BUREAU OF FIRE PREVENTION
Fire Official: James Brierty
Deputy Fire Official: Paul Elenio, Sr.
Fire Inspectors:
Paul Elenio, Jr.
Joseph Greco
John Hoffman
Jose Figeuroa
Peter O'Connor
Kevin McLaughlin
Steven Rosone
Frank Tripodi
Address: 515 Church St., Ridgefield, NJ 07657
Phone: 201-945-6008
Fax: 201-945-0413
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm
E-Mail: fireprevention@ridgefieldboro.com
The Ridgefield Fire Prevention Bureau is primarily responsible for enforcing the New Jersey Uniform Fire Safety Act and the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code. As part of its duties, the Bureau must investigate the cause and origin of fires within the Borough of Ridgefield. The Bureau also conducts various Fire Prevention educational activities throughout the year.
The NJ Uniform Fire Act requires that all buildings, with the exception of 1 and 2 family owner occupied dwellings, be inspected at least once a year. Under the Fire Act, all structures and occupancies are classified as either “Life Hazard” or “Non-Life Hazard” according to a schedule in the Act which weighs various hazards and risks of the occupancy to determine whether a serious risk to life exists in the occupancy.
Those occupancies classified as Life Hazards must be registered with the State of New Jersey and may be subject to more frequent inspections by the Bureau.
It is important to note that fire inspections are not required to be scheduled in advance and in fact the NJ Uniform Fire Act specifically allows inspections to be made “at all reasonable times” and provides penalties and other remedies for refusal to permit an inspection.
The Fire Prevention Bureau also offers free Fire Safety Education presentations to various groups such as tenant organizations, civic organizations, building employees, health care providers and business groups. These presentations will teach the basics of fire safety or can be tailored to address a specific topic. If you would like the Bureau to make a presentation about fire safety, please contact the office during normal business hours. Please allow ample lead time to accommodate scheduling.
What to Expect During a Fire Inspection
The inspector will introduce him or herself, present identification and inform you of the purpose of the inspection, i.e. annual fire inspection.
The inspector will ask you for any required paperwork such as a sprinkler and/or fire alarm inspection report.
The inspector will then proceed to inspect the entire occupancy. A representative of the occupant is requested to accompany the inspector. The representative should have keys or other methods to access all areas to facilitate the inspection. During the inspection, the inspector will point out violations and corrective requirements.
The most common violations found are:
Exit and emergency lighting out
Exits and exitways blocked, locked, inaccessible
Fire extinguisher annual inspection due
Poor housekeeping, excess rubbish
Merchandise stacked too high, unstable piles
Improper use of extension cords
Fire doors chocked open
Improper storage of propane
Utility access blocked (gas meters, electrical panels)
Range hoods and ducts not cleaned
After the inspection is complete you will receive a written report of all violations found and an “Order to Correct” notice. Normally you will have 30 days to correct all violations. In the case of certain serious violations you may be given a shorter time period, typically 7 days to correct the serious violation. If the violation is deemed to be an “Imminent Hazard” , the premises may be closed down until the hazard is corrected. The Bureau will re-inspect on or about 30 days after issuance of the violation notice. It is expected that all violations will have been corrected at that time. Failure to correct all violations may result in the issuance of a penalty. If all violations have been corrected, a “Certificate of Satisfactory Compliance” will be sent to you.
Information Regarding Fire Safety Permits
The NJ Uniform Fire Act provides that certain hazardous activities need a permit to be issued by the local Fire Official before commencement of the activity. Permits are occupancy and event specific. Blanket permits are not issued. While the list of permit uses is extensive, the most common permits issued are for occasional welding and the use of torches by roofers.
Permits are issued at the Fire Prevention Office during normal business hours. You are strongly advised to call before coming to the office for a permit as we may be in the field on inspections.
FIRE PREVENTION & HOME SAFETYDepartments » Fire Prevention » Fire Prevention & Safety
Fire Prevention Education Information
The following fire safety brochures are available in .PDF format and can be downloaded below:
“Protecting Your Family from Fire”
“Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults”
“Fire Safety for Seniors”
“Winter Fire Safety Tips for the Home”
“Parents' Guide to Fire Safety for Babies & Toddlers”
“Fact Sheet - Fire Safety for Babies and Toddlers”
“Smoke Alarms - What You Need to Know”
“Carbon Monoxide Detectors”
Additional fire safety information can be found at the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety web site.
Home Fire Safety
Fires in the home can be particularly devastating both in the loss of personal property and the potential for injuries and fatalities.
