[Adopted 12-10-1979 by Ord. No. 440 as Secs. 10-1 to 10-16 of the 1979 Code]
The Mayor, in cooperation with the Fire Chief, is authorized to establish, control, operate and maintain a Bureau of Fire Prevention, to be operated under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Fire Department.
The Fire Chief shall designate an officer or member of the Fire Department as Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, who shall hold this office at the pleasure of the Fire Chief.
The Chief of the Fire Department may detail such number of assistant inspectors as shall be authorized by the Mayor.
A. 
It shall be the duty of the Bureau of Fire Prevention to enforce all laws of the state, this Code or other ordinance of the Town and all regulations that have or shall be adopted by the Town Council covering the following:
(1) 
The prevention of fires.
(2) 
The storage of petroleum and petroleum products in bulk and the storage and use of all other explosives and flammables of whatever name or nature as provided by this Code or other ordinances of the Town.
(3) 
The installation and maintenance of automatic and other fire alarm systems, and fire extinguishing equipment.
(4) 
The condition and accessibility of exits, in case of fire, from factories, schools, hotels, lodging houses, asylums, hospitals, churches, halls, theaters, amphitheaters 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 fires.
B. 
The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as are set forth in other sections of this chapter, and as may be conferred and imposed by law and regulations adopted by the Fire Department.
C. 
The Chief of the Fire Department may delegate any of his powers or duties under this chapter to the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire Department to investigate the need of, and to recommend to the Mayor, such additional ordinances, or amendments to this Code or other ordinances or regulations, as he may deem necessary for safeguarding life and property against fire, and the Mayor shall make such recommendations to the Town Council which may adopt such regulations as it may deem in the interest of public safety.
The Chief of the Fire Department shall prepare instructions for the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and his assistants, and forms for their use in the reports required by this chapter.
The Chief of the Fire Department, the Chief of the Bureau of Fire Prevention or any inspector 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, they may deem necessary to be made, except the interior of private dwellings used and occupied as homes.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the Town, 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. 
Such investigations shall begin immediately upon the occurrence of such a fire, by the assistant inspector in whose district the fire occurs, and, if it appears to the assistant inspector making the investigation that the fire is of suspicious origin, the Chief of the Fire Department shall be immediately notified of the fact; he shall take charge immediately of the physical evidence, shall notify the proper authorities designated by law to pursue the investigation of such matters, and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of the case.
B. 
Every fire shall be reported in writing to the Bureau of Fire Prevention, within two days after the occurrence of the same, by the inspector in whose jurisdiction such a fire has occurred. Such report shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the Chief of the Fire Department, and shall contain a statement of all facts relating to the cause, origin and circumstances of such fire, the extent of the damage thereof, if such property is insured, and such other information as may be required.
A. 
Service of any order authorized by this chapter shall be made upon either the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises affected.
B. 
Such notice may be served upon the owner, occupant or person in charge of the premises affected by:
(1) 
Personally serving the order upon the person to be served;
(2) 
Leaving such order at the last known abode of the person to be served with some person living there; or
(3) 
Mailing such order to the last known address of the person to be served.
The Town Solicitor, upon request of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, shall assist the inspectors in the investigation of any fire which, in their opinion, is of suspicious origin.
It shall be the duty of private, public and parochial schools and educational institutions to have one fire drill each month and to keep all doors and exits unlocked during school hours.
A. 
The Chief of the Fire Department shall keep, in the office of the Bureau of Fire Prevention, a record of all fires and of all the facts concerning the same, including statistics as to the extent of such fires and the damage caused thereby, and whether such losses were covered by insurance.
B. 
Such record shall be made daily from the reports made by the inspectors under the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
All such records shall be public records.
The annual report of the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be made on or before the 31st day of December in each year, and transmitted to the Town Administrator. It shall contain all proceedings under this chapter, with such statistics as the Chief of the Fire Department may wish to include therein.
No person shall place or deposit any object or thing which, in any way, obstructs the free and easy passage of fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors or windows or which will in any way interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or the egress of occupants in case of fire.
No owner, lessee, occupant or person in charge of any building or dwelling shall burn, and no person shall ignite or burn in any street or highway within the limits of the Town, any dead leaves, grass, weeds, empty boxes, crates, barrels, branches, limbs of trees, clothing, refuse, rubbish or waste materials or substance of any kind whatsoever.
No owner, lessee, occupant or person in general charge of any dumping place or ground shall burn or suffer to be burned thereon, and no person shall ignite or burn thereon, any dead leaves, grass, weeds, empty boxes, crates, barrels, branches, limbs of trees, clothing, refuse, rubbish or waste materials or substances of any kind whatsoever without placing in charge thereof a person over 18 years of age to guard and attend such fire.