West New York, NJ Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Chapter 344 of the Code of the Town of West New York was adopted by the Board of Commissioners on 2-21-1979 as Ord. No. 1334 and extended to multifamily buildings and hotels by Ord. No. 1444 in 1981. A smoke detector must be an Underwriters' Laboratories (UL) label and/or Factory Mutual approved, listed and labeled device sensing visible or invisible particles of combustion that sounds an alarm sufficiently audible to warn occupants of the dwelling unit, whether they are sleeping or awake.

Section 344-2 required existing dwellings to have a sufficient number of detectors, no less than one per dwelling unit, on or before September 30, 1979. Section 344-6 adds that a dwelling with more than one level needs at least one detector in the hallway of each level, in addition to the detectors needed in each dwelling unit. Section 344-5 ties the rule to occupancy: no certificate of occupancy is issued for any new or newly rehabilitated dwelling unless the Fire Department certifies that detectors sufficient in number to warn all occupants are installed, in proper working order and audible to occupants whether asleep or awake.

Larger buildings have heavier requirements. A multifamily apartment house, meaning a building with more than two dwelling units, needs electric-type detectors in the hallways and the basement or cellar, installed by a licensed electrician working under a permit and electronically interconnected, with battery-type detectors in the dwelling units (§ 344-3). A hotel, meaning a building with six or more guest rooms, needs interconnected electric-type detectors in all hallways, basements and each living unit (§ 344-4). Installations must conform to both local and state codes as set by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The owner of each building is responsible for installing the required detectors and keeping them in proper working order (§ 344-7). A dwelling that is required by law or regulation to have another smoke detector or fire prevention system, and has it installed, is exempt from the chapter (§ 344-8). Enforcement belongs to the members of the Fire Department, the Construction Official and the Building Subcode Official (§ 344-10).