SM Fire Prevention Inspections Policy PDF

Chapter V Division Inspection Policy PREVENTION INSPECTIONS POLICY - INTRODUCTION 500.00 (Deleted 12/31/15) 500.02 Purpose: This section shall list and define the general policies and procedures to be used in maintaining or improving compliance with established Fire Prevention Codes and Standard...

Chapter V Division Inspection Policy PREVENTION INSPECTIONS POLICY - INTRODUCTION 500.00 (Deleted 12/31/15) 500.02 Purpose: This section shall list and define the general policies and procedures to be used in maintaining or improving compliance with established Fire Prevention Codes and Standards, and shall explain the purpose and scope of the inspections necessary to achieve and maintain the maximum fire prevention capability for the City of Columbus. More detailed and specific information concerning the Division's inspection policies and procedures is contained in the Fire Prevention Inspection Manual. 500.04 Inspection Jurisdiction and Frequency: Fire prevention inspections conducted by the Division of Fire shall encompass all areas within the corporate city limits and all city property located outside the city limits. Systematic inspections, as assigned by the Fire Prevention Bureau, will be conducted by emergency services fire inspectors in all business, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings at least once each year. 500.06 Types of Inspections: The various inspections conducted by Division fire inspectors shall include, but not be limited to: Regular Company Inspections ("Building" Inspections) Permit and License Inspections High Rise Building Inspections Familiarization Inspections Residential Inspections Special Inspections Complaint and Request Inspections Re-inspections Each type of inspection listed will be defined in general terms in this section, and will be explained in greater detail in the Fire Prevention Inspection Manual and SOPs assigned to each Division fire station. Also included in this section will be information concerning school fire drills and public education programs. (Revised 12/31/15) Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy 500.08 Company Inspection Districts: Fire Inspection Districts shall be assigned by the Chief of the Fire Prevention Bureau. They shall be distributed and assigned so as to divide the inspection workload among Division stations and companies as equitably as possible. The Fire Prevention Bureau will examine inspection workloads periodically to determine whether re-distribution of inspection districts is indicated. No re-distribution of, or changes to any inspection district shall be permitted, except as authorized by the Fire Prevention Bureau. 500.10 Inspection Procedures: Fire Prevention inspections shall be conducted in a systematic orderly fashion, and whenever possible, in the sequence assigned by the Fire Prevention Bureau. The conduct of inspections and maintenance of inspection records shall be as uniform as practical throughout the Division, in keeping with the provisions of this section and those listed in the Inspection Manual and applicable SOPs. (Revised 12/31/15) 500.12 Company Commanders shall be responsible for closely monitoring all aspects of Division inspection programs relating to their assigned inspection districts - including the required reports - and shall ensure that all inspections are performed as required on all properties assigned to their companies by the Fire Prevention Bureau. Assigned Fire Inspection Records (FIR) will not be returned to the FPB for any reason unless the indicated inspection has been conducted. 500.14 Battalion Chiefs shall monitor the inspection activities of all companies under their supervision, so as to ensure that reasonable progress is being made toward the completion of assigned programs. 500.16 It shall be the responsibility of the Fire Prevention Bureau to schedule all regular inspections, and to forward the required FIR to the appropriate company inspection districts. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy REGULAR COMPANY INSPECTIONS 502.00 Regular Company or "building" inspections will be scheduled by the Fire Prevention Bureau in keeping with the time period coded into the computerized Building Inventory Record (BIR). (Revised 12/31/15) 502.02 Fire Inspection Records (FIR) will then be forwarded to the designated fire companies. All assigned inspections must be performed, and all required paper work processed, by the due date listed on the FIR (generally the last day of the particular month). (Revised 12/31/15) 502.04 Division members conducting fire prevention inspections of any type shall carry proper Division identification, wear the appropriate Division uniform, and be in strict compliance with the Division grooming code. Inspectors shall not be permitted to smoke or otherwise use tobacco products while conducting inspections. 502.06 When performing inspections scheduled by the Fire Prevention Bureau, members shall carry a copy of the Columbus Fire Code and the Fire Prevention Inspection Manual. Also, depending upon the particular inspection being conducted, inspectors may be required to carry a clipboard, flashlight, pens and pencils, blank BIR forms, fire prevention literature, permit applications and where necessary, a hard hat, safety glasses and similar required items. 502.08 Upon arrival at the premises to be inspected, inspectors shall present their identification, ask to be introduced to the person responsible for the occupancy, and describe the purpose of their visit. 502.10 If any Division inspector is refused permission to conduct an inspection, the following procedure should be adhered to: (1) Quietly leave the premises; do not argue or show displeasure with anyone involved. (2) Report all details of the incident to your immediate supervisor, and also to the Fire Prevention Bureau in writing. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy (3) Keep the Fire Inspection Record for the involved premises at the station. If necessary, the FPB shall take action to obtain a search warrant. 502.12 Normally, regular company inspections are to be conducted during the following listed hours: Weekdays: 0900 to 1200 and 1300 to 1600 Saturdays: 0900 to 1200 Inspections are not to be performed on Sundays or Holidays except with the expressed approval of the appropriate Battalion Chief. 