(A) The Fire Chief may require that any real estate development include the installation of such on- site fire protection facilities, fire hydrants and access roads as in his judgement are necessary to provide adequate water supplies and access on land to be developed. The installation shall be at the expense of the owner or developer.
(B) All fire protection facilities and fire hydrants required to be installed hereunder shall be approved by and meet the specifications of the Fire Department and Peru Municipal Water Utility as to location, connection, size and type of materials and manner of installation. All hydrant, standpipe, and sprinkler connections shall have Peru Threads (3.310 x 8 TPI). Construction shall be carried out under the inspection of the Fire Department and Municipal Water Utility. When any land is developed in such a manner that all or a substantial part of any building or structure thereon is or becomes in excess of 150 feet distance from the municipal water supply for fire protection the developer shall provide such fire protection facilities and fire hydrants on the land as shall be determined necessary under this section to provide an adequate water supply.
(C) Location of fire hydrants. Fire hydrants shall be located at least 50 feet from buildings but no further than 100 feet from Fire Department connections on buildings equipped with standpipe systems or automatic sprinkler systems nor more than 150 feet from an unsprinkered building. These distances shall be determined by measuring the footage from the building to the fire hydrant using approved fire apparatus access ways.
EXCEPTION: Unsprinklered buildings less than 5,000 square feet in size may be exempt from the above if the building is located no further than 300 feet from a fire hydrant and approved by the Chief.
(D) All on-site fire protection facilities and fire hydrants whether installed before or after the effective date of this section, shall at all times be maintained in good working order by the owner thereof. To this end, the Fire Chief is empowered to mandate that the owner conduct periodic tests and inspections of the facilties by a contractor trained to conduct such tests and fire inspections. Results of such tests shall be forwarded to the Fire Chief and if the Fire Chief determines that the facilities are not being reasonably maintained as required by this section, he shall order that the owner or lessee of the land make the necessary repairs or changes within ten days or such longer time as in his judgement is reasonable. It shall be unlawful for any person to fail or refuse to comply with any such order.
(E) No on-site fire protection facilities and fire hydrants whether installed before or after the effective date of this section, may be altered or repaired without the written approval of the Fire Chief and the Superintendent of the Water Utility, provided that such alterations or repairs shall be carried out in conformity with the provisions of § 91.09(b).
(F) Whenever any on-site fire protection facilities or fire hydrants have been installed as provided in this section either pursuant hereto or prior to the effective date hereof, the following provision shall be applicable.
(1) Hydrants - parking prohibited. With respect to hydrants located along private access ways where curbs exist, the curbs shall be painted yellow or otherwise appropriately marked by the owner, lessee, or other person in charge of the premises, to prohibit parking for a distance of ten feet in either direction from any such hydrant. In such cases where curbs do not exist, there shall be appropriate markings painted on the pavement, or signs erected, or both, giving notice that parking is prohibited for a distance of ten feet from any hydrant. When the areas are signed or marked as provided herein, no person shall park or leave standing a vehicle within ten feet of any hydrant.
(2) No person shall obstruct any fire hydrant or other Fire Department connection or place or deposit any lumber, rack, sand, debris or other substance within ten feet to the front or either side of any such fire hydrant or Fire Department connection, or any walls, fences, hedges, screen planting, or any obstruction of any kind either three feet to the rear or side of the hydrant or connection on any public or private property in the city.
(G) Fire apparatus access roads. All fire apparatus access roads as defined in § 91.02 shall be approved by and meet the following specifications of the Fire Department.
(1) Where required. Fire apparatus access roads shall be required for every building hereafter constructed when any portion of an exterior wall of the first story is more than 150 feet from a Fire Department vehicle access road.
EXCEPTION: When buildings are completely protected with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system.
(2) Permissible modifications. Clearances or widths required by this section may be increased during the review process set forth in § 91.13 of this code when, in the opinion of the Fire Chief, minimum clearances or widths are not adequate to provide fire apparatus access.
(3) Surface. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and maintained to support a 20-ton apparatus and shall be provided with a surface so as to provide all-weather driving capabilities.
(4) Width. The minimum unobstructed width of a fire apparatus access road shall not be less than 20 feet.
(5) Verticle clearance. All fire apparatus access roads shall have unobstructed verticle clearance not less than 13.5 feet.
(6) Turning radius. The turning radius of a fire apparatus access road shall not be less than 20 feet.
(7) Turnabouts. All dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet in length shall be provided with approved provisions for turning around of fire apparatus. The turning radius shall not be less than 47 feet.
(8) Bridges. When a bridge is required to be used as access under this section, it shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with design criteria of the American Association of Highway Transportation Officials for an HS20-44 complying structure.
(9) Grade. The gradient for fire a apparatus access road shall not exceed eight degrees.
(10) Number of access roads. When a fire apparatus access road exceeds 150 feet in length and serves multiple building complexes, additional fire apparatus roads may be required if in the opinion of the Fire Chief a single access road may be blocked endangering lives and buildings beyond the blockage.
(11) Signs. Approved signs or other approved notices shall be provided and maintained for fire apparatus access roads to identify such roads and prohibit the obstruction thereof or both.
(12) Access - obstruction prohibited. No owner or lessee of the land or proprietor, partner, officer, director, manager, or agent of any business or other activity carried on upon the land, permit otherwise allow, and no person shall cause any activity, practice, or condition to occur or exist or continue to exist upon land which shall lessen, obstruct or impair the access required under this section.
(13) Access - snow clearance. When excessive snow fall warrants the clearance of snow from sidewalks and parking areas of any business, the owner, lessee or other person in charge of the premises shall be required at the same time to remove snow from all access required under this section. Such snow clearance shall not cause any fire hydrant or Fire Department connection to become obstructed in accordance with § 91.09 (F)(2).
(14) Access - parking prohibited. If in the judgement of the Fire Chief it is necessary to prohibit vehicular parking along private access roads in order to keep them clear and unobstructed, he may require the owner, lessee, or other person in charge of the premises to paint the curbs yellow or install signs or give other appropriate notice to the effect that parking is prohibited by the Fire Department. It shall thereafter be unlawful for the owner, lessee, or other person in charge to fail to install and maintain in good condition the form of notice prescribed. When such areas are marked or signed as provided herein, no person shall park or leave standing a vehicle adjacent to any such curb marking or contrary to such sign.
(H) Construction facilities. Fire protection facilities and fire apparatus access roads are to be provided during initial stages of construction. When it is deemed that the fire protection facilities and fire apparatus access roads are required to be installed as required by this section by the developer, the facilities and roads as may be required shall be installed and made serviceable prior to or at the time any combustible construction begins on the land, unless, in the opinion of the Fire Chief, the nature of the circumstances of the facilities and roads make it impractical.
(Ord. 40-1989, passed 11-6-89) Penalty, see § 91.99