§ 8.04.110. Requirement as to fire watch.

Whenever the maintenance, operation, or use of any land, building, structure, material, or other object, or any part thereof, including vehicles used in the transport of hazardous materials, constitutes a fire or explosion hazard which is dangerous or unsafe, and the action to be taken to prevent or eliminate such dangerous or unsafe condition is not specifically provided for in chapter 527 (Board of Fire Prevention Regulations) of the Code of Mass. Regulations, then, pursuant to 527 CMR 1.03(8), the chief of the fire department is authorized and empowered to take such action as may be necessary to abate such dangerous condition or conditions, to included, but not limited to, the following:

A.

The chief of the fire department may order a fire watch to be established in any building, outlet, mall, area, complex, school, entertainment event, or other such event where in his or her opinion a fire hazard may be present or public safety may be endangered in case of fire.

A fire watch shall be required at all gatherings of more than 100 people under tentage, or 500 people indoors.

B.

If a fire alarm system or sprinkler system in inoperative in any building that, in the event of a fire could present a danger to life and property, the head of the fire department may order such watch to be put in place for such time as he deems necessary.

C.

The chief of the fire department shall determine that the fire watch be staffed by off-duty firefighters. The owner of such building, or the sponsor of such event, shall be responsible for payment for such fire watch. The city shall promptly issue an invoice for charges related to the fire watch, which bill shall state the date when the payment is due. For any bill which issues and remains unpaid for more than 30 days after the due date, the city shall immediately and forthwith place a lien on all the real property in Lawrence owned by responsible property. Said lien shall not be removed until the charges for the fire watch are paid in full.

D.

Failure to comply with such order of the chief of the fire department shall result in a fine consistent with section 1.16.010 of the Lawrence Municipal Code. Upon the third consecutive violation of this section, no event shall be held at the place of violation, or by the sponsor of the event, until the sponsor of the event appears before the city council for a hearing to determine whether a suspension or revocation of any permit(s), or further penalties, are in order.

(Ord. dated 10/5/04; Doc. 214/2010, appr. 7-6-10/eff. 8-5-10)