502.14 In keeping with the Division policy and procedures the mission of the Division must be met. This means that building inspections must be performed. Therefore, no member should expect any request for instant vacation to be granted by their Battalion Chief unless all companies in a particular battalion on the unit in question have completed all their assigned building inspections. 502.16 Members encountering inspection problems should contact the FPB inspector assigned to provide assistance to their battalion, or the Fire Prevention Bureau. All FPB inspectors are normally available for calls between the hours of 0800 - 0830 each week day at the Fire Prevention Bureau. PERMIT AND LICENSE INSPECTIONS 504.00 Company inspectors may be called upon to perform annual permit and license inspections. Permit inspections are conducted during the months of May and June, while license inspections are conducted in December. 504.02 When conducting permit and/or license inspections, company inspectors will inspect only for the conditions required by the specific permit/license. It will not be necessary to perform an inspection of the entire occupancy. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy 504.04 Company Inspectors shall not be involved in the collection of any permit or license fees. Refer to the Inspection Manual for further information concerning permit and license inspections. HIGH RISE BUILDING INSPECTIONS 506.00 Every building within the inspection jurisdiction of the Division of Fire which also falls into the category of a "High Rise Building", shall have a Division officer assigned to it. The primary concern of each officer so assigned will be to ensure ongoing compliance with the Division's High Rise Program. 506.02 Division High Rise Officers will receive computer generated FIR for their respective buildings from the Fire Prevention Bureau four (4) times per year. Inspections conducted by High Rise Officers upon receipt of these FIR will primarily involve meeting with each building's Certified Fire Safety Director, to ensure that C.C. Sections 2509.05 and 2509.06 are being followed, and to ensure that all of the building's required means of egress are being properly maintained. 506.04 Company Inspectors shall conduct regular company inspections of the entire high rise building and all tenant spaces contained therein at least once each year, as assigned by the Fire Prevention Bureau. 506.06 Assignment of officers to new high rise buildings will be made while the buildings are under construction, so as to ensure that the Division High Rise Program is in place when the buildings are ready for occupancy. 506.08 Assignments of officers to existing buildings will be made by the Chief as needed to ensure the continuation of the Division’s High Rise Program. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy FAMILIARIZATION INSPECTIONS 508.00 Familiarization or pre-fire planning inspections of high risk or "target hazard" occupancies will be conducted periodically by Division fire companies. 508.02 Normally, familiarization inspections will be conducted in a given company's first alarm running district, and may or may not coincide with the fire inspection district of the same company. Also, when so directed by the Emergency Services Deputy Chief, familiarization inspections may be conducted in 2nd alarm running districts. 508.04 (Deleted 12/31/15) RESIDENTIAL INSPECTIONS 510.00 Residential or "home" inspections will be performed only when requested by a homeowner or resident, or at the direction of the Battalion Chief or Emergency Services Deputy Chief. (Revised 12/31/15) 510.02 - 510.16 (Deleted 12/31/15) SPECIAL INSPECTIONS 512.00 Special Inspections are defined as inspections conducted in conjunction with some special Division program. An example would be the annual Christmas Inspections. 512.02 (Deleted 12/31/15) COMPLAINT AND REQUEST INSPECTIONS 514.00 Complaint inspections shall be assigned and conducted in response to all reports advising the Fire Division of a potentially hazardous condition or violation of the Fire Code. 514.02 - 514.08 (Deleted 12/31/15) Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy RE-INSPECTIONS 516.00 Whenever code violations are found during the course of an inspection, a re-inspection will be scheduled by the company inspector making the original inspection. The purpose of the re-inspection is to ensure that the violation has been corrected. 516.02 (Deleted 12/31/15) 516.04 (Deleted 12/31/15) SCHOOL DRILL FIRE PROCEDURES 518.00 This section consists of information and guidelines designed to assist Division members who are assigned the responsibility of conducting school fire drills. 518.02 (Deleted 12/31/15) 518.04 (Deleted 12/31/15) 518.06 School fire drills shall be conducted in accordance with current SOPs at least once a year, preferably during October. Avoid conducting a drill during the lunch hours between 10:45 and 12:45. (Revised 12/31/15) 518.08 - 518.16 (Deleted 12/31/15) PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS 520.00 Public Education Programs will be scheduled by the Community Relations Office. 520.02 The Division's Program Request Form (OF-270) will be completed by the Community Relations Office. The white copy of this request form will be forwarded to the Emergency Services Deputy Chief, for his/her files. The yellow and pink copies will be sent to the Battalion Chief in whose district where the group is located. The gold copy will be kept by Community Relations for their records. Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy 520.04 After the proper company receives the request form from the Battalion Chief, confirmation of the requested program shall be made. This must be done by the date indicated on the program request. After confirming the program, return the yellow copy of the OF-270 to Community Relations, but retain the pink copy until after the program has been presented. 