An important element of home fire safety is to have an escape plan in the event that a fire does occur in your home. “Escape Drills in the Home” known as the E.D.I.T.H. program has been devised to help you make an escape plan.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY PARTICIPATE IN THE PLANNING OF YOUR ESCAPE PLAN.
The first step is to draw a plan of each floor of your residence. Be sure to indicate all rooms, stairways, hallways and roofs that could be used as escape routes. Be sure to provide for 2 exits from each room or area in the dwelling. Be sure to test windows and doors to make sure they are wide enough to exit and that they open easily.
Choose a family meeting place outside the building and show it on the map.
Next make sure that all levels have working smoke detectors and that smoke detectors are outside each sleeping area.
Make sure all members of the family know how raise an alarm to notify other family members that there is a fire. Yelling, pounding on walls, and whistles are methods you may consider.
After you have made your escape plans, have a fire drill. Have someone sound the alarm by pushing the test button on your fire detector or raising an alarm some other way.
Everyone should roll out of their bed, crawl on the floor and follow their primary route out of the structure. Be sure to feel all doors before opening. If the door is hot, there may be fire on the other side of the door. If the door is hot, do not open it and use your second way out.
Once outside, assemble at the predesignated family assembly point. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RE-ENTER THE BUILDING! ONCE OUT OF THE BUILDING, STAY OUT. Be sure to notify arriving firefighters that everyone is out of the building, or if someone is missing.
Please see the below New Jersey Division of Fire Safety brochure entitled “Have You Heard About EDITH?”
Forms & Documents
A number of forms and documents available in the Fire Prevention Bureau are available below for downloading and viewing, in Acrobat .PDF format. If you do not have the free Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer necessary to view .PDF files, you can download it here.
To view a document in .PDF format in your web browser, simply left-click the below Acrobat icons. To save a .PDF file to your computer, right-click the icon and select “Save Target as . . .”
Downloadable Forms & Documents - Fire Prevention
Form/Document Acrobat .PDF
Carbon Monoxide - Protecting Yourself and Your Family
Have You Heard About EDITH? (Escape Drills in the Home)
Fact Sheet: Fire Safety for Babies & Toddlers
Fire & Burn Safety for Senior Citizens
Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults
Parents' Guide to Fire Safety for Babies & Toddlers
Invalid Location Program Form
Protecting Your Family From Fire
Smoke Alarms - What You Need to Know
Winter Fires - Safety Tips for the Home
Smoke & CO Detectors
Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements
Information Regarding One and Two Family Residential Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
All 1 and 2 family residences are required to have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed as follows:
Smoke detectors are required on each level and outside each sleeping area.
Carbon monoxide detectors are required in the immediate vicinity of sleeping areas, except if the structure does not have a fuel burning device or an attached garage.
It is highly recommended that you change all batteries twice a year, following the “Change your clock, change your battery” program.
Certificates of Compliance for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, needed for transfer of ownership of a dwelling are available through the Building Department and the Construction Official. The Fire Prevention Bureau does not have jurisdiction to issue these certificates.
Forms & Documents
A number of forms and documents available in the Fire Prevention Bureau are available below for downloading and viewing, in Acrobat .PDF format. If you do not have the free Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer necessary to view .PDF files, you can download it here.
To view a document in .PDF format in your web browser, simply left-click the below Acrobat icons. To save a .PDF file to your computer, right-click the icon and select “Save Target as . . .”
Downloadable Forms & Documents - Fire Prevention
Form/Document Acrobat .PDF
Carbon Monoxide - Protecting Yourself and Your Family
Have You Heard About EDITH? (Escape Drills in the Home)
Fact Sheet: Fire Safety for Babies & Toddlers
Fire & Burn Safety for Senior Citizens
Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults
Parents' Guide to Fire Safety for Babies & Toddlers
Protecting Your Family From Fire
Smoke Alarms - What You Need to Know
Winter Fires - Safety Tips for the Home
Propane Grills
The NJ Uniform Fire Code has specific requirements for the use of propane fueled cooking equipment such as barbecues. The Code prohibits the use or storage of such grills on a balcony or porch, in any room of the house, under any building overhang, within 5 feet of an exterior wall of a structure and within 5 feet vertically or horizontally of an opening in any wall of a structure.
The manufacturers of propane and natural gas fueled grill recommend periodic maintenance be performed on their grills. Be sure to inspect and maintain your grill in accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations. Periodically check the hoses and connections on your grill for wear and deterioration. Wildlife sometimes chew on hoses and may cause them to leak.
Do not leave a lit grill unattended and keep small children away from an active grill