§ 11-277. Fire lanes.

(a)

The owner of any property or his agent may remove or cause to be removed all obstructions or vehicles which are:

(1)

Liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire/EMS Department or egress of occupants in the event of a fire or other emergency; or

(2)

In violation of any fire, health, or safety ordinance.

Where the obstruction is a motor vehicle which is to be towed from the premises, the owner or agent must specifically, in each case, give prior written authorization to the person towing, setting forth the tag number of the motor vehicle or an adequate description and the certification that the owner or agent (other than person towing) has found the motor vehicle in an area clearly marked as a fire lane or has blocked an access to an area which is clearly marked as a fire lane.

The aforesaid owner or agent may impound or cause to be impounded all such obstructions or vehicles removed or caused to be removed under this Section. The impoundment of a motor vehicle pursuant to this Subsection is subject to the right to a hearing as prescribed in Division 18 of Subtitle 26 of this Code except that the owner of the premises shall carry the burden of establishing that there was probable cause to impound the vehicle in question and shall be liable for all charges incident to the impoundment and the hearing if the hearing officer determines that there was not probable cause to impound the vehicle in question. The owner or his agent, upon failure to have removed all such obstructions or vehicles within a reasonable time after actual knowledge thereof, shall be guilty of a violation of this Subtitle.

(b)

Whenever the Fire Chief or authorized representative shall find that any private entrance, exit sidewalk, vehicular driveway, interior private driveway, sidewalk, fire lane, or fire hydrant is obstructed by snow, debris, construction material, trash containers, vehicles, or other matter likely to interfere with the ingress or operation of the Fire/EMS Department or other emergency vehicles in case of fire, or other emergency, the Fire Chief or authorized representative may order the obstruction removed. To effectuate this Subsection, the Fire Chief or authorized representative may order "no parking fire lane" signs erected at the curb line, at no distance greater than thirty-five (35) feet between signs, and may designate the placement thereof. When placed on a pole, post or building, approved fire lane signs shall be placed at seven (7) feet to the bottom of the sign from finished curb height. The approved sign shall comply with the Department of Public Works and Transportation standard with an inscription stating, "NO PARKING, FIRE LANE, BY ORDER OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY FIRE/EMS DEPARTMENT." The curbs of the approved fire lane shall be painted with yellow traffic paint which shall meet the requirements of Federal Specification TT-P-1952D, Type II. Any vehicle which is located within the area controlled by such signs or marking, on private property or otherwise, whether or not the owner, operator, or custodian of such vehicle has actual or constructive notice of the vehicle location or posted signs or markings, shall be deemed parked in violation of this Subtitle. Any vehicle, on private property or otherwise, which is located in such a manner that it would obstruct or interfere with the connection of a hose to a fire hydrant, whether or not the owner, operator, or custodian of such vehicle has actual or constructive notice of the vehicle location, shall be deemed parked in violation of this Subtitle. Any person responsible for the parking of a vehicle in violation of this Subsection or any person refusing to obey a lawful order of the Fire Chief or authorized representative under this Subsection shall be guilty of a violation of this Subtitle. Upon violation, any police officer or fire official shall have the authority to remove or cause to be removed such vehicle parked in violation of this Subsection and impound it pursuant to Division 18 of Subtitle 26 of this Code. All persons towing vehicles while enforcing this Subsection shall be required to report the impoundment of said vehicles to the Police Department in compliance with Section 26-142.06 of this Code and to comply with any other applicable County laws.

(c)

Any person issued a citation for a violation of this Section shall, in addition to any other penalties, be subject to a fine of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for each violation. The violator shall pay the fine at the Treasury Division, Office of Finance, within fifteen (15) days from the date of notice of violation.

(1)

The first Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) of revenue collected from fines imposed by this Section shall be used for operating and capital expenses related to Advanced Life Support (Paramedic) Mobile Intensive Care Unit services provided by Prince George's County. Thereafter, one half of the revenue collected shall be used for this purpose.

(2)

After the first Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000) is collected, one half of the revenues from the fines imposed by this Section shall be used for operating and capital expenses of the Police Department.

(CB-107-1979; CB-111-1979; CB-35-1981; CB-124-1982; CB-77-1986; CB-58-1988; CB-80-2006; CB-96-2012)