PART I INTRODUCTORY Title and commencement 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Interpretation 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PART II FIRE SERVICES The Fire Authority for Northern Ireland The Fire Authority for Northern Ireland 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duties of the Authority 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Powers of the Authority 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire-hydrants 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Water supplies 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Application of certain provisions of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administration and finance Establishment scheme 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pensions 10 ⿿ 1 The Department, with the approval of the Department of Finance and Personnel, may by order provide⿿ a for the establishment and maintenance of one or more pension schemes for the purpose of providing pensions and other similar benefits in respect of the service of members of the fire brigade employed by the Authority; b for the payment of contributions by the Authority or by members of the fire brigade, or both by the Authority and the members of the fire brigade; c for securing that service with any body other than the Authority may, in such cases, upon such terms and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order, be reckoned for superannuation purposes; and d for reckoning for superannuation purposes, upon such terms and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order, of service occurring before 14th February 1950, as well as of service occurring thereafter. 2 The Department may by order apply, subject to such modifications and conditions as may be specified in the order and as from such date as may be so specified, as respects employees (other than members of the fire brigade) of the Authority the provisions of any statutory provision for the time being in force relating to the pensions payable to or in respect of employees of district councils. 3 An order made under this Article may provide for⿿ a the making as a condition precedent to the reckoning under paragraph (1) (c) of service with a body other than the Authority of⿿ i payments (whether in the form of repayments of contributions, payments of accrued superannuation values or any other payment of whatsoever nature directed to the creation or preservation of pension rights of the person concerned) by any former employer of the person concerned or out of any superannuation fund relevant to that person's former employment; ii where the person concerned has received any payment in respect of his pension rights upon ceasing to be employed in his former employment, payments by that person equal to all or any of the amounts so received; b in the case of a person who having ceased to be in the employment of the Authority has entered the employment of another person, the making of payments by the Authority corresponding to any payments such as are described in sub-paragraph (a) (i); c pensions and other superannuation benefits which are being paid or may become payable to or in respect of such persons as are specified in the order being persons who before the date so specified died or ceased to serve in the employment, service in which qualified them for those pensions or superannuation benefits; and any former employer such as is referred to in sub-paragraph (a) (i) and the person having charge of any superannuation fund such as is so referred to shall have power to make the payments mentioned in sub-paragraph (a) (i) if, apart from the provisions of this paragraph, they would not have power to do so. 3A Paragraphs (1) to (3) are subject to sections 18 and 19 of the Public Service Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 (restrictions on benefits provided under existing schemes). 4 An order under this Article may be framed so as to have effect as from a date earlier than the making of the order and section 18 (2) of the Administrative and Financial Provisions Act (Northern Ireland) 1962 shall not apply to any such order. 5 Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), an order made under that paragraph may make provision⿿ a where a person, immediately before he undertakes service of a description specified in Schedule 1 to the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces (Protection of Civil Interests) Act 1951 or attends for hourly instruction as defined in section 42 of that Act, is a member of the fire brigade, for treating the period of such service or instruction and such further period, if any, as may be specified in the order, on such conditions, if any, as may be so specified, as service in the employment of the Authority. b for the manner in which any question arising under the order is to be determined and for appeals from determinations of any such question. Expenditure by the Authority 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Accounts and audit 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Estimates of the Authority's receipts and payments 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Payments to the Authority 14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Borrowing powers 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annual report 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insurance by the Authority against accidents to its members 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Owners, occupiers, etc. , not to pay for fire services 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Miscellaneous Power to extinguish fires, etc. 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . False alarms 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PART III FIRE PRECAUTIONS Premises for which fire certificates are required Interpretation 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uses of premises for which fire certificate is compulsory 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Premises exempt from Article 22 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power to make fire certificate compulsory for use of premises as dwelling etc. 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Right of appeal against, and coming into force of, notices under Article 24 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fire certificates Application for, and issue of, fire certificate 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Powers for the Authority to grant exemption in particular cases 26A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Withdrawal of exemptions under Article 26A 26B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contents of fire certificate 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offences in relation to foregoing provisions 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Change of conditions affecting adequacy of certain matters specified in fire certificate, etc. 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Change of conditions affecting premises for which exemption has been granted 29A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charges for issue or amendment of fire certificates 29B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Right of appeal as regards matters arising out of Articles 26 to 29 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Duty as to means of escape and for fighting fire 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Codes of practice as to means of escape and for fighting fire 31A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legal effect of codes of practice 31B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Improvement notices 31C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rights of appeal against improvement notices 31D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provision as to offences 31E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Means of escape from fire in hotels and boarding houses 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Premises involving excessive fire risk Special procedure in case of serious risk: prohibition notices 33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rights of appeal against prohibition notices 33A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Provision as to offences 33B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regulations about fire precautions Power to make regulations about fire precautions 34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Exercise of certain powers of Authority where building regulations as to means of escape apply 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Consultation between the Authority and other authorities District councils to consult Authority before dispensing with or relaxing certain requirements of building regulations 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . District councils to consult Authority in certain cases before passing plans 37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Authority to consult other authorities before requiring alterations to buildings 38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Enforcement Enforcement of this Part 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Powers of authorised members of the fire brigade 40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restriction on disclosure of information 41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offences, penalties and legal proceedings Falsification of documents, false statements, etc. 42 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offences due to fault of other person 43 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Defence available to persons charged with offences 44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Civil and other liability 44A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power where notice under Article 24 in force, to modify agreements, etc. 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplemental Suspension of terms and conditions of licences dealing with same matters as fire certificates or regulations 46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Modification of application of this Part to factory, office and shop premises 47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power to apply this Part to vessels and movable structures 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Application of this Part to Crown, etc. 49 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PART IV FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT Functions of the Department 49A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inspectors 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inquiries and default powers 51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PART V MISCELLANEOUS Orders and regulations 52 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amendments, savings, transitional provisions and repeals 53 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .