The text
Footnotes:
--- (1) --- Cross reference— Buildings and building regulations, Ch. 4; civil defense, Ch. 6; fires in parks prohibited, § 14-47; planning, Ch. 15; police department, Ch. 16.
State Law reference— Fire safety, G.L. 1956, § 23-28.1-1 et seq.
ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL#
Sec. 8-1. - Smoke detector inspection fee.#
A fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) shall be paid to the town for inspecting a house or other real estate for smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector system in compliance with NFPA 72. Said money collected to go into a fire prevention fund.
(Ord. of 1-12-88; Ord. of 10-11-88; Ord. of 5-11-2004)
Sec. 8-2. - Burning regulations.#
(a)
Definitions.
(1)
"Open fire" means any outdoor fire not enclosed in a fireplace, boiler, barrel, or other type of container intended to contain the fire to a specified location. Open fires include fires intended to burn agricultural byproducts, weeds, brush, leaves, wood and wood products. Open fires also includes bonfires and campfires. Fires contained in charcoal, gas or coal grills are specifically exempt from this section.
(2)
"Permit," means a permit issued by the Warren Fire Chief or his designee.
(3)
"Fire chief" means the Fire Chief for the Town of Warren or a person designated by the fire chief to act in his capacity with regard to this section.
(4)
The fire chief may issue a permit for an open fire only for those fires that are conducted on or after October 1 of any given year and on or before May 1 of any given year. However, for the months May through September, the fire chief or his/her designee may issue a permit for an open fire for a.) a cookout or similar event sponsored by a charitable organization whose purpose is to promote the education and the development of Warren's youth with the condition that adult supervision is present throughout the duration of the cookout or similar event, or b.) a bonfire held in conjunction with a holiday celebration, or c.) a burning conducted upon a specific parcel of land that is in use as farm when the burning is conducted to improve the agricultural use of that parcel.
(b)
Prohibition. It is prohibited to start or kindle an open fire within the town without obtaining a permit from the Warren Fire Chief or his designee.
(c)
Permits may be issued by the Warren Fire Chief only after an application on a form to be provided by the town is submitted to the fire chief at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the ignition of the open fire.
(d)
The fire chief may issue a permit for an open fire only for those fires that are conducted on or after October 1 of any given year and on or before May 1 of any given year.
(e)
Except for permits issued pursuant to subsections 4a.) and 4b.) of this section.
"Open fires" may burn only from sunrise to sundown. All open fires will be extinguished before sundown.
(f)
At the discretion of the fire chief, any open fire that has become a nuisance to any neighbor of the property at which the open fire is being conducted may be extinguished. This included fires that are used for the purpose of cooking.
(g)
All open fires will be monitored at all times by a person who is over eighteen (18) years of age. The person monitoring the open fire will have, at all times, accessible to her or him a garden hose connected to a working water source or working fire extinguisher.
(h)
All persons conducting open fires are also subject to any and all laws, rules and regulations of the State of Rhode Island, including, but not limited to, those rules and regulations promulgated by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM).
(i)
Any person who knowingly violates any section of this section shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Warren Municipal Court. The Warren Municipal Court may impose a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first offense in a twelve-month period, or two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for the second offense in a twelve-month period, or five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the third and subsequent offense(s) in a twelve-month period for violation of this section.
(j)
The chief of the Warren Fire Department and all sworn members of the Warren Police Department shall have full enforcement authority as to this section, except that only the fire chief for the town or his designee may issue a permit for an open fire.
(Ord. of 11-9-2004; Ord. of 3-14-2006, §§ 4—6)
Sec. 8-3. - Plan review.#
(a)
All plans for new construction or alteration of existing structures, whether residential or commercial, requiring a building permit will be reviewed by the chief of the town fire department or his designee.
(b)
A fee in the amount set forth below shall be paid to the town for review by the town fire chief or his designee:
(1)
Residential plan review for an existing structure:
Additions 1,000 sq/ft or less .....$ 50.00
Additions 1,001 sq/ft or more .....100.00
(2)
Residential plan review for new construction: .....
Single dwelling 5,000 sq/ft or less .....$250.00
Single dwelling 5,001 sq/ft or more .....500.00
Each additional dwelling unit in a multi-unit dwelling .....50.00
(3)
Commercial plan review:
Cost of Construction Required Fee
$500.00 or less _____ $ 25.00
Over $500.00 but not over $1,000.00 _____ 35.00
Over $1,000.00 but not over $2,000.00 _____ 45.00
Over $2,000.00 but not over $500.000.00 _____ 45.00 plus $6.00 per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof over $2,000.00
Over $500,000.00 _____ $3,033 plus $4.00 per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof over $500,000.00
(4)
Inspect sprinkler .....$150.00
(5)
Inspect fire alarm(s) in an existing structure .....$150.00
(Ord. of 5-10-2005; Ord. No. O-3, 3-13-2007)
Editor's note— An ordinance adopted May 10, 2005, did not specify manner of codification; hence, designation as § 8-3 was at the editor's discretion.
Secs. 8-4—8-25. - Reserved.#
ARTICLE II. - FIRE DEPARTMENT#
Footnotes:
--- (2) --- Cross reference— Duties and responsibilities of fire department during civil defense, § 6-7.
