(a) Establishment. A Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Department is hereby established. Such Bureau shall be operated under the supervision of the Fire Chief under the direction and control of the Director of Public Safety.
The Fire Chief shall designate an officer of the Fire Department as Fire Marshal for the Bureau and shall designate such other officers and members of that Department, as he or she may from time to time deem necessary, as assistant inspectors for duties incident to the operation of the Bureau.
(b) General Duties. The Bureau shall enforce all laws and ordinances covering the following:
(1) The prevention of fires;
(2) The storage and use of explosives and flammables;
(3) The installation and maintenance of automatic and other private fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment;
(4) The maintenance and regulation of fire escapes;
(5) The maintenance of fire protection of, and the elimination of hazards in, buildings and structures, including those under construction;
(6) The means and adequacy of exits in case of fire from all places in which persons work, live or congregate for any purpose from time to time, including, but not limited to, factories, schools, hotels, lodging houses, asylums, hospitals, churches, halls, theaters and amphitheaters; and
(7) The investigation of the cause, origin and circumstances of fires.
The Bureau shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as are set forth in other sections of this chapter, including the codes adopted in Section 1511.01, in other ordinances and as may be conferred and imposed from time to time by law.
This designation of duty shall not relieve any other department, officer or employee of the City of any power or duty conferred upon it, him or her by law or ordinance.
(c) Inspection of Buildings, Premises and Motor Vehicles. The Fire Chief, the Fire Marshall for the Bureau or any assistant inspector may, at all reasonable hours, enter any building, premises or vehicle within his or her jurisdiction for the purpose of examining the same as authorized by the statutes of the State and as limited by the Constitutions of the United States and this State with respect to unreasonable searches and seizures.
(d) Inspection of Fire Extinguishers and Fire Extinguishing Systems. The Fire Chief or members of the Bureau may make or cause to be made an inspection of the contents and the working conditions of any fire extinguisher or fire extinguishing system.
(e) Survey and Recommendation of Suitable Fire Detection Devices and Extinguishing Appliances. The Bureau shall survey each commercial and industrial establishment, mercantile, educational and institutional occupancy, place of assembly, hotel, multifamily house and such other buildings or dwellings within the City as the Bureau may deem necessary and shall specify suitable fire detecting devices or extinguishing appliances which are provided in or near boiler rooms, kitchens of restaurants, clubs and like establishments, storage rooms involving considerable material, rooms in which hazardous manufacturing processes are involved, repair garages and other places of a generally hazardous nature. Such devices or appliances may consist of automatic fire alarm systems, automatic sprinkler or water spray systems, standpipes, automatic or magnetic door closers, panic-type hardware, fixed or portable fire extinguishers of a type suitable for the probable class of fire, suitable asbestos or approved fire blankets, manual or automatic covers or other special fire extinguishing systems. In special hazardous processes or storage, appliances of more than one type or special systems may be required.
(Ord. 1997-18. Passed 6-30-97.)