Fire Prevention
Incident Avoidance and Safety Links
A Prevention activity of primary importance assures that fire safety is designed into both new structures being constructed and existing buildings being refurbished in our community. During 2006, 1040 plans for new construction were reviewed. An inspector follows the project from the first plan presented to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.
The division coordinates all hazardous materials review and permitting as required by City ordinance. One inspector is assigned this duty which requires specialized training and knowledge. A Deputy Fire Marshal is trained and serves as the back up to this position.
SPFR, through City Ordinance, requires that a Fire Inspector(s) be “on site” when greater than 600 people gather for an indoor assembly (excluding religious service). The number of inspectors required is based on a sliding scale that considers the type of event and the audience in attendance. A Deputy Fire Marshal coordinates these events. The process starts with a floor plan review and progresses to the permit (which could involve an additional permit for pyrotechnics), Fire Inspector scheduling, overtime billing, and ends with a post event critique. The Deputy Fire Marshals also supervise Division Inspectors, serve on numerous committees, administer the False Alarm Ordinance, and oversee Fire and Arson investigation.
The success of the arson detection and prosecution program is a result of a Police Detective being assigned to SPFR to team with our arson fire investigator. This dual approach now provides the one-two punch which has resulted in a substantial increase in our arson fire closure rate and a marked decrease in the number of arson cases. In order to provide a prompt response to working fires and to direct the origin and cause determination, four fire investigators rotate on-call on a weekly basis providing 24 hour coverage to assist the Fire Operations officers.