State Law reference— Payments to fire companies, G.L. 1956, § 45-18-1; relief of injured and deceased firemen and policemen, G.L. 1956, § 45-19-1 et seq.
Sec. 8-26. - Bureau of fire prevention.#
(a)
The fire prevention code shall be enforced by the bureau of fire prevention in the fire department of the town which is hereby established and which shall operate under the supervision of the chief of the fire department.
(b)
The officer in charge of the bureau of fire prevention shall be appointed by the chief of the fire department with the approval of the town council, and shall hold the rank of chief inspector in the fire department.
(c)
The officer in charge of the bureau of fire prevention will have four (4) assistants with the rank of inspector in the fire department who shall be appointed by the fire chief.
(d)
The chief of the fire department may detail such members of the fire department as inspectors as shall from time to time be necessary.
(e)
A report of the bureau of fire prevention shall be made annually and transmitted to the town council; it shall contain all proceedings under the fire safety code, with such statistics as the chief of the fire department may wish to include therein; the chief of the fire department shall also recommend any amendments to the code which, in his judgment, shall be desirable.
(f)
It shall be the duties of the officers of the bureau of fire prevention to assist the fire chief with inspection of buildings and investigation of fires, also to arrange for and to conduct fire prevention lectures, demonstrations and activities, to direct the operation of the fire police, and to supervise the clearing of fire hydrants during snow storms. The officer in charge of the bureau of fire prevention will act as liaison for the fire chief or whoever the assistant chief is that is in charge at fires.
(g)
The officer in charge of the bureau of fire prevention by virtue of his office shall sit as an advisory member of the board of fire engineers.
(Code 1967, § 13-7; Ord. of 4-18-72, § 2)
Sec. 8-27. - Fire chief.#
(a)
Appointment, term. The town council shall appoint one (1) fire chief to serve the town at the pleasure of the town council.
(b)
Council's representative. The fire chief shall be the town council's representative and shall be answerable to the town council only.
(c)
Duties. The fire chief shall be the administrative and technical head of the fire department of the town and shall have the following duties:
(1)
He shall be responsible for the control and supervision of all activities and operations of the fire department including, but not limited to, fire extinguishment, fire prevention, fire investigations and inspections.
(2)
He shall establish rules and regulations and procedures necessary for the efficient operation of the fire department and he shall submit the same to the town council for approval before implementing the same.
(3)
He shall make recommendations to the town council for expenditure of fire department money appropriated at the financial town meeting.
(4)
He shall, annually, submit recommendations for a budget request to the town council. The town council shall, with the assistance of the fire chief, prepare the annual budget request for the fire department.
(5)
He shall meet with the board of fire engineers monthly to discuss matters relating to the fire department.
(6)
He shall meet with the town council monthly and submit his report on fire department business.
(7)
He shall insure proper management, discipline and training of members of the fire department.
(8)
He shall schedule, conduct and supervise fire drills with primary regard for the protection of life and property.
(9)
He shall cause to be maintained accurate records of all business transacted by the fire department, including but not limited to buildings, apparatus and equipment and also cost of maintenance and operating expenses.
(Code 1967, §§ 13-11—13-13)
Sec. 8-28. - Assistant chiefs.#
(a)
Recommendation; appointment; term; to be known as board of fire engineers. One (1) assistant fire chief shall be recommended to the town council annually by each fire company. The assistant chiefs shall be appointed by the town council and shall serve at the pleasure of the council. This group shall be known as the board of fire engineers and shall assist the fire chief in the governing of the fire department. The rescue squad shall recommend to the council a member to sit on the board. This individual shall be the rescue representative to the board of fire engineers.
(b)
Duties. The assistant fire chiefs shall have the following duties:
(1)
Put into effect the policies and procedures of the fire department. In the absence of the fire chief they shall be responsible for the respective company's performance of duties with the exception of the rescue squad representative who shall not have any authority in the extinguishment of fires.
(2)
They shall respond to all alarms of fires and other emergencies as required by the fire chief. The first assistant chief arriving at the scene of the fire or emergency shall be in overall charge until the fire chief arrives.
(3)
They are responsible for the upkeep of all town equipment in their respective stations such as building, apparatus and all other property furnished by the town. They shall report to the fire chief any discrepancies in the above.
(4)
They are responsible for the drilling and training of their company members.
(5)
They shall meet with the fire chief monthly to discuss fire department business.
(Code 1967, §§ 13-14, 13-15; Ord. of 1-19-93)
Sec. 8-29. - Unauthorized riding, etc., upon fire department apparatus.#
(a)
Every person, other than the members of the fire department of the town, who shall climb, ride or remain upon any fire truck or any other fire apparatus belonging to the town and used by the fire department of the town while the same shall be going to or returning from any fire or any alarm of fire, after being ordered to desist or remove therefrom by any member of the fire department, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as provided by section 1-8.
(b)
Every person, other than the members of the fire department of the town, who shall climb or remain upon any fire truck or any other fire apparatus belonging to the town and used by the fire department of the town, after being ordered to desist or remove therefrom by any member of the fire department, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished as provided by section 1-8.
(Code 1967, § 13-16)
Cross reference— Motor vehicles and traffic, Ch. 12.