enforcement of fire and life safety codes within your jurisdiction
Code Violations Paper Background Information:
You are to assume the position of fire prevention officer or manager. You are responsible for enforcement of fire and life safety codes within your jurisdiction (fire service personnel are likely to relate directly to the fire department’s Fire Prevention Division, while private sector personnel are likely to relate to your organizations Safety and Health Division).
In your position as Fire Prevention Office/Manager, you have conducted quarterly inspections of all organizational buildings. During your most recent inspection you have discovered five code violations:
one relating to electrical issues, two relating to structural issues, and two relating to ventilation issues. Specific details for each of the four issues found are as follows:
Electrical: You find that the incoming supply service is badly worn and in need of immediate repair or replacement. All apparatus connected is on the organization’s “side” of the incoming power supply and is not the responsibility of the local power supplier.
Structural: You find that three of the nine concrete support columns in the basement of the main operations floor (apparatus floor in fire service and production area in private sector occupancy) show signs of fatigue and spalling of concrete is wide-spread. The second issue is found to be visual cracks and oxidation of several of the steel trusses supporting the roof.
Ventilation: You find that exhaust from apparatus or machinery (whichever applies) is collecting in the upper level area of the general working area, which has caused several personnel to experience symptoms similar to carbon monoxide inhalation. The second issue is the central heating and air conditioning unit, which you find has broken seals, worn electric wires, and clogged filters.
Task: The purpose of this paper is for you to apply the concepts and information that you have learned in this unit about the position of a Fire Prevention Officer/Manager. This assignment provides you with the opportunity to use your skills, expertise, and experience to enrich your response when compiling data that will be used for risk reduction within the community.
You will compose a paper addressing all three code violations given above. You are tasked with the job of seeking repairs and/or replacements associated to each of the three components given above. The final paper will be presented to the board or body of your organization with the authority to provide funding for repairs and/or replacement of components found during your inspection.
Your paper should be composed to support the need for funding to correct these violations. Your paper should be a minimum of three pages, but no more than five (not including the cover page or reference page), and include the following:
A minimum of one page should be devoted to your mission statement.
A minimum of two pages should be devoted to three components: electrical, structural, and ventilation.
Be sure to provide detailed narration to explain your plan to undertake each of the three components Keep in mind that your narrative must be straight-to-the-point. Avoid long rambling narrations as these tend to distract attention and often lead to confusion and misunderstanding of purpose and functionality.
Remember that you are the head of this newly formed bureau, and you want to impress your leadership with your knowledge, academic ability, and occupational experience.
You must reference your textbook, an article retrieved from the CSU Online Library, and a credible website ending in .edu, .gov, or .org; therefore, a minimum of three sources should be referenced.
*****************REFERENCES*****************
Diamantes, D. (2016). Principles of fire prevention (updated 3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Making the Nation Safe from Fire A Path Forward in Research Committee to Identify Innovative Research Needs to Foster Improved Fire Safety in the United States Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
Making the Nation Safe from Fire : A Path Forward in Research. Washington, US: National Academies Press, 2003. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 15 April 2017.
Copyright © 2003. National Academies Press. All rights reserved.
Note: Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any source, such as Wikipedia, that can be amended without educated review are not considered appropriate. Failure to use appropriate resources, or resources that are available in CSU’s Online Library, can lead to deductions. CSU librarians can help you with your research for this assignment.
FIR 3303, Introduction to Fire Prevention 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
5. Describe inspection practices and procedures.
Reading Assignment Chapter 4: Fire Prevention Through the Codes Process Chapter 5: Plan Review
Unit Lesson Diamantes (2016) tells us that codes are “merely systemically arranged bodies of laws and rules; they tell us what to do or what not to do” (p. 62). Codes are written in the wake of research and develop what typically, and historically, have followed major incidents, such as fire, natural, and/or man-made disasters. Codes are written as safeguards for the future and, once implemented, should provide society with a reasonable degree of safety from harm. When a code is composed, it must be adopted. The organization who developed or wrote the code, typically adopts it first, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The code might be submitted directly to a federal, state, or local government unit for acceptance (adoption). Then, it is handed over to the appropriate enforcement agency within the governmental unit. An example of appropriate governmental units might be the State Fire Marshal’s office or the local fire department’s Fire Prevention Bureau. When a state adopts a code, it is typically written into the acts of the year, in which the code was adopted as an official governing law. Upon adoption, at the federal level, it is applicable to all three levels of government, if so stipulated. In the case of fire codes, these are typically applicable to all levels of government. Keep in mind that while most people abhor government intervention, we need governmental input and support in order to develop and enact codes and standards in an effort to protect and preserve our society. Without codes and standards, our nation—as previously noted—would likely be reduced to smoldering ash and rubble. We must continually keep in mind that, in spite of the many established codes and standards now in place, there are those who continue to snub their noses and turn their backs on fire prevention. First, think of all the multi-story tenements in large metropolitan cities such as Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, to name a few. Next, consider the potential number of individual units or apartments. Now, think about a single electrical code violation in a 10-story, 40 unit building, on the lower eastside. The building owner is infamous and well-known to the Fire Prevention Bureau/Office for code violations, including blocked exits, piles of combustible rubbish in the basement, missing smoke and heat detectors, along with a variety of other violations. The building owner has been cited and fined so many times that his picture is affixed to a wall just outside the municipal code court. In short, he’s making enough money off of rents to offset fines handed to him from several municipal inspectors, so his only concern is money. Then one afternoon in early fall, a fire breaks out in two of the four apartments on the fifth floor. Luckily the occupants of these two apartments are not home; however, the two other apartments have occupants, as do many of the apartments above and below the fifth floor.
