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HomeMy WebLinkAbout~Master - Relating to Fire Department and Fires ORDINANCE NO. 826 AN ORDINANCE PRESCRIBING THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE PREVENTION OF FIRES; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO a CREATE OR MAINTAIN FIRE HAZARDS; PROVIDING RULES AND REGULA- TIONS FOR RECHARGING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS; PROVIDING FOR FIRE DRILLS IN SCHOOLS; MAKING IT UNLAWFUL TO BLOCK STAIRWAYS, ELEVATORS, FIRE ESCAPES, PASSAGEWAYS, DOORS OR WINDOWS, AND EXITS; I .AUTHORIZING INVESTIGATION OF FIRES AND FIRE HAZARDS; PROVIDING PENALTY FOR VIOLATION HEREOF; AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR± PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AMES3, IOWA: Section 1. Intent of Ordinance. The intent of this ordinance is to safe- guard and restrict the storage, handling and use of dangerous and hazardous materials to a reasonable degree with respect to injury to persons and j destruction of property. Installation, construction and safeguards shall be provided in a standard, modern and approved manner. Section 2. Exemption From Provisions. Nothing contained in this ordinance shall be construed as applying to the transportation of any article or thing shipped in conformity with the regulations prescribed by the interstate commerce commission, nor as applying to the military or naval forces of the United States. Section 3. Duty of Fire Department. It shall be the duty of the fire department, under direction of the chief, to enforce all laws and ordinances f regulating the following: I (a) The grf,,vetzt7iAn of fires. (b) The storage and use of explosives and flammables. (c) The installation and maintenance of automatic and other private fire 1 alarm systems. (d) The installation and maintenance of private automatic sprinkler I systems. f (e) The maintenance and regulation of fire escapes, exit ways, doors and windows, and elevators. (f) The means of adequacy of exit in case of fire, fromfactories, school , hotels, lodging houses, fraternity and sorority houses, hospitals, nursing homes, churches, halls, theatres, and all other places in which numbers of persons work, live or congregate, from time to time for any purpose. ' (g) The investigation of the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires. Section 4. Authority to Inspect. The chief of the fire department or his authorized representative, may at any reasonable hours, enter any commercial or industrial building or premises for the purpose of making any inspection, or investigation which, under the provisions of this ordinance, he may deem necessary to be made. The interior of private living quarters in commercial buildings shall be inspected. Section 5. Inspection of Hazardous Conditions. The chief of the fire department or his authorized representatives specially designated by him, shall inspect as often as may be necessary, but not less than four (4) times a year, all specially hazardous manufacturing processes, storages or installations of gases, chemicals, oils, explosives and flammable materials, all interior fire alarms and automatic sprinkler systems, and such other hazards or appliances as the chief of the fire department shall designate, and shall make such orders as may be necessary for the enforcement of the laws and ordinances governing the same and for the safeguarding of life and property u from fire. Section 6. Inspection of Buildings and Premises. The chief of the fire department shall inspect, or cause to be inspected by members of the fire department, as often as maybe necessary, but not less than two (2) times each year in fare district No. 2 and four (4) times each year in fire district No. 1, all buildings and premises for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any condition liable to cause fire, or any violation of the provisions or intent of any ordinances of the city affecting the fire hazard. Section 7. Hazard to be Removed or Remedied. Whenever any inspector as designated in section 6 hereof, shall find in any building or premises, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of waste paper, iI boxes, shavings, or any highly flammable materials, an� of which is so i situated to endanger property orlife, or shall find obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors and windows, liable to interfere with the f operation of the fire department or egress of occupants in case of fire, he shall forthwith order the same to be removed or remedied. I` Section 8. Service of Orders. The service of such orders as referred t in sections 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this ordinance may be made upon the occupant of the premises to whom it is directed, either by delivering a copy of the same to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and leaving it with any II 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 or to the entrance of said premises. Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an ord�r upon the owner of the premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and leaving with the said person a copy of such order, or, if such owner is absent from the city, by mailing such copy to the owners last known post office address. Section 9. Compliance With Order. Any such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupant of such premises or building. When such order is Trade by the fire chief or his representative, such owner or occupant may within forty eight (48) hours, appeal to the city manager, who shall within five (5) days, review such order and file his decision thereon with the city clerk, and unless it is found a fire hazard does not exist and by the city manage r s authority the order is revoked or modified, it shall remain in full force and be complied within the time fixed in said order or decision. r Section 10. Investigation. The fire department shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the city by which property has been destroyed or damaged and, so far as is possible, shall determine whether the fire is the result of carelessness or design. If it appears that such fire is of suspicious origin, the chief of the fire department I' shall take charge immediately of the physical evidence and shall notify the proper authorities designated by to pursue the investigation of such matters and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and the prosecution of the case. f Section 11. Fires of Suspicious Origin. The city solicitor, upon request of the fire chief, shall assist in the investigation of any fire which, in the opinion of t�ie fire chief, is of suspicious origin. Section 12. Fire Drill in School. Public, private and parochial schools shall have at least one (1) fire drill each month. They shall keep all doors and exits of school buildings unlocked during school hours. i Section 13. Unlawful Bonfires and Grass Fires. No person shall 11 kindle or maintain any bonfire or grass fire, or authorize such fires to be kindled or maintained within the limits of the city of Ame s, under conditions endangering adjacent buildings or property. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the burning of trash or rubbish on private lots, providing such trash or rubbish is burned in an incinerator or I I'I f other safely constructed enclosure and not within ten (10) feet of any flammable material, or under conditions endangering adjacent buildings or property. Section 14. Depositing of Ashes and Rubbish. It shall be unlawful for a person to deposit ashes, smoldering coal or embers, greasy or oily substances or other matters liableto create spontaneous ignition within ten (10) feet of any wonder} or plastered wall, partition, or other combustible materials, except in metallic or other non-combustible receptacle. Such receptacles shall be kept at least two (2) feet away from any combustible wall, partition or material. if IISection 15. Flammable Waste or Rubbish. No person shall permit to remain on any roof or in any court yard, vacant lot or open space, any accumula- tion of waste paper, hay, grass, straw, weeds, leaves, litter or combustible or flammable waste or rubbish of any kind. All such material which endangers property , or is liable to be fired, shall be removed by the owner or occupant of the property-3i.t is on. I Section 16. Use of Flammables for Decorations. Cotton batting, straw, dry leaves, celluloids or other highly flammable materials shall not be used for decorating purposes in show windows or store s when-in the opinion of the chief of the fire department such use shall constitute a fire hazard; provided, however, that Ii nothing in this section shall be held to prohibit the display of saleable goods permitted and offered for sale in the store. None of the above material, nor paper or cloth not used as wall paper or surfacing, shall be used in dance halls Ij skating rinks, bowling alleys, lodge halls, auditoriums or places of publiE assembly ; unle s s suitably tr eated to make them fir epr oof. ii Section 17. Hand Fire Extinguishing Equipment. The fire chief shall Ij determine the number and location of all hand fire extinguishers. All hand fire extinguishers and fire hose shall be maintained in perfe-ct working con^lition at ! all times. Soda and acid and other extinguishers which deteriorate upon standing shall be recharged at least once each year. ii All hand fire extinguishers in other than private dwellings shall be recharged ilby the fire department or under their direct supervision and shall have an approved tag attached showing the date of last recharge and the identity of the person who recharged it. Section 18. Penalty. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of th provisions of this ordinance shall upon conviction thereof be fined not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100. 00), or }mprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days. Section 19. Repeal. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict I herewith are hereby repealed. �I Section 20. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after 'its passage and publication as provided by law. I I i Passed this 22nd day of November, 1955. �I W. Prather, City Clerk P. Lawlor, Mayor (Moved by Bliss and seconded by Smith that Ordinance No. 826 be passed on its (first reading. Voting Aye: Griffith, Judge, Smith, Bolton and Bliss Voting Nay: None Absent: De Hart Moved by Smith and seconded by Judge that the rules governing the passage of ordinances be suspended, the second and third readings omitted and Ordinance No. 826 be placed on its final passage. Voting Aye: Griffith, Judge, Smith, Bolton and Bliss Voting Nay: None bsent: De Hart !!Moved by Judge and seconded by Bolton that Ordinance No. 826 do now pass. (Voting Aye: Griffith, Judge, Smith, Bolton and Bliss I Voting Nay: None bsent: De Hart I: Mayor Pro Tern Griffith declared Ordinance No. 826 duly adopted. i II, J. W. Prather, City Clerk of the City of Ames, Iowa, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing Ordinance No. 826 was duly and properly passed at a meeting of the City Council on the 22nd day of November, 1955 and published by codifying on the day of —6uxa 19 1 . I i J. W. Prather, City Clerk ( �I II II II II i �I I I i i i