Wider impact seen for township fire inspections

More office and commerical establishments would be included.

By: Rachel Silverman
   Princeton Township Committee introduced an ordinance Monday night to expand its fire-inspection program in an effort to "increase fire inspections through the town and standardize them throughout," according to township fire official Ronald DiLapo.
   In a presentation before the committee, Mr. DiLapo explained exactly how this expansion would play out.
   "What we’re proposing is to inspect all businesses in Princeton Township that do not fall under the classification of life hazard use facilities," he said, referring to the standard classification under which an inspection is now mandatory.
   According to the current system, Mr. DiLapo explained in a follow-up interview, surgical centers, schools, day-care centers, dormitories and large assembly places are all classified as "life hazard use facilities," and therefore are currently inspected.
   The expanded program, he continued, would add other kinds of facilities — such as office buildings, municipal buildings, doctors’ offices, printing plants and enclosed common hallways — to the list.
   "It’s just as important. There’s people in those buildings just as there are in the others," Mr. DiLapo said, referring to the non-life hazard use facilities.
   "This will bring the same level of fire protection and monitoring that is going to be uniform throughout town," he continued, stressing that all single-family dwellings and other private residences would be exempt from the inspection program.
   Mr. DiLapo also pointed out that the nature of the inspections themselves would center around building use.
   "We’re not inspecting the building, we’re inspecting the use of the building or structure," Mr. DiLapo said. "We’re looking at things like, ‘Is the egress open and accessible?’ ‘Is the emergency lighting working properly?’" he said.
   Although the new program would not come cheap, Mr. DiLapo assured committee members that he is not seeking tax dollars to carry out the expanded inspections.
   "We’re looking to generate about $66,175 for the cost of the new program," he said. "We need to hire additional employees by a minimum of two, possibly three part-time inspectors," Mr. DiLapo said.
   "This program is designed to be self-sufficient," Mr. DiLapo added. "It will not go into the tax base and burden the citizens."
   To make the program self-supporting, Mr. DiLapo said each inspection site would be charged a set inspection fee.
   "The average price any business would be charged for their use is $125," Mr. DiLapo said, adding that the rates range considerably depending on the facility itself.
   Mr. DiLapo also called increased public safety the primary reason for instituting the new inspection campaign.
   "We are all about safety, and that is why we’re going in to do these inspections," he said.
   Fire Chief Pat McAvenia, who attended the Monday night meeting to show his support of the inspection initiative, agreed.
   "It’s basically for the safety of everyone here," he said. "You need to be safe wherever you’re going."
   Borough Council member David Goldfarb, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter, further echoed this sentiment.
   "Sometimes, especially when a building is unoccupied, the fire is not a threat to civilians," Mr. Goldfarb said. "In every case there’s a fire, there’s a threat to firefighters."
   In his public testimony, Mr. Goldfarb also urged his township counterparts to consider the merits of consolidation of the fire-inspection program.
   "It should lend itself to be operated as a joint agency fairly easily, because we don’t have to deal with the funding issue," he suggested. "Perhaps we can look at that as the next joint agency we can consider."
   A public hearing on the expansion of fire inspections is scheduled for Monday, May 23.