There is hereby adopted by the governing body of the city, for the purpose of prescribing regulations, governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire or explosion, the certain code and standards known as the International Fire Code, edition 2006, including all the appendix chapters, and the Uniform Fire Code Standards, and the National Fire Codes of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) latest editions and amendments hereafter, published by the Western Fire Chiefs Association and the International Conference of Building Officials, being particularly the 2006 editions thereof and the whole thereof, save and except such portions as hereinafter deleted, modified or amended by section 7-203 of this article three copies which Code and Standards have been and are now filed in the office of the clerk of the City of Girard, Kansas and the same are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and from the date on which this ordinance shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling within the limits of the city.

(Code 1998; Ord. 1236; Code 2018)

The code hereby adopted shall be enforced by the chief of the fire department.

(Code 1998)

Wherever the word municipality is used in the code hereby adopted, it shall be held to mean the City of Girard. The strictest regulations from the International Fire Code and/ or from the Code of the City of Girard shall take precedence over the least strict regulations from the International Fire Code and/ or from the Code of the City of Girard.

(Code 1998; Ord. 1236; Code 2018)

All burning shall follow requirements of the International Fire Code, 2006 edition, Section 307 and this section of the Code of the City of Girard.

(a)   Prior to igniting the fire, the site of the burn and the material being burned will be inspected by the fire department personnel.

(b)   The site of the burn will not be less than 50 feet from any structure or item that will cause fire spread.

       EXCEPTION: If the material being burned is in an adequate container, then the site may be reduced to a minimum of 15 feet.

(c)   The material being burned will be confined to brush, leaves and non-treated lumber. NO paper, treated lumber, garbage, or oil based products such as plastic, shingles, tires, or any item that will produce a heavy black smoke will be allowed to be burned.

(d)   Items to be burned must be in small manageable piles.

(e)   No burning on street, sidewalk, alleys or easements.

(f)   There must be an adequate water source present at all times. This will be determined by fire department personnel.

(g)   The individual burning will attend the fire at all times.

(h)   Burning will be prohibited if wind conditions exceed 15 mph and if conditions are to dry.

(i)    Times for burning are as follows: 1 hour after sunrise and 1 hour before sundown.

(j)    The fire chief or his authorized personnel have the authority to require the open burning be extinguished immediately if determined that the smoke emissions are offensive to occupants of surrounding property or if it is determined to constitute a hazardous condition.

(k)   Bonfires and recreational fires shall follow sections 307.4.1 and 307.4.2 in the International Fire Code, 2006 edition.

(1)   The recreational fire permit must be obtained at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled event; the Fire Chief or his authorized personnel can revoke the permit prior to the event due to any unforeseen changes i.e. weather.

(2)   To obtain a permit for bonfires and recreational fires all codes for open burning must be followed.

(Ord. 894, Secs. 1:2; Ord. 1148; Ord. 1236; Code 2018)

It shall be unlawful for any person to allow to accumulate or to keep in any part of any building or outside of and adjacent to any building or in any alley, sidewalk, street or premises within 30 feet of any building any rubbish, trash, waste paper, excelsior, empty boxes, barrels or other combustibles which shall constitute a fire hazard.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, stack or store any hay or straw within 500 feet of any building located inside the fire limits of the city.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful to keep excelsior or other packing material in any other than metal or wood metal line boxes or bins having self-closing or automatic covers. All refuse and trash from rooms where packing or unpacking is done shall be removed daily.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful to store ashes inside of any non-fireproof building unless they are stored in a noncombustible container or receptacle, and a clearance of at least five feet shall be maintained between such container or receptacle and any combustible materials not placed therein. Ashes shall not be stored outside of any building in wooden, plastic, or paper product receptacles or dumped in contact with or in close proximity to any combustible materials.

(Code 1998)

The engines of motor vehicles shall be stopped when the gasoline tanks of such vehicles are being filled with gasoline at service stations or other places where gasoline is supplied to motor vehicles. The driver or person in control of such vehicle when the gasoline tank of same is being filled who refuses, neglects or fails to stop the engine of such vehicle shall likewise be guilty of a violation of this code.

(Code 1998)

It is unlawful for any person to cause or create anywhere within the city, or to permit on any premises under his or her control, any situation or condition that is conducive to or likely to cause or permit the outbreak of fire or the spreading of fire. Any situation or condition conducive to the outbreak of or spreading office, is declared to be a fire hazard. The violation of or failure to comply with any law pertaining to the storage, handling or use of inflammable oils, explosives, liquefied petroleum gases, or fertilizers and all wires and other conductors charged with electricity, is declared to be a fire hazard. The placing of stools, chairs or any other obstruction in the aisles, hallways, doorway, or exit of any theater, public hall, auditorium, church or other place of indoor public assemblage, or the failure to provide any such place of public assemblage with sufficient, accessible and unobstructed fire exits and escapes is also declared to be a fire hazard. The obstruction of any street, avenue, alley, fire hydrant or any other condition that might delay the fire department in fighting fire is declared to be unlawful.

(Code 1998)

It shall be the duty of the fire chief to inspect or cause to be inspected by fire department officers or members, as often as may be necessary all buildings, particularly all mercantile buildings, manufacturing plants, warehouses, garages, hotels, boarding houses, rooming houses, theaters, auditoriums and all places of public assemblage, for the purpose of discovering the violation of any fire preventive law or any fire hazard and ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fires and to see that all places of public assemblage, hotels and rooming houses have sufficient and unobstructed facilities for escape therefrom in case of fire.

(Code 1998)

Whenever any officer or member of the fire department shall find or discover any fire hazard or shall find in any building or upon any premises combustible or explosive material or dangerous accumulation of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of paper, boxes, shavings or any other inflammable material, so situated as to endanger property by the probability of fire, or shall find or discover any violation of this chapter or any other law hazardous to public safety from fires, the fire chief shall order the fire hazard or danger from the fire forthwith abated and remedied and such order shall be complied with immediately by the owner or occupant of such buildings or premises. If the hazard or condition ordered abated and remedied is a violation of, or a failure to comply with any law, the fire chief shall report the matter to the city attorney and he or she shall, if he or she deems it advisable, prosecute the offender.

(Code 1998)

Any order made under section 7-212 shall be in writing and may be served personally upon the owner or occupant of the premises or by leaving it with any person in charge of the premises or if the premises are unoccupied and the owner is a nonresident of the city, then by mailing a copy to the owner’s last known post-office address. One notice to either the occupant or owner shall be sufficient. The fire chief shall keep a record of and copies of all such orders and notices and shall follow up such notices at the expiration of the time for compliance therewith and when complied with make proper entry, and if not complied with, file complaint with the municipal court against the property owner and/or occupant.

(Code 1998)

The limits referred to in Section 73 of the fire prevention code hereby adopted in which storage of flammable liquids in outside aboveground tanks is prohibited, the limits referred to in Section 103 of the fire prevention code hereby adopted, in which bulk storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted, and the limits referred to in Section 538 of the fire prevention code hereby adopted, in which storage of explosives and blasting agents is prohibited, and hereby established as set out in Chapter 7, Article 4.

(Code 1972, 15.04.040)

Any person who fails to comply with the provisions of Article II, Chapter 7 of the City Code of Girard, Kansas, after conviction thereof in the Municipal Court of said city shall be fined not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00 per violation.

(Ord. 1148; Code 2018)