VILLAGE OF WALDEN
INTRODUCTORY LOCAL LAW
AMENDMENT OF VILLAGE LAW
FIRE HYDRANTS
BE IT ENACTED by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Walden, County of Orange, State of New York, as follows:
Section 1. A new Chapter 142, titled “Fire Hydrants”, of the Code of the Village of Walden, is enacted to read as follows:
- It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally deposit onto or within three (3) feet of any fire hydrant or within a three (3) foot direct path to the nearest public way, fire lane, or fire apparatus access road any dirt, debris, snow, trash, or other objects.
- It shall be unlawful for any person to install within three (3) feet of any fire hydrant or within a three (3) foot direct path to the nearest public way, fire lane, or fire apparatus access road, any signs, mailboxes, trees, shrubs, bushes, utility poles, utility boxes, or any similar object that may obstruct the use or view of a fire hydrant.
- It shall be the lawful duty of any property owner having control of any occupied or unoccupied building lot or plot of land or any part thereof in any developed section of the Village of Walden, to maintain an area within three (3) feet of any fire hydrant and within a three (3) foot direct path to the nearest public way, fire lane, or fire apparatus access road on any such lot or plot of land or on or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same, between the property line and the curb or middle of the alley or for ten (10) feet outside of such property line if there be no curb of any growth of weeds or grass to a height greater than five (5) inches, any accumulation of dead grass, weeds or brush, debris, or rubbish.
In the event that grass, weeds, and shrubs are not removed within five (5) days service of a violation notice, the Village may remove the said grass, weeds, shrubs, debris, rubbish, etc. as provided in §105-5(A) of the Code and assess the cost for removal as set forth in §105-5(A) hereof.
- It shall be the lawful duty of any property owner having control of any occupied or unoccupied building lot or plot of land or any part thereof in any developed section of the Village of Walden, to maintain an area within three (3) feet of any fire hydrant and within a three (3) foot direct path to the nearest public way, fire lane, or fire apparatus access road on any such lot or plot of land or on or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same, between the property line and the curb or middle of the alley or for ten (10) feet outside of such property line if there be no curb of any snow or ice accumulation within twenty-four (24) hours after a snow emergency has been declared over in accordance with §291-20 of the Code.
In the event that snow and ice are not removed within said twenty-four (24) hour period, the Village may remove the said snow and ice as provided in §256-24 of the Code and assess the cost for removal as set forth in §256-25 hereof.
- It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a village employee, or contractor designated by the appropriate Village of Walden official, to alter or maintain a fire hydrant.
- It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a village employee or contractor as authorized by the appropriate Village of Walden official to test a fire hydrant. All tests of a fire hydrant shall be conducted under the supervision of a Village of Walden official.
- It shall be unlawful for any person, other than a village employee or contractor as authorized by the appropriate Village of Walden official to operate a fire hydrant. A representative of a legally constituted fire company or fire district may operate a fire hydrant for the purpose of extinguishing a fire or to conduct an authorized periodic drill. The Village of Walden shall be notified in advance of all drills and all drills shall be conducted under the supervision of a Village of Walden official. Any person or entity that damages a hydrant during any unauthorized operation shall be financially responsible for the repair of the hydrant.
- Within three (3) years of adoption, and at least every five (5) years thereafter, fire hydrants in privately owned fire hydrant systems shall include a flow test in accordance with NFPA 291.
- For the purposes of this article the definitions of public way, fire lane, and fire apparatus access road shall be as provided in the current New York State Fire Code.
Section 2. This local law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State.