance of exit ways, and maintenance of fire alarm and fire-detecting systems and fire-extinguishing systems and appliances.
The City of Watertown hereby elects to exempt that portion of § 101.14(2)(c)1, Wis. Stats., which requires fire inspections of every public building and place of employment within the fire limits of the City not less than once every three months. Fire inspections of all buildings within the fire limits shall be at least once in 12 months. The Fire Chief may require more frequent inspections for buildings he/she deems as being high risk. Those occupancies deemed "high risk" may include, but are not limited to, places of assembly with occupant loads of more than 100; schools; hospitals; day-care centers; nursing homes; congregate care facilities (with or without nursing staff); jails or treatment facilities; or occupancies where the use, storage, mixing and/or handling of hazardous substances would constitute a process hazard.
Whenever the Fire Chief or officer designated by him shall find in any building or upon any premises dangerous or hazardous conditions as follows, he shall order such dangerous conditions or materials to be removed or remedied in such manner as may be specified in said order:
A. 
Dangerous or unlawful amounts of combustible or explosive matter.
B. 
Hazardous conditions arising from defective or improperly installed equipment for handling or using combustible or explosive matter.
C. 
Dangerous accumulations of rubbish, wastepaper, boxes, shavings, or other highly flammable materials.
D. 
Accumulations of dust or waste material in air-conditioning systems or of grease in kitchen exhaust ducts.
E. 
Obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors, or windows, liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or egress of occupants in case of fire.
F. 
Any building or other structure which, for want of repairs, lack of sufficient fire escapes or other fire alarm apparatus or fire-extinguishing equipment, or by reason of age or dilapidated condition, or from any other cause, creates a fire hazard or a threat to life and safety.
A. 
The service of such orders as mentioned in § 303-7 may be made upon the owner, occupant, and other person responsible for the conditions, either by delivering a copy of the same 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. Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner of a premises, by mailing such copy to the owner's last known post office address.
B. 
If buildings or other premises are owned by one person and occupied by another under lease or otherwise, the orders issued in connection with the enforcing of this chapter shall apply to the occupant thereof, except where the rules or orders require the making of additions to or changes in the premises themselves, such as would immediately become real estate and be the property of the owner of the premises; in which case the rules or orders shall affect the owner and not the occupant unless it is otherwise agreed between the owner and the occupant.
C. 
After three inspections of the building or premises in any six-month period, and the owner and occupant of the building does not comply with the orders issued by the City's Fire Inspection Department and a fourth inspection is required, the owner or occupant shall be charged an inspection fee as set by the Common Council and provided under separate fee schedule. If additional inspections are required thereafter, due to the noncompliance of the owner or occupant, each additional inspection shall result in an additional fee as set by the Common Council and provided under separate fee schedule until compliance has been obtained.