9-2-4: INVESTIGATIONS, REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

   A.   Investigate Fires: The bureau of fire prevention and/or incident commander shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the city by which property has been destroyed or damaged and, so far as possible, shall determine whether the fire is the result of carelessness or design. Such investigations shall begin immediately upon the occurrence of such a fire. The fire marshal shall take immediate charge of the physical evidence, shall notify the proper authorities designated by law to pursue the investigation of such matters, and shall further cooperate with the authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of the case. Every fire shall be reported in writing to the bureau of fire prevention within one day after the occurrence of the same by the fire department officer in whose jurisdiction such a fire has occurred. Such report shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the fire marshal, and shall contain a statement of all facts relating to the cause, origin and circumstances of such fire, the extent of the damage thereof and the insurance upon such property, and such other information as may be required, including the injury, death or rescue of persons.

   B.   Daily Records: The fire department shall compile and keep a record of all fires and of all facts concerning the same, including injuries, deaths, rescue of persons, statistics as to the extent of such fires and the damage caused thereby, and whether such losses were covered by insurance and, if so, in what amount. Such record shall be made daily from the reports made by the technical inspectors under the provisions of this chapter. All such records shall be public.

   C.   Annual Report To Mayor And City Council: The fire marshal shall make an annual report of the activities of the bureau of fire prevention and shall transmit this report to the mayor and city council through the fire chief. The report shall contain all proceedings under the fire prevention code with such statistics as the fire chief may wish to include therein.

   D.   Recommend Amendments To Code: The fire chief or the fire marshal shall also recommend any amendments to the fire prevention code or ordinance that shall be desirable. (Ord. 4992, 6-21-2010)

9-2-5: FEES FOR CALLS FOR SERVICE:

   A.   When the fire department is called to respond to an emergency call to a building or complex consisting of four (4) or more units; businesses, commercial, retail, and industrial properties, not for profit or otherwise, located within the city limits, the following charges will apply:

      1.   The minimum fee for response is five hundred dollars ($500.00), or based upon length of service.

      2.   A maximum fee for response will be as provided for in the Waterloo fire department's guidelines for billing commercial, industrial, business retail and commercial rental property, as modified from time to time, upon proper verification of services provided by the Waterloo fire department.

   B.   The fire department will invoice the property owner.

   C.   The fire chief has the authority to waive or negotiate a more appropriate service fee based on hardship, established self- insurance plans and larger deductibles.

   D.   When a final fee is six (6) months delinquent, the unpaid fee for calls for service shall be assessed against the property benefited. Amounts collected for calls for service shall be deposited with the city. (Ord. 4992, 6-21-2010)

9-2-6: FALSE FIRE ALARMS; TAMPERING WITH DEVICES:

Any person who shall, without reasonable cause therefor, or who shall for the purpose of either misleading or deceiving, give an alarm of fire, or permit any false alarm of fire through an alarm telegraph to be given, or who shall, in any way, tamper with the fire alarm boxes or keyholes thereto, shall be deemed guilty of an offense. (Ord. 4992, 6-21-2010)

9-2-7: VIOLATION; PENALTY:

   A.   Compliance Required: It shall be unlawful for any person to violate this chapter, to permit or maintain such a violation, to refuse to obey any provision thereof, or to fail or refuse to comply with any such provision or regulation except as variation may be allowed by the action of fire chief in writing. Proof of such unlawful act or failure shall be deemed prima facie evidence that such act is that of the owner or other person in control of the premises. Prosecution or lack thereof of either the owner, occupant or the person in charge shall not be deemed to relieve any of the others.

   B.   Violations; Penalty: Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of the codes hereby adopted; or shall fail to comply therewith; or shall violate or fail to comply with any order made thereunder; or shall build in violation of any details, statements, specifications or plans submitted or approved thereunder; or who shall operate not in accordance with the provisions of any certificate, permit or approval issued thereunder, and from which no appeal has been taken; or who shall fail to comply with such an order as affirmed or modified by the fire marshal or by a court of competent jurisdiction within the time fixed herein, shall severally for each and every violation and noncompliance, respectively, be guilty of a municipal infraction and be fined as provided in subsection 1-3-2C of this code. The imposition of a penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation nor shall the violation be permitted to continue. All such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable time, and when not otherwise specified, the application of the above penalty shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited conditions. (Ord. 4992, 6-21-2010)

9-2-8: AMENDMENTS:

The following sections of the 2021 International Fire Code are hereby revised:

Section 101.1. Insert City of Waterloo

Insert a new subsection 104.7.2 Automatic Third Party Review to read as follows: All buildings with fire protection systems (sprinkler and/or fire alarm system) and a total square footage over 15,000 square feet will require a third party review. Third party shall be approved by the fire code official. Any building containing a fire pump, stand pipe system, or special detection/suppression system regardless of square footage will require a 3rd party review. Third party shall be approved by the fire code official.

