COUNTY FIRE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION MEETINGS

DIVISION UPDATES – February 2010

• Fire Officials are reminded they must file the 2009 Annual Report by January 31, 2010. The FO’s must access the portal to retrieve the report and complete it. The Division is not accepting “informal” requests for extensions in the January 31, 2010 deadline for filing annual reports.  The Division is only considering granting extensions if they are requested prior to the deadline, in writing, and addressed to either the Director or Janet Dunigan. In addition, if the requester does not receive a formal response specifically granting the extension, the Fire Official should not assume that the request has been granted. 

• The Division would like to remind all fire officials that in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.7(c)2. by January 2, 2010, all Use Group I-2 nursing homes shall be equipped throughout with an automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code. The exception contained in (c)1i no longer applies to nursing homes.

• The Spring 2010 Courses for FO/FI, Instructors and FF’s registration periods are as follows: February 22 – 26 for appointed officials; March 1 – 5 for appointed and non-appointed officials; March 8 open registration period. Online registration begins February 22 at www.state.nj.us/dca/dfs. Courses to be posted on the DFS website on or about February 15, 2010.

• The DFS Peer Review Board has recently held a meeting regarding the two recent incidents involving bonfires where there were reported injuries. As a result, the Peer Review Board has made their recommendations and the final decision concerning sanctions is forthcoming from the DFS.

• The DFS would like to remind you to go to our website to find out details about the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety-Fire Safety Poster Contest. Also to note that there is a new category this year for posters created by computer graphics. Poster judges have seen an increase in those types of entries so now there is a specific category for them.

• There will be a Youth Fire Education and Prevention Program being held at the Bergen Fire Academy by the National Association of State Fire Marshals on April 7th. For additional information go to: http://www.firemarshals.org/programs/juvenile-firesetter-program/youth-fire-prevention-workshop/

• The DFS would like to advise all LEA’s the Division of Revenue through a private collection agency will be handling collection of specific owner type LHU’s with outstanding life hazard use fees. LEA’s may be contacted by LHU owners in reference to the collection agency inquiries, however the owners should be referred back to the collection agency.

• The DFS is finalizing several Bulletins clarifying previous confusion on “Fire Code Enforcement Jurisdiction in One and Two-Family Owner Occupied Dwellings”; “Oxford Houses”; “Group Homes”; “Use of Torches with a Pre-piped Fuel and Oxygen Supply”; and “Clarification of IFC-NJ Edition Subchapter 3 regarding items that appear in the code that require the installation of new or upgrading of existing equipment”. Once these bulletins are completed, LEAs will be notified and available on the DFS Website.