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Code Enforcement: Critical for a Successful Fire Prevention Program by BEN COFFMAN

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Code Enforcement: Critical for a Successful Fire Prevention Program by BEN COFFMAN Continuing Education Course Code Enforcement: Critical for a Successful Fire Prevention Program BY BEN COFFMAN TRAINING THE FIRE SERVICE FOR 136 YEARS To earn continuing education credits, you must successfully complete the course examination. The cost for this CE exam is $25.00. For group rates, call (973) 251-5055. Code Enforcement: Critical for a Successful Fire Prevention Program Educational Objectives On completion of this course, students will 1) Identify the role of code enforcement. 3) Discover the negative side of code enforcement. 2) Determine why code enforcement is needed. 4) Identify administrative issues in code enforcement. BY BEN COFFMAN model code address exits and their maintenance. If exits are such an important part of the model building and fire codes, why do • The Iroquois Theatre: Fire “claimed the lives of 602 people, we continue to have fatalities behind inadequate exits? The an- two-thirds of them women and children, on the afternoon of swer is a lack of code enforcement. Code enforcement converts December 30, 1903.”1 Overcrowding, locked exits, inward- opening exit doors, and unfinished fire protection features all a building or fire code from just another government regulation contributed to the tragedy. into a force for life safety. Without trained and knowledgeable • The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub: On the night of November personnel out in the field performing inspections, issuing per- 28, 1942, 492 persons lost their lives after fire swept through mits, and generally improving the fire safety in their communi- flammable decorations and trapped overcrowded occupants ties, these tragedies will continue to happen. behind inadequate, locked or blocked exits.2 • The Beverly Hills Supper Club: Locked or blocked exits; in- compatible wiring; and an overcrowded, maze-like interior led INTRODUCTION TO CODE ENFORCEMENT to the deaths of 164 persons on the evening of May 28, 1977.3 America leads the industrial world in fire-related deaths. “The • The Happy Land Social Club: An arson fire set in a jealous annual losses from floods, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, rage killed 87 club goers on the night of March 25, 1990. and other natural disasters combined in the United States aver- Barred windows, overcrowding, and a single exit prevented 7 patrons from escaping the deadly fire.4 age just a fraction of the losses from fire.” An efficient and • The E2 Club: Panicked club goers, fleeing pepper spray effective fire prevention program that uses trained and knowl- used to break up a fight, stampeded down a steep, narrow edgeable persons to inspect properties for compliance with fire stairwell, crushing 21 people to death in the rush. Locked, codes and ordinances could prevent many of these fires. blocked, and inadequate exits were critical factors in the Code enforcement is a critical element in the success of fire deaths.5 • The Station Nightclub: Pyrotechnics from a band perfor- prevention programs. Almost every aspect of a thorough fire mance ignited flammable decorations at an overcrowded prevention program is affected by code enforcement in some concert, causing a stampede toward an inadequate main exit, way. It plays a major role in fire and life safety inspections, resulting in the deaths of 100 persons on February 20, 2003.6 plans review, hazardous materials and environmental inves- tigations, and the issuance of fire prevention code permits. he above incidents span more than 100 years, yet the Code enforcement plays an important but more limited role central theme of these needless deaths remains the same: in fire investigations, public education programs, and fire T inadequate exits. Whether exits are locked, blocked, or research and analysis. not present in sufficient number for the building, inadequate ex- Code enforcement, as well as fire prevention in general, its have probably contributed to more nonresidential fire deaths comes in many forms. Many programs use code enforcement than any other single factor. Yet, large portions of every major as a legal tool to ensure compliance with fire codes or ordi- www.FireEngineeringUniversity.com CODE ENFORCEMENT ● nances. Other programs may use code enforcement as more • Of the jurisdictions with inspection programs, those that used of a guideline, particularly in the absence of legal enforcement suppression companies for a majority of inspections had low- authority. Some programs use dedicated inspectors while oth- er fire rates than those using only dedicated fire inspectors. ers use suppression units to perform inspections. Some pro- • The report speculated that the lower fire rates probably grams may consist of a small office; others may have grown occurred because suppression companies were inspecting into divisions. The structure of the fire prevention organization more properties since they were greater in number than is not important; what is important is that the program covers dedicated fire prevention inspectors. the major functions of fire prevention. • The study found that the number of fires in the careless- ness/foolish action/mechanical failure category dropped What Is It? significantly, even fires that were not directly preventable Code enforcement is the process of ensuring compli- by fire inspectors. ance with all codes, ordinances, laws, and other regulations. • The report reasoned that the drop in the number of these Although this definition of code enforcement is accurate, in fires could be related to an overall attitude of fire safety in reality code enforcement is any action taken to ensure citizens the community because of the visibility of the fire preven- comply with fire codes. Code enforcement can mean anything tion program through annual inspections. from fire inspections to speaking to a citizens’ group about This study shows the positive benefits of a strong code enforce- burning garden debris. Each of these actions helps to educate ment program. Fire rates drop significantly when trained inspec- citizens about how to comply with the code, and compliance tors make annual inspections of public buildings. And the fire with the code, after all, is what code enforcement is all about. rates drop not only from direct code enforcement but also from an overall fire safe attitude, making the entire community safer. Why Is It Needed? Code enforcement is the basis for fire prevention inspec- Who Performs It? tions, and “the inspection process is the very backbone of There are as many staffing models for accomplishing code the fire prevention program”.8 A fire prevention program is enforcement as there are fire departments that employ code the most effective method of keeping the community safe enforcement. It seems no two code enforcement programs are from fires. Although firefighters and their fire engines can do alike. There are, however, some commonalities among code amazing work to put out fires, the damage to the community enforcement staffing models: begins before they even get the call. Fires devastate commu- • Personnel should be trained to the level of enforcement nities, costing billions of dollars, destroying vital infrastruc- they will perform. ture, and taking thousands of lives. Despite the nationwide • Personnel should be knowledgeable about the structures fear of terrorism, fire is the greatest threat a community and processes they will be inspecting. faces. • Personnel should be familiar with the legal authority and In 1978, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in a responsibilities of fire code enforcement. joint effort with the Urban Institute, the U.S. Fire Administration, Staffing the code enforcement functions of a fire preven- and the National Science Foundation, released the results of the tion program may require a complex system of fire prevention study “Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods personnel, civilians, and field personnel. Some of the more Lead To Success?”9 The study was an attempt to determine if fire common staffing models include the following: inspections could lower the number of fires and, correspond- • Full-time uniformed personnel dedicated to code enforce- ingly, the lives and dollars lost. The findings of this study show ment functions within the fire prevention organization. the following remarkable benefits of code enforcement: • Full-time civilians, properly trained and qualified, who • The study used data from 17 cities and one metropoli- fulfill the code enforcement functions. tan county and examined fires for which the dollar loss • Part-time firefighters from outside the department or fire- exceeded $5,000. fighters from within the department working on overtime • Data showed that four to eight percent of fires were to perform code enforcement. caused by hazards that could be seen and corrected by • A small number of uniformed fire inspectors following up the direct actions of fire inspectors. on inspections by field suppression units. • Forty to 60 percent of fires were caused by carelessness, The most effective code enforcement programs use a combi- foolish actions, or mechanical failures (often related to nation of all these staffing models. Tight budgets often reduce lack of maintenance) and were not preventable through the number of uniformed fire inspectors, requiring alterna- the direct actions of fire inspectors. tive staffing to accomplish fire prevention objectives. Hiring • The remaining 32 to 66 percent of fires resulted from civilians to witness fire detection and protection systems tests natural causes or incendiary actions or were
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