Insert a new Subsection 106.5 Operational Inspections to read as follows: All occupancies regulated by this code shall have initial pre-inspection conducted by Fire Code Official before business is open to the general public, and records updated to reflect new business owners.

Subsection 903.4.2, Alarms, strike the first sentence to read as follows: an approved audible device, suitable for outdoor use with 110 candela visual signal, located on the exterior of the building in an approved location, shall be connected to each automatic sprinkler system.

Delete Subsection 903.4.3, Floor Control Valves in its entirety and insert in lieu thereof a new Subsection 903.4.3, Floor Control Valves as follows: Approved supervised indicating control valves and water flow alarms shall be provided at the point of connection to the riser on each floor in buildings over 15,000 square feet and 3 or more stories in height. The location of the sprinkler control valves shall be approved by the fire code official.

Insert new subsection 1103.5.1.1 Occupancies that are identified as meeting the criteria set forth in Section 1103.5.1, shall be given 12 months, from the date of adoption, to bring said occupancy into compliance or have an accepted plan in place to meet this requirement. (Ord. 5368, 9-26-2016; amd. Ord. 5628, 12-20-2021)

ARTICLE A. FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTIONS

SECTION:

9-2A-1: Scope And Applicability

9-2A-2: Inspections

9-2A-3: Accumulation Of Highly Flammable Materials

9-2A-4: Permits And Certificates Required

9-2A-5: Payment Of Fees

9-2A-6: Annual Life Safety Permits, License And Certification Fees

9-2A-7: Explosives, Ammunition And Blasting Agents

9-2A-8: Fireworks

9-2A-9: Flammable And Combustible Liquids

9-2A-10: Special Amusement Buildings

9-2A-11: Reference Materials

9-2A-12: Services

9-2A-1: SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY:

   A.   Police Powers: This article shall be deemed an exercise of the police powers of the city for the preservation and protection of the public health, peace, safety and welfare, and all the provisions of the fire prevention code shall be liberally construed for that purpose.

   B.   Applicability To Public And Private Property: The provisions of the fire prevention code shall apply equally to both public and private property, and it shall apply to all structures and their occupancies, except as otherwise specified. (Ord. 3555, 5-23-1988)

9-2A-2: INSPECTIONS:

   A.   Prerequisite To Permit Issuance: Before permits may be issued as required by this code, the fire marshal, or the fire marshal's assistants, shall inspect and approve the receptacles, processes, vehicles, buildings or storage places to be used for any such purposes. (Ord. 3555, 5-23-1988)

   B.   Annual Inspections: The fire marshal shall inspect or cause to be inspected all premises on an annual basis, and shall make such orders as may be necessary for the enforcement of the laws and ordinances governing the same and for safeguarding of life and property from fire. A property owner or any other person having charge, care, or control of any premises shall, upon demand for entry and presentation of credentials by the fire marshal, fire inspectors, or fire officers, allow the fire marshal, fire inspectors, or fire officers access and entry to the premises for purposes of inspection. Denial of entry, or interference with the inspection by any person, shall constitute a municipal infraction punishable pursuant to subsection 9-2-7B of this chapter. (Ord. 4461, 3-19-2001)

9-2A-3: ACCUMULATION OF HIGHLY FLAMMABLE MATERIALS:

   A.   Accumulation Prohibited: Whenever any inspector, as defined above, shall find in any building, or upon any premises or other place, combustible or explosive matter or dangerous accumulations of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of wastepaper, boxes, shavings or any highly flammable 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 or windows liable to interfere with the operations of the fire department or egress of occupants in case of fire, the inspector shall order the same to be removed or remedied, and such order shall forthwith be complied with by the owner or occupants of such premises or buildings.

   B.   Compliance By Owner: Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within a reasonable period after the service of the said order shall be liable to penalties as hereinafter provided.

   C.   Service Of Order: The service of any such order may be made upon the occupant of the premises to whom it is directed, either by delivering a copy of same to such occupant personally, or leaving it with any person in charge of the premises, by affixing a copy thereof in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance of 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 copy of the said order, or, if such owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the officer making the order, by mailing such copy by certified mail to the owner's last known post office address. (Ord. 3555, 5-23-1988)