(A) Duty to inspect. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Fire District I to inspect, or cause to be inspected by Fire Department officers or members, as often as may be necessary, but not less than twice a year in outlying districts and four times a year in the closely-built portions of the city, all buildings, premises, and public thoroughfares, except the interiors of private dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or any violations of the provisions or intent of any ordinance of the city affecting the fire hazard.
(B) Order for removal or remedy; appeal. Whenever the Chief of Fire District I or any officer or member thereof shall find any building or other structure which for want of repairs, or by reason of age or dilapidated condition or for any other cause, is especially liable to fire, and which is so situated as to endanger other property, and whenever any officer or member shall find, in any building or upon any premises or other place, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of rubbish or unnecessary accumulations of waste paper, boxes, shavings, or any other highly-inflammable materials especially liable to fire, and which is so situated as to endanger property, or shall find obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways, doors, windows, and the like liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire Department or egress of occupants in case of fire, he, she, or they shall order the same to be removed or remedied and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupant of such premises or buildings, subject to appeal within 24 hours to the Mayor, who shall, within ten days, review such order and file his or her decision thereon, and unless the order is revoked or modified, it shall remain in full force and be obeyed by such owner or occupant.
(C) Service of order. The service of any such order shall be made upon the occupant of the premises to whom it is directed by either delivering a true copy of the same to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and leaving it with any person in charge of the premises, or, in case no such person is found upon the premises, by affixing a copy thereof in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance of the said premises; whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner of the premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and leaving with the said person a true copy of the said order, or, if such owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the officer making the order, by mailing such copy to the owner’s last known post office address.
(D) Failure to comply. Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within ten days after said appeal shall have been determined, or, if no appeal is taken then within ten days after the service of the said order, shall be liable to a penalty as hereinafter stated.
(Prior Code, § 9-2-4) Penalty, see § 153.999