(A) The Village Fire Chief shall have the power to grant exemptions from the application of specific requirements of this chapter upon his or her receipt of a written request for such an exemption when the request demonstrates either that:
(1) The enforcement of the specific requirement in question will cause unnecessary hardship to the requesting party based upon circumstances unique to the requesting party that are not generally applicable to similarly situated parties elsewhere in the village, where such circumstances have not been created or caused by action of the requesting party; or
(2) The request demonstrates an intent to utilize new, innovative or alternate methods, materials, processes or systems other than those provided for by this chapter, where such methods, materials, processes or systems can be objectively shown to provide an equivalent or better level of fire safety and prevention when applied to the circumstances of the requesting party than the methods, materials, processes or systems otherwise required by the provisions of this chapter.
(B) Such requests shall be approved or denied in writing within 120 days of the receipt thereof by the Fire Chief and Fire Marshal unless the Fire Chief and the requesting party shall agree to a different time in writing. The written determination to approve or deny a request made hereunder shall specify the grounds for the approval or the denial thereof, and shall be transmitted to the requesting party.
(C) In lieu of the board of appeals established in accordance with the 2021 International Fire Code Appendix A, all appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the Fire Chief or Fire Marshal relative to the application and interpretation of this code or the rules legally adopted shall be heard by the village administrative hearing officer in accordance with § 42A.20 of the Village of Romeoville Code of Ordinances.
(D) The Fire Chief or Fire Marshal may from time to time have any request or decision brought to the Village Board for final determination.
(Ord. 05-0251, passed 3-16-05; Am. Ord. 11-0923, passed 9-21-11; Am. Ord. 11-0935, passed 11-2-11; Am. Ord. 12-1016, passed 11-7-12; Am. Ord. 17-1347, passed 3-1-17; Am. Ord. 22-1811, passed 12-7-22)