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New Construction:
We are seeing
more large scale construction in the form of big commercial
occupancies and large subdivisions. Bullhead City is approving
and permitting large amounts of land developments, more than
ever before. Our city is growing and so are the new construction
plan reviews and final inspections for fire department approval.
Annual / Semi Annual:
These
inspections are a very important service to our community. All
commercial occupancies are inspected for fire, life safety and
electrical hazards. The occupant is given a Discrepancy Notice
and they are given a specific time to correct any infractions.
Day Care:
We take special
care in doing day care inspections. The children of Bullhead
City are our future and they tend to be a little inquisitive.
The inspections are done to insure the safety of the children
and the facility by ensuring the center is safe in all aspects.
Health Care:
Health care
facilities are inspected every six months. Since the patients in
this occupancy are either sick, bed ridden or elderly, a
thorough inspection is essential to ensure that when the
facility is occupied, Fire and Life Safety issues are satisfied
and are keeping everyone safe. These facilities are sometimes a
challenge as we assist with making the best evacuation plans.
There is a lot
to consider because of the many types of patients they care for,
especially those that are non-ambulatory. In addition, fire
drills are required in this occupancy type for every shift
member on a monthly basis.
Schools:
School
inspections are performed to ensure that the students and
faculty are safe in their learning environment. Students young
and old should know about fire safety and practice it in and out
of school. In addition, monthly fire drills are required in this
type of occupancy.
Assembly:
Inspections of
an assembly include churches or a building where special
interest groups meet. We look at several different kinds of
decoration and furniture arrangements. Some special interest
clubs have bars in them so these inspections have some different
points of interest.
Churches are the
most common assembly type occupancy. The concerns with this type
are the isle way spacing, the combustibility of the decorations
and if they use candles for ceremonies. These facilities should
also post the occupancy load.
Night Clubs/Bars:
In the majority
of night clubs, alcohol is served and poses a potential fire
hazard if not properly stored. Some night clubs and bars have
stages and or dance floors, so the occupancy number will be
posted accordingly. If curtains exist, they should be fire
retardant.
There should be
GFI’s near the sinks to alleviate electrical hazards.
Historically, there have been numerous fires in these types of
occupancies. One famous bar fire was in Prescott AZ on the
infamous Whisky Row. At the Palace Saloon, you'll hear about the
night of July 14, 1900, when a wind-driven fire threatened
Whisky Row and burned most all of the bars to the ground.
The most recent
Night Club fire was
WEST WARWICK, Rhode Island (CNN) --
Ninety-six people died in a fast-moving fire at a Rhode Island
nightclub. With 35 people in critical
and serious condition, the governor said it would not surprise
him if the death toll were to rise above 100. This fire was
caused by the use of pyrotechnics in the night club without the
permission of the owner or the Fire Department.
The Self
Inspection Program:
Self
inspection is a privilege that the fire department offers to our
small businesses that do not have any special circumstances or
hazards. The program lets the small business owner self inspect
for two years on the merit and word of the occupant. They must
fill out the questionnaire and return it to the department for
review.
If there
are questions still to be answered we will visit and some
training to familiarize the occupant with the requirements of
the program. If the questionnaire is not returned, then the
occupant is non compliant with the program and the business will
have to be inspected by the fire department inspector.
Code Enforcement:
The
Bullhead City Fire District currently enforces the 2003 Edition
of the International Fire Code. Most recently three resolutions were
adopted by the Fire Board of this District. One was the need for
a Knox Box the occupancies that have fire alarm and fire
sprinkler systems installed. This is to provide the fire
department with emergency access.
We have
also adopted the requirement for a GFIC outlet to be required
rather than a regular electric outlet if it is within 6’ of any
wet location. This will help reduce the hazard of an electrical
shock near water. The third resolution adopted was the
requirement for address numbers and that they should be visible
from the street, and should be at least 4 inches in height for
homes and at least 6 inches in height for businesses.
The
codes to be enforced all have gone through the process of
adoption and are enforced for the safety of the community at
large. For any life safety issues, there is no such rule of
being “grandfathered in”, so all older buildings must comply
with any discrepancies of this nature. We have all learned from
history, and most of these codes are in place because of the
loss of life, limb, and property from incidents that have
occurred somewhere in the United States.
Fireworks
and enforcement:
Fireworks have been entertaining people for centuries and have
shown to be the favorite of the 4th of July and New
Year celebrations. Here in Arizona the use of fireworks are
prohibited by law and are heavily enforced in all city and
county areas. Only by permit from the Authority Having
Jurisdiction (AHJ) can a qualified licensed Pyro-Technician put
on a show.
Follow-up Inspections
Follow-up inspections are done to ensure the occupant or
property manager has complied with the discrepancy notice. When
discrepancies have not been corrected, the owner or manager may
be subject to judicial consequences.
Amusement Rides
Amusement ride inspections are done for the safety of the rider,
operator and the general public. From electrical hazards to the
bolts and drives that keep the rides moving, they are checked by
inspectors. They must have an extinguisher on hand for each
ride. Cooking trailers are checked for fire suppression
systems. All amusement operations must acquire a business
license prior to setting up for operation and the Prevention
office is notified by fax of their tentative arrival and
inspection date.
Fire Sprinkler, Fire Alarm, Commercial Cooking
Hood Systems:
Fire
sprinkler systems are installed in occupancies to further
protect the building. Some buildings are required by the Fire
Chief and the Fire Marshal to have systems installed because of
special hazards, but always per code requirements.
Fire
alarm systems are also installed to ensure the safety of the
occupants. Most are visual and audible to warn the occupant of
imminent fire or false alarms. The false alarms are usually
system malfunctions or drops in pressure of the fire sprinkler
system. If problems persist, the Fire Chief or the Fire Marshal
have the authority to have the owner or occupant provide a Fire
Watch until the problem in the system is returned to working
order.
Commercial Hood Systems are installed in commercial cooking
occupancies to rid the building of grease-laden vapors. They
must have the filters cleaned frequently and the hood inspected
and serviced by a professional a minimum of every six months.
The appropriate fire extinguishers for the kitchen area must
also be serviced once a year. All these systems are tested to
ensure quality of installation and that they are continually in
good working order.
Knox Boxes:
Knox
Boxes are the best and safest way for the fire department to
gain entry to a commercial occupancy in an emergency situation.
These boxes are required in Bullhead City in accordance with the
Fire District approved resolution, BCFDRES 2003-02, for all
commercial occupancies with a fire sprinkler system and/or fire
alarm system.
Knox has
been around a long time and has done extensive research on their
product and is listed with the Underwriters Laboratory (UL).
Knox has a lot of different products. We also suggest any
occupancy with a fire sprinkler system that has a fire
department connection (FDC) use their Knox Plugs to secure the
FDC from being tampered with.
FDC and
Hydrant Visibility
Any fire department water source or connection should be free of
vegetation and/or obstructions. For ease of visibility the fire
department connection (FDC) is usually red and fire hydrants are
usually yellow. The occupant of the building is responsible for
the maintenance of the FDC
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