(a) No person shall serve as a Municipal Fire Safety Inspector unless he or she has received a certificate issued by the State Board of Emergency Medical Services under former Ohio R.C. 3303.07 or 4765.55 evidencing his satisfactory completion of a fire safety inspection training program. (ORC 3737.34)
(b) The owner, occupant, or any person, firm, or corporation having charge or care of any lot or parcel of land within the City, whether the same is public or private, commercial, or residential, improved, or unimproved, vacant, or occupied, shall maintain unobstructed access to water supplies at all times and fire department access to existing water supplies shall not be hindered in any manner. (OFC 507.1.1)
The owner, occupant, or any person, firm, or corporation having charge or care of any lot or parcel of land within the City is responsible for maintaining the property to the street right-of-way. This includes the grass strip between the public sidewalk and the curb. Unobstructed access to fire hydrants shall be maintained at all times. The fire department shall not be deterred or hindered from gaining access to fire protection equipment or fire hydrants. (OFC 507.5.4)
A 3-foot (914mm) clear space shall be maintained around the circumference of fire hydrants. (OFC 507.5). If the fire department or any other duly authorized Code Official determines that a fire hydrant or other protection equipment is obstructed by any object(s), including, but not limited to, plants, shrubs, trees, mailboxes, construction materials, the obstruction(s) will be considered a public nuisance and the owner, occupant, or any person, firm, or corporation having charge or care of the lot or parcel of land upon which the public nuisance is found shall be given a Notice to Remove the Obstruction within 48 Hours. In the event of noncompliance, a formal notice of violation will be issued to the owner, occupant, or other person,
firm, or corporation having charge or care of the lot or parcel of land, in accordance with the City's Property Maintenance Code.
(c) For Municipal criminal proceedings, the complaint, warrant or summons, or the issuance of a citation in minor misdemeanor cases shall be, as is prescribed in the Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure, by referencing the numerical designation of the applicable Municipal ordinance, including the specific provision of the Ohio Fire Code, or any order issued pursuant thereto, provided such order fixes a reasonable time for abatement of the violation.
(d) A copy of any complaint, citation, or notice of violation issued pursuant to this section shall be prominently posted at or near each place a violation referred to occurs.
(e) Upon request of a Municipal Fire Safety Inspector, the City Law Director or designee may institute and prosecute any necessary action or proceeding to enforce this chapter or Ohio R.C. Chapter 3737.
(f) Upon request of a Municipal Fire Safety Inspector, a duly authorized Code Official and/or Building Program Manager of the City may issue a notice of violation to the property owner(s) and/or other interested parties pursuant to Chapters 1341 and/or 1357 of the City's Property Maintenance Code. (Ord. 40-23. Passed 12-4-23.)