Township of Plainsboro, NJ Division of Fire Prevention

The Fire Official shall be appointed by the Township Administrator, and said individual is subject to all applicable personnel policies adopted by the Township of Plainsboro.

The Fire Official shall be subject to removal from office by the Township Administrator for inefficiency or misconduct. He/she shall be afforded an opportunity to a hearing by the Township Committee prior to final determination of termination.

Each candidate considered for appointment to the position of Fire Official shall be required to submit to job-related written, oral and other examinations as may be prescribed by the Director of Code Enforcement in consultation with the Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners.

The application and qualifications of each candidate shall be reviewed by the Township Administrator and the Director of Code Enforcement in consultation with the Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners.

(5)

The responsibilities of the Fire Official, in addition to those described in the Uniform Fire Safety Act,[3] shall be outlined in a job description developed by the Township Administrator.

[3]

Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.

Enforcement of the Uniform Fire Code.[4]

The Fire Official shall enforce the Uniform Fire Safety Act[5] and the codes and regulations adopted under it in all buildings, structures and premises within the Township of Plainsboro, not to include owner-occupied one- and two-family dwellings, and shall faithfully comply with the requirements of the Uniform Safety Act and Uniform Fire Code.

[5]

Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 52:27D-192 et seq.

The Fire Official shall conduct the periodic inspections of life hazard uses as required by the Uniform Fire Code on behalf of the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs.

The Fire Official shall also conduct annual inspections of all buildings and structures falling under the following International Building Code use groups which are not identified or classified as life hazard uses:

A, Assembly.

B, Business.

E, Educational.

F, Factory and Industrial.

H, High Hazard.

I, Institutional.

M, Mercantile.

R, R-1 and R-2 common areas.

(i)

S, Storage.

(j)

U, Utility.

The Fire Official shall meet, at a minimum, once a month with representatives of the Board of Fire Commissioners and the Director of Code Enforcement to review and discuss the status of all fire inspections.

[4]

Editor's Note: See N.J.A.C. 5:70.

Fees and permits.

An annual registration and registration fee shall be required for each non-life-hazard occupancy as defined in § 14-18F(3) as follows:

Occupancy (square feet)	Fee
Less than 500	$75
500 to 1,000	$100
1,001 to 3,000	$150
3,001 to 5,000	$200
5,001 to 10,000	$250
10,001 to 20,000	$300
20,001 to 50,000	$500
50,001 to 100,000	$750
Each additional 50,000	$100

Nonresidential commercial common areas - $125 per building per floor

Residential common areas 2 stories or less - $100 per building

Residential common areas 3 or more stories but less than 7 stories - $300 per building

The application fee for a permit shall be in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.9.

Trade shows, craft shows, exhibits, expositions, auctions, art sales, concerts, wrestling matches, festivals, dinners, dances, balls and similar events, including non-school-type uses in school buildings, cultural centers and convention centers, and any other uses requiring inspection by the Fire Official or Fire Inspector shall be $150 per event.

Asphalt (tar) kettles per job site shall be $60.

Waivers. Any federal, state, county, municipal, school board or any agency or instrumentality thereof shall be exempt from the local permit and registration fees herein.

Special events. When it is determined by the Fire Official to be necessary for the purpose of public safety to have a Fire Inspector present during special events, the owner, operator, organizer, sponsor, person, or organization responsible, for said event shall pay the cost of said inspector at the rate of $100 per hour for the duration of the event.

Fire watch. If the Fire Official, Fire Inspector, or member of Plainsboro Fire District No. 1 is required to inspect, monitor, or patrol a building to detect circumstances that might immediately result in a fire while a building's fire protection system is inoperative, the owner of said building shall reimburse the Township and, where applicable, the Plainsboro Fire District No. 1 for said fire watch services. The rate of such services are $200 per hour. Additionally, where applicable, the Plainsboro Fire District No. 1 shall be reimbursed at the rates outlined in the current FEMA Schedule of Equipment Rates for equipment and apparatus and the current hourly pay rate for the cost of manpower. There shall be a minimum fee of $200 for fire watch, provided that no fee shall be assessed if, within 30 minutes of being notified of the commencement of the fire watch services, the building owner or his or her representative arrives at the building and assumes control of the fire watch from the Fire Official, Fire Inspector or Plainsboro Fire District No. 1. The cost of providing fire watch services shall be certified by the Fire Official to the building owner within 10 days of their completion. The building owner shall reimburse the Township within 30 days thereof.

Fire alarms and reporting.

The Fire Official or his or her designee shall investigate, or cause to be investigated, the activation of any fire alarm, fire detector or fire protection system occurring within the Township. The Fire Official or his or her designee shall determine the cause for such activation and determine whether the alarm, detector or protection system has been properly restored to full service.

Failure to report. It shall be a violation of this section for any person or persons, having knowledge of same, to fail to immediately report to the Plainsboro Fire District No. 1 the activation of any fire protection system or device; the occurrence of any fire; any attempted arson; or the spill or leakage of any flammable or combustible liquid or gas or of any hazardous material.

Key boxes requirements. All buildings or structures protected by fire alarms shall be provided with a key box approved by the Fire Official. The key box shall contain keys to provide access to all areas of the building or structure and shall be installed in a location approved by the Fire Official; such key box shall only be utilized in response to a report of a fire or fire protection system activation or other emergency call.

The key box shall be located in a lighted location not higher than 5 1/2 feet above grade.

Key boxes shall be installed within 90 days of receiving a notice from the Fire Official.

Key box keys shall be issued to the Fire Official. Each individual receiving keys shall be responsible for the security of same at all times.

Buildings or structures occupied 24 hours a day, seven days per week, by personnel possessing keys to all areas shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection, provided, however, that residential complexes containing locked common areas and/or master key capabilities shall be provided with a key box.

Fire apparatus access roads (fire lanes).

Proposed apparatus access roads for new commercial and mixed-use developments shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the International Fire Code. New residential developments and residential parts of developments that are discrete and separate from planned commercial parts of the same development shall comply with the rules of the Residential Site Improvement Standards.[6] The Fire Official shall have the authority to require or permit modifications to the International Fire Code to meet the public safety objectives of the jurisdiction.

[6]

Editor's Note: See N.J.A.C. 5:21.