(A) General duties of Fire Marshal. It shall be the duty of the Fire Marshal to enforce all laws and ordinances covering the following:
(1) The prevention of fires;
(2) The storage and use of explosives and flammables;
(3) The installation and maintenance of automatic and other private fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment;
(4) The maintenance and regulation of fire escapes;
(5) The maintenance of protection and the elimination of hazards in buildings and structures, including those under construction;
(6) The means and adequacy of exit in case of fire from factories, schools, hotels, lodging houses, asylums, hospitals, churches, halls, theaters, amphitheaters and all other places in which numbers of persons work, live or congregate, from time to time, for any purpose; and
(7) The investigation of the cause, origin and circumstances of fires.
(B) Additional duties of Fire Marshal. The Fire Marshal shall have such other powers and perform such other duties as are set forth in other sections of this chapter and as may be conferred and imposed from time to time by law or by direction of the Town Manager.
(C) Approval of building plans. Where buildings, excluding residential occupancies under four stories, are required by ordinances adopted by the town to have fire protection and other safety to life requirements included in the construction, or to have facilities for protection against conditions hazardous to life or property in use or occupancy, building plans shall be submitted to the Fire Marshal. The plans must be approved by the Fire Marshal or his or her duly authorized agent as being in compliance with the Fire Prevention Code before a permit may be issued and before construction begins. The Fire Marshal may issue permits for footings prior to actual construction on portions of buildings regulated by the Fire Prevention Code.
(D) Certificate of compliance for sprinkler and standpipe systems. All persons, upon completion of any installation, alteration or renovation of any sprinkler or standpipe system, shall submit a letter certifying compliance with the state building code and applicable required standards to the Fire Marshal.
(E) Approval of plans for alarm systems and fire extinguishing systems. Plans for any and all fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, standpipe systems, fire extinguishing equipment and automatic fire extinguishing systems shall be submitted to the Fire Marshal for approval prior to the installation of such systems in the town, and such fire protection equipment shall be installed in compliance with applicable code provisions.
(F) Open burning. No person shall kindle or maintain any open fire or authorize any such fire to be kindled or maintained on any private properly, or on or in any public ground within the town limits, unless permitted under division (G) below. During construction or demolition of buildings or structures, no waste materials or rubbish shall be disposed of by burning on premises or in the town limits. The only exceptions to this section shall be fires that serve the purpose of training as authorized by the Fire Marshal, or fires necessary for the proper maintenance of the town’s wetlands system wastewater treatment plant as authorized by the Town Manager and permitted by the Fire Marshal.
(G) Burning permits. The Fire Marshal shall issue all permits for open burning within the city limits and may place conditions and limitations on the permit to protect the public. No permit shall be issued for the burning of yard waste if the city provides yard waste collection service. Burning for the clearing of land shall be prohibited. The burning of the top layer of vegetative matter prior to planting a field or garden may be permitted. The time and quantity of material to be burned may be restricted by the permit.
(Ord. O-2011-24, passed 3-1-2011) Penalty, see § 96.99