4.__Violation.__A violation of this section is a Class E crime.

Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2467 is enacted to read:

§2467.__Voluntary standards for identification of hazardous and

vacant buildings

1.__Voluntary standards.__A governing body of a municipality may adopt the standards established in this section to provide a uniform method to identify hazardous or vacant buildings to lessen the frequency and severity of injuries that can occur in these buildings, especially in the course of fighting fires.

2.__State standards; elements.__The standards are recommended by the State and include the physical posting by a fire department within a municipality that adopts the standards of vacant buildings that may be hazardous.

3.__Posting requirements.__Signs to be posted must be 2 feet square with a reflective background that is readily visible from the street.__Signs must be located on the front of the building at or above the 2nd floor level and between openings.__Signs may not be located over doors, windows or other openings, where they may be obscured by smoke or fire.__All markings on the signs must be readily visible from the street and, if determined necessary by the fire department, signs must be located on the sides and rear of the building as needed.__In addition, signs must be located adjacent to all entrances and on penthouses.

The posting of a vacant building must use signs containing one of the following symbols.

A.__A vacant building that has interior hazards to such a degree that interior fire-fighting operations must be conducted with extreme caution is indicated as such by a square that has a diagonal line running from the top right- hand corner to the bottom left-hand corner.

B.__A vacant building for which fire-fighting operations must be conducted from the exterior of the building is indicated as such by a square that has 2 crossed diagonal lines, one running from the top right-hand corner to the bottom left-hand corner and one running from the top left- hand corner to the bottom right-hand corner.