Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That, in addition to the powers heretofore granted to cities of the second class, as provided for in an act, entitled "An act for the government of cities of the second class," approved the seventh day of March, one thousand nine hundred and one, and the supplements thereto, every city of the second class, in its corporate capacity, in order to decrease and prevent fire, the spread of fire, and fire waste, loss of life from fire, and loss of life or damage to property from unsafe or improper construction or design of buildings, is authorized and empowered, by ordinance,--
(a.) To provide for the inspection of the inside and outside of all buildings and premises at any time.
(b.) To provide and require that the owner or occupant of any building shall alter, repair, or remove any buildings or structures, or part thereof, or shall remove any combustible or explosive matter or inflammable conditions, upon order of the Director of the Department of Public Safety, to safeguard life or property, and to provide for penalties for disobedience of such orders; and to provide that the said department may close the building or premises pending such repairs, and, if the owner or occupant fails to obey such order, may have the necessary work done at the expense of the city; said expense to be recovered as hereinafter provided in section three.
(c.) To require the installation and maintenance, in such buildings as shall be designated, of portable fire apparatus, such as axes, pikes, poles, hose-reels, ladders, chemical extinguishers, portable pumps, and other similar appliances.
(d.) To require the installation and maintenance, in such buildings as shall be designated, of standpipes, sprinkling systems, hose-lines, and other similar appliances.
(e.) To provide for the keeping of all halls, doors, stairways, passageways, aisles, fire-escapes, and exits in such repair, and so free from obstruction, as to provide, in case of fire, full, free, safe, and adequate means of escape for those people who use, frequent, or are employed in such buildings.
(f.) To provide, for the purpose of preventing fires, the spread of fire, fire waste, danger to life in case of fire, and loss of life or damage to property from unsafe or improper construction or design of buildings, regulations and specifications for the construction, equipment, arrangement, maintenance, alteration and inspection, heating, cooling and lighting, stairways, doorways, elevators, fire-towers, fire- escapes, exits, aisles, passageways, floor levels, seats, fire- alarms, and all other means of providing safe escape in case of fire, of all buildings which may hereafter be constructed for use as stores, manufacturing establishments, churches, theatres, dance-halls, lodging-houses, tenements, dwellings, stables, storage houses, office buildings, hospitals, asylums, hotels, colleges, schools, dry-cleaning establishments, garages, and all other buildings where a large number of people have homes, congregate, or are employed.
(g.) To provide regulations and specifications for the construction and arrangements, maintenance, alteration and inspection, of proper, adequate, and safe means and appliances to prevent the spread of fire, and to enable the occupants to escape safely in case of fire, in all existing buildings used for the purposes set forth in paragraph (f) of this section.
(h.) To provide regulations and specifications for the construction of all chimneys, stacks, flues, smoke-pipes, and ventilators.
(i.) To provide regulations for the manufacture, transportation, storage, sale, and use of all fireworks, gunpowder, dynamite, and other explosives, including gas under pressure; all inflammable substances, volatile, inflammable liquids, and all other inflammables and other products; drugs, chemicals, and, generally, all substances which may be dangerous or likely to cause fire or injury to life or property in case of fire.
(j.) To prohibit the manufacture of explosives and fireworks.
(k.) To regulate and prohibit the transportation, storage, sale, or use of nitro-glycerine.
(l.) To provide for the preparation and distribution by the Department of Public Safety of rules and regulations to minimize the danger of fire and lessen fire waste.