(A) State-certified fire inspectors of the County Fire Marshal’s office are empowered to issue notices of violation and civil citations when they have reasonable cause to believe that any person or business has violated any provision of the NCFC, as amended, or this chapter. The notice of violation or civil citation may be delivered in person to the violator or, if the violator cannot be readily found, the notice of violation or civil citation may be mailed by certified mail. The notice of violation or civil citation shall specify the penalty to be imposed on the violator, and shall direct the violator to appear to the Fire Marshal’s office within 30 days to pay the penalty or, alternatively, to pay the penalty by mail.
(B) The notice of violation may specify a period (a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of 90 days) during which the violator must correct the violation. If the violation is not corrected within the specific time, the violator shall be guilty of a new and separate offense. Violation(s) consisting of locked and/or blocked exits, impedance of the occupants to quickly evacuate a structure or premise, or conditions posing imminent danger to the occupants on or about the premise, or violation(s) of occupancy limits established pursuant to the State Building Code and/or the fire code must be fixed or corrected during the time of the inspection if at all possible.
(C) If, on a first or second offense, the violator does not pay the penalty within 30 days after issuance of the notice of violation or civil citation, a delinquency charge of $10 will be added to the amount specified in the notice of violation or civil citation, and the notice of the delinquency charge shall be mailed to the violator. A criminal summons or warrant may be issued if the penalty plus delinquency charge are not paid within five days after the date of the delinquency notice. On a third offense of the same code violation during the same calendar year, there is a per-day civil fee until the violation is corrected.
(D) If the penalty and delinquency charge are not paid within the time allowed, the Fire Marshal’s office may have a criminal summons issued against the violator for the violation of the NCFC, as amended, or this chapter. Upon conviction, the violator shall be subject, in addition to any criminal penalty the court may impose pursuant to the provisions contained in the NCFC or this chapter, to the penalty specified in the notice of violation or civil citation and the delinquency charge.
(Ord. passed - -; Ord. passed 11-6-2023)