Part 6

Part 6
Fire Hydrant Obstruction Prohibition

§10-601 Short Title.

This Part shall be known as the Wolf Township Fire Hydrant Obstruction Prohibition Ordinance.

(Ord. 2020-01, 11/9/2020, §1)

§10-602 Authority.

Pursuant to Section 1506 of the Second Class Township Code, the Board of Supervisors has the authority to adopt ordinances necessary for the proper management, care and control of the Township and its finances and the maintenance of peace, good government, health and welfare of the Township and its citizens, trade, commerce and manufacturers. Pursuant to Section 1801 of the Second Class Township Code, the Board of Supervisors of Wolf Township has the authority to provide for fire protection within the Township.

(Ord. 2020-01, 11/9/2020, §2)

§10-603 Purpose.

The purpose of this Part is to ensure that all fire hydrants in the Township remain unobstructed and able to be accessed when needed to for fire protection purposes within the Township and to protect the health and welfare of the Township and its citizens.

(Ord. 2020-01, 11/9/2020, §3)

§10-604 Prohibition Against Obstruction of Fire Hydrants.

Fire hydrants connected to public water supplies shall not be covered or otherwise obstructed. The owner of the property where the fire hydrant(s) is located is hereby required to remove or cause to be removed obstructions of any kind including, but not limited to, structures, overgrown landscaping, snow, ice, slush, vehicles, items of personal property or any other accumulation of natural or manmade items from around fire hydrants. The owner is hereby required to maintain an unobstructed clear space having a radius of 30 inches around fire hydrants to ensure the fire hydrant is able to be properly accessed in the case of emergency.

In no case is the Township of Wolf liable if a fire hydrant is not accessible due to the failure of a property owner to maintain fire hydrants as required by this Part.

(Ord. 2020-01, 11/9/2020, §4)

§10-605 Enforcement and Penalty.

A violation of this Part shall be enforced as a summary offense. Its enforcement shall be brought by action before a magisterial district judge in the same manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. The Solicitor of Wolf Township may assume charge of the prosecution without the consent of the District Attorney as required under Pa.R.Crim.P. No. 83(c) (relating to trial in summary cases).

Any person found to be in violation of this Part, upon conviction of a summary offense therefor, shall pay a fine not to exceed $1,000 per violation and may be imprisoned to the extent allowed for the punishment of summary offenses (not to exceed 90 days). Each day a violation exists constitutes a separate and distinct violation.