Chapter 78

FIRE PREVENTION

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Chestertown 3-19-1973 (Article 9 of the 1973 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Peace and good order -- See Ch. 127.

~ 78-1. Adoption of standards by reference; copies on file; applicability.

For the purpose of prescribing regulations governing conditions hazardous to life and property which arise from fire or explosion, there is hereby adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Chestertown that certain code known as the "State of Maryland Fire Prevention Code," including all supplementary and additional regulations or materials incorporated therein, said code being the official Fire Prevention Code of the Town of Chestertown. The above-cited State of Maryland Fire Prevention Code, including all supplementary and additional regulations or materials incorporated therein, of which code not less than three (3) copies have been and now are filed in the office of the Town Manager, is adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and from the date on which this chapter shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling within the limits of the town.

~ 78-2. Enforcement; designation of Town Fire Official.

The Fire Prevention Code of the Town of Chestertown shall be enforced and administered within the town by the State Fire Investigator assigned to Kent County, which official is hereby designated as the Town Fire Official.

~ 78-3. Authority of State Fire Prevention Commission.

Nothing in this chapter shall be understood to prevent, hinder or interfere with, in any way, the exercise of powers, duties and other obligations or authorities conferred upon the State of Maryland and the rules of the State Fire Prevention Commission.

~ 78-4. Open burning restrictions.

A. General restrictions. Except as noted below, no person shall kindle an open fire in any public or private place outside of any building. Fires started in violation of this chapter shall be promptly extinguished by the person or persons responsible for the same upon notice by the Mayor or any law enforcement officer of the town.

B. Exceptions. Open burning shall be done in accordance with State of Maryland regulations.

~ 78-5. Violations and penalties.

A. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation which shall violate any of the provisions of the code hereby adopted or fail to comply therewith, or who shall violate or fail to comply with any order made thereunder, or who shall build in violation of any detailed statement of specifications or plans submitted and approved thereunder or any certificate or permit 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 a court of competent jurisdiction within the time fixed herein shall, severally for each and every such violation and noncompliance, respectively, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50.) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.) or by imprisonment for not less than one (1) day nor more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The imposition of one (1) penalty for any violation shall not excuse the violation or permit it to continue, and all such persons shall be required to correct or remedy such violations or defects within a reasonable time, and when not otherwise specified, each ten (10) days that prohibited conditions are maintained shall constitute a separate offense.

B. The application of the above penalty shall not be held to prevent the enforced removal of prohibited conditions.