(a) A Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Department of the city is hereby established, which Bureau shall be operated under the supervision of the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall appoint a member of the Fire Department as Inspector for the Bureau of Fire Prevention. Such appointment shall be made on the basis of his or her qualifications and completion of state requirements for a Certified Fire Safety Inspector. The person in charge of the Bureau shall be referred to and known as the Officer in charge of the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(b) (1) It shall be the duty of the Bureau to enforce all laws and ordinances covering the following:
A. The prevention of fires;
B. The storage and use of explosives and flammables;
C. The installation and maintenance of automatic and other private fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment;
D. The maintenance and regulation of fire exits;
E. The maintenance of protection and the elimination of fire and safety hazards in buildings and structures, including those under construction;
F. The means and adequacy of exit 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, the following occupancies: manufacturing, educational, business, mercantile, transient, nontransient, institutional, hospitals, churches, places of assembly, amphitheaters and storage;
G. The investigation of the cause, origin and circumstances of fires; and
H. Education of the populace by fire prevention programs.
(2) The Bureau shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as are set forth in other sections of this Code and other ordinances, and as may be conferred and imposed from time to time by law. This delegation of duty shall not relieve any other department, officer or employee of the city of any power or duty conferred upon it or him or her by law or ordinance.
(c) The Fire Chief, the Officer in charge and Inspectors of the Bureau of Fire Prevention may at any reasonable hour enter any building, premises or vehicle within the city for the purpose of examining the same as authorized by this Code or by the statutes of the state, provided that permission to enter is obtained from the occupant, or, in the case of unoccupied property, from the owner thereof or his or her agent. If such permission is refused or is otherwise unobtainable, a search warrant shall be obtained before such entry or inspection is made, except in the case of an existing emergency, in which case entry may be made at any time and no search warrant is necessary. No person shall refuse to permit such emergency entry or inspection, nor shall any person hinder, obstruct, resist or abuse any person making or attempting to make such inspection.
(d) The Bureau shall survey each industrial, manufacturing, business, mercantile, educational and institutional occupancy, and each place of assembly, hotel, motel, apartment, storage area and special occupancy, and may survey multi-family houses and such other buildings or dwellings within the city, and shall specify suitable fire and/or smoke detecting devices or extinguishing appliances which shall be provided in or near boiler rooms, kitchens of restaurants, clubs and like establishments, storage rooms containing considerable combustible material, rooms in which hazardous manufacturing processes are carried out, repair garages and other places of a generally hazardous nature. Such devices or appliances may consist of automatic fire alarm systems, fixed or portable fire extinguishers of a type suitable for the probable class of fire, suitable 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.
(e) (1) Pursuant to R.C. § 3737.27, the Officer in charge of the Bureau shall cause an investigation of all fires, bombings and explosions, examine witnesses, compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books and papers, and do and perform all other acts necessary to the effective discharge of such duties.
(2) The Officer in charge of the Bureau or his or her representative may administer oaths and enter, for the purpose of examination, any building, premises or vehicle which, in his or her opinion, is in danger from fire or explosion, and he or she shall report his or her proceedings to the legislative authority at such times as are required.
(3) Failure of any person, firm or corporation to comply with any order of the Fire Chief or his or her representative under the provisions of this section shall constitute an unlawful act and subject such person, firm or corporation to the penalties provided for in § 1610.99.
(f) A report of the Bureau shall be made annually and transmitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the city. The report shall contain all proceedings under this Code with such statistics as the Fire Chief may wish to include therein. The Fire Chief shall also recommend any amendments to the Code which, in his or her judgment, shall be desirable.
(Ord. 1988-192, passed 10-3-1988)