Salisbury Township is seeking to hire a fire inspector to implement its recently-approved fire prevention program.

The township board of commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 at the Jan. 23 township meeting to advertise for a part-time fire inspector, to be paid approximately $17 an hour, with no benefits, and work about 20 to 25 hours per week.

The motion for the vote was made by Commissioner Robert Martucci, Jr. and seconded by Commissioner Joanne Ackerman.

The motion was not listed on the Jan. 23 township meeting agenda. The request to add the motion to the agenda was presented by Township Manager Randy Soriano.

"I want to move on this," Soriano said. "The first step is to establish a job description."

The program is intended to ensure property owners comply with fire prevention laws. The goal is to prevent fires, improve safety for residents, and increase safety for firefighters and police in the event of a fire.

"The fire inspector will be overseen by Police Chief Allen W. Stiles and Sergeant Donald Sabo, Jr. They want to hire someone who can make that program work and hire inspectors," Soriano said.

"We're not going to hire someone and train. We want them to step in," Soriano said.

The person to be hired must have no criminal background, should have three years of experience in fire inspections and have knowledge of the fire code and inspection procedures.

The person hired would become a township employee and deputized to issue citations.

Stiles reviewed the fire inspector job description, Soriano said. Stiles did not attend the Jan. 23 meeting.

The person hired must be a Pennsylvania-certified building inspector. Several volunteer firemen of the Eastern Salisbury Fire Department and Western Salisbury Fire Department are certified.

Commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 at the Dec. 19, 2013 meeting to approve the Fire Prevention & Life Safety Ordinance. The ordinance was to take effect 60 days after its passage, or approximately Feb. 19.

The ordinance requires an 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.

Single-family residences are exempt.

The ordinance pertains to: 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 ordinance set 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.

Funding for the inspectors' hourly pay is to be offset by inspection fees, which are expected to be determined by township officials.

Township officials want to implement the building inspection program this year.