(a) The Fire Chief of the Martinsburg Fire Department shall be responsible for the enforcement of the City of Martinsburg Fire Prevention Code. The Fire Chief may detail such members of the Fire Department as inspectors as shall from time to time be necessary. To assist in the performance of the responsibilities and duties placed upon the Fire Chief, a Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Department is hereby created. This bureau shall operate under the supervision of the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall designate a fire official or officials of the Fire Department as a Fire Marshal or Fire Marshals. The Fire Marshals shall be the administrator of the Bureau of Fire Prevention. The Fire Marshal or Marshals shall be responsible for the direct administration and enforcement of the Fire Prevention Code as may be set forth by the Fire Chief.
(b) The Fire Marshal or Marshals shall investigate and recommend to the City such additional ordinances or amendments to existing ordinances, as they may deem necessary for safeguarding life and property against fire.
(c) The Fire Chief shall prepare instructions for the Fire Marshal or Marshals and their assistants and forms for their use in reports required by this article.
(d) (1) The Fire Marshal or Marshals shall inspect or cause to be inspected all premises on a periodic basis, and shall make such orders as may be necessary for the enforcement of the laws and ordinances governing the same and for safeguarding of life and property from fire.
(2) Whenever any inspector shall find in any building, or upon any premises or other places, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of waste paper, boxes, shavings, or any highly flammable materials especially liable to fire, and which is so situated as to endanger property; or shall find obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors, or windows, liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or egress of occupants in case of fire he shall order the same to be removed or remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupants of such premises or buildings. Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within a reasonable period after the services of the order shall be liable to penalties as set forth by the West Virginia State Fire Commission.
(3) The service of any such order may be made upon the occupants of the premises to whom it is directed, either by delivering a copy of same to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and leaving it with any 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 to the entrance of such premises. Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner of premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and leaving with the person a copy of the order, or, if such owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the officer making the order, by mailing such copy by certified mail to the owner's last known address.
(e) The Fire Marshal or Marshals shall make an annual report of activities of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and shall transmit this report to the chief executive officer of the City through the Fire Chief.
(Passed 7-24-86)