Definitions

2.

1. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,
   • (a) “building” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the GDCR or relevant law or any law for the time being in force in the area in which this Act is in force; and includes places or premises comprising land or building, or part of a land or building, outhouses, if any, appertaining to such building or part thereof and petrol, diesel or gas lines, communication lines, power installations or pumps, whether authorized or otherwise;
   • (b) “building bye-laws” means the building bye-laws, rules or regulations made under any relevant law and includes GDCR or regulations, by whatever name they are called, or any other building rules or regulations made under any other law for the time being in force and are in operation in the area in which this Act is in force;
   • (c) “Chief Fire Officer” means a person as classified under section 10;
   • (d) “Commissioner” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause
2. (9) of section 2 of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949;
   • (e) “Director” means a person appointed under section 6;
   • (f) “disaster” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause
   • (h) of section 2 of Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003;
   • (g) “emergency services” means services required to be rendered in case of manmade or natural disaster or any eventuality where the life is at risk;
   • (h) “erector” means a person or an association of persons, whether corporate or otherwise, who erects or makes a shamiyana or tents or mandap or any structure for occupation of people on a regular or temporary basis;
     • (i) “fees” means fees levied under section 30;
   • (j) “fire division” means a territory comprising such number of fire sub-divisions as may be prescribed; and declared generally or specially by the State Government to be a fire division for the purpose of this Act;
   • (k) “fire prevention and life safety measures” means such measures as are necessary in accordance with the building bye-laws or as required by or under the provisions of any law or the National Building Code of India, for the time being in force, for the prevention, control and fighting of fire and for ensuring the safety of life and property in case of fire;
   • (l) “fire region” means territory comprising such number of fire divisions as may be prescribed and declared generally or specially by the State Government to be a fire region for the purpose of this Act;
   • (m) “fire safety officer” means a person appointed under section 12 of this Act as the Fire Safety Officer by the owners and occupiers of certain premises and buildings as specified in this behalf to ensure fire prevention and fire safety measures installed in such premises and buildings;
   • (n) “Fund” means fund constituted under section 32;
   • (o) “GDCR” means the General Development Control Regulations made under clause
   • (m) of sub-section
3. (2) of section 12 of Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976;
   • (p) “Licensed Agency” means a person or an association of persons licensed under sub-section
4. (1) of section 28;
   • (q) “Housing Society” includes all registered residential and non-residential or mixed housing societies, association of owners or co-owners of flat occupancy, building premises and associations of owners as defined under the Gujarat Ownership of Flats Act, 1973;
   • (r) “local authority” means a municipal corporation, nagar panchayat, municipality, district panchayat, taluka panchayat, gram panchayat, notified area committee or cantonment board constituted under relevant local authority law; “Local Fire service” means the local fire service as may be notified by the State Government under section 3.
   • (t) “National Building Code of India” means the book or books containing Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures to be implemented in the buildings, places, premises, workshops, warehouses and industries, published from time to time by the Bureau of Indian Standards;
   • (u) “nominated officer” means an officer possessing the prescribed qualifications and nominated by the Director or the Regional Fire Officer or the Chief Fire Officer to perform duties and functions laid down under this Act;
     • (v) “occupancy” means the principal occupancy for which a building or a part of a building is used or intended to be used including subsidiary occupancies which are contingent upon it;
   • (w) “occupier” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause
     • (xvi) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976;
     • (x) “owner” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause
     • (xvii) of section 2 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976 and shall also include the housing society;
   • (y) “premises” means any land or any building or part of a building and includes the garden ground and outhouse, if any, appertaining building or part of a building; and any land or any building or part of a building appurtenant thereto which is used for storing explosives explosive substance and dangerously inflammable substance;
   • (z) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under section 57;
   • (za) “Regional Fire Officer” means a person appointed under section 8;
   • (zb) “regulations” means regulations made by the Director under section 58;
   • (zc) “shamiyana or tents or mandap” means a temporary structure with roof or walls made of straw, hay, ulu grass, golpatta, hogla, darma, mat, canvas, cloth or other like material which is not adopted for permanent or continuous occupancy.
5. (2) Words and expressions used in this Act but not defined shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976 or the Gujarat State Disaster Management Act, 2003 or any other law relating to local authorities, as the case may be, and the rules made thereunder.