UNIT III STUDY GUIDE
Fire Prevention and Plan Review
through the Codes Process
FIR 3303, Introduction to Fire Prevention 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
The fire department is summoned, and the fire is confined to the two apartments. The investigation identifies the point-of-origin in the basement rubbish piles. A source of ignition was possibly a discarded cigarette that ignited a pile of rubbish and quickly spread to other piles. A long, abandoned laundry chute above the fire allowed heat to rise up the chute and exit into the two apartments. Nearly all of the old chute had been removed, except these two sections, which were hidden behind three layers of wallpaper. Further investigation reveals that the owner had no knowledge of the existing sections of laundry chute and claimed to have never seen any building plans prior to his purchase several years earlier. Though he has been cited for unlawful rubbish accumulation in the basement, he denied any knowledge of the chute. Within the Fire Prevention Office of the fire department, an inspector, who had conducted numerous code violation inspections all resulting in the issue of a fine, claims he too had not noticed the three by three foot opening of the end of the chute directly over the rubbish piles. Now we have a conundrum. Who should be held accountable? Building owner? Fire Inspector? Both? Truly a “Catch-22,” if ever there was one. Apparently all of the codes and standards in the universe might not have prevented the discarded source of ignition; however an ever-vigilant inspector should have noticed an opening of that size. This is an example of Monday morning quarter-backing at its best. So, how does society cope with these differences in the aftermath of a fire? Educate inspectors to be highly cognizant of every nook and cranny during an inspection? Enact steeper penalties for intentional violators of the codes? If a choice were to be made here, it might be worth the financial investment to educate inspectors, and past violators, with a better understanding of code enforcement. Are there such educational programs in America? The answer to that question is a resounding yes! Many public, and private, organizations whose purposes are to research, study, analyze, develop, and enact codes and standards, offer numerous educational opportunities for both public and private inspectors as well as building owners and managers. Where does one find these resources? You can locate them using a search engine on the Internet, which is an excellent starting point. What organizations might you search? Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA), Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO), and International Code Council (ICC) are excellent resources for building and related codes. These organizations oversee much of the building code development for the entire nation and offer various programs for both public and private sector interests. Fire prevention information can be found by visiting the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) website. NFPA was founded in 1896 and has its headquarters in Quincy, Massachusetts. NPFA provides detailed investigation and research into every dimension of fire protection and prevention known to modern man. From the NFPA comes Fire Prevention Week, which began in 1920, under a proclamation by former President Woodrow Wilson (NFPA, 2015). Through NFPA, a wide range of educational programs and seminars can be found that are designed to educate both public officials and private sector building contractors and owners. NFPA also offers several certification programs for individuals working in fire prevention and protection occupations as well as private sector citizens wishing to embark on a new career or for personal interest. While most states do not require public fire prevention officers or personnel to be certified by a nationally or internationally recognized organization, the current trend is a movement that will one day require all public and private fire prevention employees to possess a valid certification. Typically this certification is as a fire protection specialist or fire inspector. The impetus for this trend is a result of a number of large scale incidents, such as The Station nightclub in 2003, which, if you recall, claimed 100 lives and nearly 200 injured concert attendees. Most American public fire department and fire prevention bureaus/offices are staffed by non-certified personnel. For the most part, these personnel received their education and training while on the job. Why should we require personnel to be certified? In a few words: professional validation. Certification, coupled with occupational experience, holds a much greater position in a court of law and other related venues where personnel are likely to be interviewed, interrogated, or required to provide testimony. Certification comes with a price, however, as investigations and testimony from a certified officer is nearly indisputable!
FIR 3303, Introduction to Fire Prevention 3
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
References Diamantes, D. (2016). Principles of fire prevention (updated 3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Learning. National Fire Protection Association. (2015). About fire prevention week. Retrieved from
Suggested Reading You may have an interest in obtaining a certification credential from the National Institute for Certification of Engineering Technologies. