(A) In order to avoid relocating persons from, or the vacation of, any structure, place of business or place of habitation that is imminently dangerous, as described in § 91.034, the Fire Marshal or senior fire officer may, if he or she determines that a reasonable level of fire and life safety can be obtained, order the owner, agent or manager to provide either a licensed, bonded security agency or an employee or volunteers, approved by the Fire Department, to perform as a fire watch, making periodic patrols, as designated by the Fire Department, as a condition of allowing continued occupancy of the structure, place of business or place of habitation.
(B) If a licensed, bonded security agency or an employee fire watch patrol or volunteers, approved by the Fire Department, are not available or able to make such periodic patrols as ordered by the Fire Marshal or senior fire officer, or if no owner, agent or manager is available, or if the owner, agent or manager of such fire watch patrol does not comply with such orders of the Fire Department, then the Fire Marshal or senior fire officer may order off-duty Fire Department personnel back to duty to provide the fire watch patrol.
(C) As an additional alternative to implementing a fire watch patrol, the Fire Marshal or senior fire officer may contract with a licensed, bonded security company to provide such service, and the owner of the involved property shall be responsible for all reasonable costs incurred by such security company for such patrols.
(D) The owner of the structure, business or place of habitation shall be responsible for paying all costs incurred by the Fire Department, and such person shall pay this cost to the City Recorder who will reimburse the Fire Department’s budget for this expense. If such costs are not paid within 30 days of billing by the city, then an assessment for such costs shall be made by ordinance and shall be entered in the docket of city liens, and, upon such entry the same shall constitute a lien upon the property upon which the call back fire watch patrol was provided, which lien shall be collected in all respects, and shall bear interest at the rate of 9% per year from ten days after the date of entry into the lien docket.
(Ord. 382, passed 12-12-2005)