JACKSON – Three representatives of Fire Districts in the township explained a change of policy concerning inspections during a recent Township Council meeting.
Council President Jennifer Kuhn invited Scott Rauch (Fire District 2), Michael Grossman (Fire District 3), and Stanley O’Brien (Fire District 4) to the meeting to go over changes.
She noted that an ordinance was being presented and that the governing body was seeking to repeal the current certificate of occupancy regulation “and move the fire and state laws to the fire department where the building department and myself feel is the best place for it. We wanted a Q and A with the fire officials.”
Kuhn noted to the public that it can be a complex process “especially when we are changing something so we wanted to make sure that we provide as much information as possible.”
Grossman noted that the ordinance would be on the township website, the fire district website as to how to obtain a smoke (alert) certificate when you are purchasing a house.
The property owner will have this paperwork and an appointment will need to be made with your local fire bureau. It will concern verification and inspection of a fire alarm. An appointment will be made. An inspection will be performed and if successful, it will “provide a six-month certificate and when the house is sold the certificate will go into closing with the seller and landlord,” Grossman added.
He added that there is a $1,500 fine if the home is sold without this inspection and the “inspection is very important.” Pets need to be away from the inspection area during the course of the inspection. If this doesn’t occur, “we’ll have to come back and that will be a reinspection.”
“Currently there are three fire bureaus in Jackson. The applicant will need to know which district they are in before they can apply, Grossman explained. “You type into the address (in the website) that you wish to sell and you will take that number of what fire district you are in and it will give you the application that you will fill out and will be provided to the proper fire bureau for your smoke detection carbon monoxide application.”
There are three dates that can be filled out for the inspection that run Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. and noon. An occupant 18 years old or older will be present when the inspector is in the house. “We aren’t going to go in your house without you being there. You will be accompanying us,” he added.
Grossman further explained, “we will check all your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, your carbon monoxide detectors. Our certificate will be based on that. We aren’t checking the screens or your carpets. To check 15 days in advance it is a $100 fee. If it is 10 to 14 business days, it is $200 if the schedule permits. We might not be able to get you between 10 and 14 days. If we schedule you five to nine days it will be $300 if schedule permits, four to one business days is $400 if schedule permits.
“If you fail your inspection there will be a $50 fee and a duplicate copy of the certificate is $25,” Grossman said.
He also noted that information was available as to where detection devices should be located and some frequently asked questions. Certain fire bureaus would take cash and some may not so the homeowner or future homeowner arranging the inspection would need to ask their bureau “how do I pay for this? Do you take credit card? Do you take check do you take a money order? It has to be paid before an inspection can be made.”
Kuhn noted that landlord inspections “are staying with code enforcement as of right now. It is not new construction.” A name change scenario from a person’s name to an LLC as a change of title would require an inspection.
It was clarified that fire extinguishers would be universal despite the size of the home and in the future a means to apply online will become available.
There wouldn’t be cancellation cut-off dates, because the person would cancel before the date of the inspection and the applicant would be put into another spot.
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