Salisbury Township officials expect to implement a new township-wide building inspection program in 2014.

The program is intended to ensure property owners comply with fire prevention laws, with the hope it will prevent fires, improve safety for residents and increase safety for firefighters and police should a fire occur.

To set the program in motion, the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 at the Dec. 19 , 2013 meeting to approve the fire prevention and life safety ordinance.

The ordinance requires the annual inspection of commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings for possible violations of the fire, safety and health code requirements of Chapter 7 of the International Property Maintenance Code.

The ordinance does not apply to single-family residences.

The ordinance establishes a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days if convicted of a violation of the ordinance.

Each day of the violation is considered a separate offense, with fines and penalties imposed on a daily basis.

The ordinance takes effect 60 days after its passage, or approximately Feb. 19.

The ordinance covers, among other matters: building egress, fire alarms, portable fire extinguishers, fire-resistance ratings, fire-protection systems, fire-extinguishing systems, chemical-extinguishing systems, flammable and combustible liquids, motor fuel dispensing facilities and repair garages, ventilation control and commercial cooking operations.

The inspection program will be administered by the Salisbury Township Police Department.

State-certified building inspectors, who will work part time, are likely to come from the ranks of Eastern Salisbury Fire Department and Western Salisbury Fire Department, and will be compensated.

Funding for the inspectors' hourly pay is to be offset by inspection fees, which have not been set.

The inspection program has been long-advocated by Salisbury Township Police Chief Allen W. Stiles and Salisbury fire department officials and volunteer firefighters. The program was discussed at several township workshops and meetings in 2013.

"I think it's something we've needed for a very long time," Stiles said at the Dec. 19, 2013 meeting. "And we're excited to protect the safety of firemen, police and residents."

Township Commissioner James Seagreaves, an Eastern Salisbury Fire Department volunteer firefighter, said, "I think we're going to find a lot of things in the township," indicating many properties may not be in compliance.

"We hope to have this in place by early 2014," Township Manager Randy Soriano said.

The five-page ordinance states the officials' intentions:

"The Township of Salisbury wishes to reduce conditions which would pose a threat to life, property and the environment in commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings of three or more units.

"The Salisbury Township Police and Fire Departments have recommended a fire prevention, protection and safety program that requires the annual inspection of commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings at regulated time intervals and the enforcement of violations of the Fire Prevention Code."

According to the ordinance:

"The designated [fire safety] officer shall be a sworn, non-civil service employee under the Salisbury Township Police Department and obtain powers of enforcement through the Lehigh County Criminal Justice System."

"The [fire safety] person(s) designated under this ordinance may, during hours of operation or by agreement of building owner-agent enter any public or private building for the purpose of inspection under the Fire Prevention Program.

"The Fire Safety Officer(s) shall provide the owner-agent with a written list of code violations, if any, and a date by which all violations must be corrected.

"In cases where an owner-agent does not agree with a violation(s) or the required corrective measures ordered by the fire safety officer and believes they do meet the intent of the code by other means, the owner-agent may file an appeal with the Building Code Board of Appeals.

"Failure to allow access for the fire safety officers to perform the scheduled inspection(s) may result in violation of this Ordinance. The fire safety officer may obtain an administrative search warrant to enter any property or structure when an owner-agent denies access.

"The fees for the fire prevention program shall be established by the Board of Commissioners and shall be set forth in the Salisbury Township Schedule of Fees. Fees may be amended by Resolution."

A fire inspection program checklist to assure compliance will be created.

The police chief and township manager will develop rules and regulations for the fire inspection program.

"Upon approval by the designated official, the business or property owner will be issued a certificate of compliance," the ordinance states.

"If upon inspection it is the opinion of the designated official that an immediate fire hazard or condition dangerous to human life or property exists, the official is hereby authorized to order an immediate evacuation of the premises and to secure the same until such hazard or condition has been corrected," according to the ordinance.