520.08 Requested and confirmed programs can only be canceled after permission to do so has been obtained from the appropriate Battalion Chief who must first obtain approval from ES-2 before allowing a cancellation of a scheduled Community Relations program. If a cancellation is necessary, get in touch with the contact person listed on the request form as soon as possible, and make arrangements to reschedule the program. Whenever possible, reschedule for a duty day that your unit works. Have the person requesting the program contact the Community Relations office for other rescheduling arrangements. 520.10 Members having any questions, suggestions or comments concerning the Division's Fire Safety Education Programs should call the Office of Community Relations at 4634 or 645-7377. FIRE HYDRANT INSPECTIONS AND PROCEDURES 540.00 – 540.120 (Moved to 640.00 – 640.120 – 12/31/15) Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy JUVENILE FIRESETTER PROGRAM 550.00 Introduction: The Division of Fire Juvenile Firesetter Program is designed to identify and work with children who frequently play with lighters, matches and various other common fire sources. It is also set up to provide individualized fire safety education services to children who are responsible for actually starting fires in their own homes and neighborhoods. These goals are accomplished for the most part by trained Division personnel who teach basic fire safety practices to both the children and their parents. 550.02 While fire safety education is the most basic element in the Juvenile Firesetter Program, the interview process is also very important. This component of the program allows for the gathering of information about a child's environment and their fire play or fire setting problems. Once acquired, such information is evaluated in order to categorize the child's motivation for fire play into "curiosity" or "troubled" classifications. In either case, however, many psychologists agree that chronic "fire-setting" is a symptom of other emotional disturbances, and not necessarily the single behavioral problem that many parents believe it to be. 550.04 Division members who are interested in volunteering for the Juvenile Firesetter Program shall submit an Official Intra-Divisional Communication (Form RT-154), requesting that they be included in an upcoming training session. This request shall be addressed to the Fire Chief, and processed through proper channels. Included in this communication will be the requesting member's full name and Division I. D. number, seniority number, current assignment, and unit designation. (Rev 12/31/15) 550.06 Included in the approximately 40-hours of on-duty Firesetter Educator Training will be basic instruction on the program components and extensive role-playing exercises. In addition, all personnel involved in the Juvenile Firesetter Program will be required to participate in continuing education sessions at least once every six months. All JFP training shall be conducted in an on duty status. 550.10 Firesetter Referral Process: The Juvenile Firesetter Program is designed to receive referral or "intake" information from several sources. In this way the "at risk" Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy population of Juvenile Firesetters can be more clearly identified and, hopefully, given needed assistance. Currently, initial intake information is received by way of the following: 1. Direct parent requesting that their child be scheduled to participate in the program to call 614-645-7641 ext. 74142 or email, Juvenile Fire Setters at [email protected]) 2. Information from fire incident reports and/or fire department personnel. 3. Referrals to the program coordinator from Franklin County Children Services (FCCS). 4. Referrals from various mental health professionals. 5. Referrals from the Franklin County Juvenile Court. Family participation shall be mandatory in these cases. 6. 550.12 Division Fire Investigators. (Revised 12/31/15) Once a child becomes involved in the Juvenile Firesetter Program and is scheduled to work with a Firesetter Educator, the initial interview process will be conducted by the JFP Coordinator. An evaluation of the results of this interview will indicate whether the child needs only educational intervention or whether referral to another agency is required (for instance, FCCS, Mental Health Professionals, or other juvenile agencies). (Revised 12/31/15) 550.14 Scheduling of Educational Sessions: An Individualized Education Plan (IEP) shall be developed by the JFP Coordinator and all educational sessions shall be scheduled and conducted by the JFP Coordinator or his appropriately trained designee. Once the IEP has been completed the JFP Coordinator with notify the referring individual(s) of the child’s successful completion of the program. (Revised 12/31/15) 550.16 General Information: Prevention efforts involved in the Juvenile Firesetter Program are classified as "primary" and "secondary". The primary prevention efforts are focused toward providing fire safety education for children before a fire occurs. The secondary prevention efforts are focused on children who have actually been Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V Division Inspection Policy involved in starting fires (these could be "accidental" fires as well as intentionally set fires). 550.18 Division personnel receiving questions concerning how to enroll children in the Juvenile Firesetter Program should instruct the parents - or other responsible adult - to call the program coordinator at 614-724-0936 or email, Juvenile Fire Setters at [email protected]). An exception to this procedure might be where the necessity for an investigation by the Fire Investigations Unit is indicated. In addition, any Division member who has completed the Juvenile Firesetter Program training class can complete the proper intake form, and forward same to the JFP Coordinator in the Fire Investigations Unit. (Revised 12/31/15) 560.00 (Deleted 12/31/15) Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020 Chapter V I Division Maintenance Policies Section 602.00 Hose and Equipment Identification Section 604.00 Apparatus Section 606.00 Supplementary Apparatus Section 608.00 Tools and Equipment Section 610.00 Power Tools and Equipment Section 612.00 Boats, Motors and Equipment Section 614.00 Fire Hose Section 616.00 Salvage Covers Section 618.00 Ropes Section 622.00 Radiation Instruments Section 640.00 Fire Hydrant Inspections and Procedures Revised 12.07.2017 Updated as of 2.18.2020