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All private fire hydrants must be tested, maintained and serviced annually. A report of this maintenance must be submitted to the Director. (1975 L.M.C., ch. 23, §1; 2016 L.M.C., ch. 30, §1.)
(a) All premises which the fire department may be called upon to protect in case of fire and which are not readily accessible from public roads, shall be provided with suitable gates, access roads and fire lanes so that all buildings on the premises are accessible to fire apparatus.
(b) Private roads or fire lanes shall be provided for all buildings which are set back more than one hundred fifty (150) feet from a public road or exceed thirty (30) feet in height and are set back over fifty (50) feet from a public road.
Private roads or fire lanes shall be at least twenty (20) feet in width with the road edge closest to the building at least ten (10) feet from the building and the road edge away from the building no more than forty (40) feet from the building. Any dead-end road more than three hundred (300) feet long shall be provided with a turn around at the closed end at least ninety (90) feet in diameter.
When buildings or any portion thereof are located one hundred fifty (150) feet or more from a public street or accessway and there is not suitable access for fire equipment as determined by the Director, there shall be provided approved fire protection system or systems as required and approved by the Director.
(c) All buildings, parts of buildings, or other obstructions extending over access driveways shall have not less than twelve (12) feet vertical clearance from the finished driveway surface.
Where approved fire protection systems are provided, the above required clearances may be modified or waived.
(d) When any portion of the first story of any building is more than three hundred (300) feet from a public street, or accessway, one (1) of the following shall be provided:
(1) The entire building shall be protected with an automatic fire extinguishing system, or
(2) The building shall be made accessible for fire motor vehicle apparatus by an all weather accessway approved by the Director.
(e) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to buildings that were erected prior to the effective date of this section.
(f) Group L-3 occupancies, as specified in chapter 8 of the County Code when such occupancies are not physically attached and contain two (2) living units or less in a building, may be exempt from the provisions of this section. (1975 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1.)
Cross reference-Hospitals, sanitariums, nursing and care homes to be accessible to fire department apparatus, § 25-55.
(a) If the fire official finds a private entrance or exit sidewalk or vehicular driveway or interior private driveway or sidewalk obstructed by snow, debris, construction material, vehicles or other matter liable to interfere with the ingress or the operation of fire departments or other emergency vehicles in case of fire, the fire official must order the obstructions removed.
To effectuate the foregoing as to vehicles, the Director or his designee may order “no parking--fire lane” signs erected, may designate the placement thereof, may order the curbs be painted a distinctive color and may order other marking necessary to indicate the limits of the fire lane.
(b) Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device, no person shall stand or park a vehicle, whether occupied or not, except momentarily to pick up or discharge a passenger or passengers in or on a fire lane.
The parking or standing of any vehicle, on private property or otherwise, in violation of the foregoing shall constitute a misdemeanor; and any person convicted thereof will be subject to the penalty provided in section 31-67. In addition, the vehicle parked in
violation of this article may be impounded by the department of police and held until the penalty provided and the towing and storage charges incurred are paid.
(c) In any prosecution charging a violation of any provision of the preceding subsections of this chapter the provisions of section 31-32 shall apply.
(d) In the event of a violation of any of the provisions of the preceding subsections of this chapter the provisions of section 31-33 shall apply.
(e) No person shall keep, place or store or permit to be placed, kept or stored any equipment, material or thing in or on a fire lane or otherwise obstruct or reduce the effective width of any fire lane. Persons violating this subsection shall be subject to the penalty section of this chapter.
(f) No person shall place, erect or maintain any sign for control of parking or traffic which includes the words, “Fire Lane,” unless such sign has been ordered by the County Executive, the Director or their designees.
(g) Any police officer or fire official or County employee specifically designated by the executive finding a vehicle or trailer parked in violation of this chapter must attach to such vehicle or trailer a notice to the owner and operator that such vehicle or trailer has been parked in violation of this chapter and instructing the owner and operator, or either of them, to report to the nearest commissioner of district court for Montgomery County within fifteen (15) days of the time when such notice was so attached to such vehicle or to pay to the department of finance as a penalty and in full satisfaction of such violation the sum of ten dollars ($10.00) or as otherwise set by the executive with the approval of the county council. (1975 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1; 2016 L.M.C., ch. 30, §1.)
(a) It shall be unlawful to deliberately operate, trip or use any installed fire extinguishing system for purposes other than emergencies, maintenance or proscribed testing.
(b) It shall be unlawful to tamper with or render inoperative any fire warning system.
(c) It shall be unlawful to activate any installed fire warning system for purposes other than emergencies, maintenance, drills or periodic testing.
(d) It shall be unlawful to use, tamper with or render inoperative any portable fire extinguisher other than during emergencies, maintenance, drills or testing.
(e) No person shall molest, tamper with, damage or otherwise disturb any apparatus, equipment or appurtenance belonging to or under the supervision and control of the fire department without authority from the officer in charge or his authorized representative to do so.
(f) No person shall remove, tamper with or otherwise disturb any fire hydrant or fire equipment required to be installed or maintained under the provisions of this chapter except for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training purposes, recharging, testing or making necessary repairs. Whenever fire equipment is removed as herein permitted, it shall be replaced or reinstalled as soon as the purpose for which it was removed has been accomplished.
(g) No person shall use or operate any fire hydrant without the permission of the owner of such hydrant. The provisions of this section shall not restrict the use of fire hydrants by fire officials in the course of their duties. (1975 L.M.C., ch. 23, § 1.)
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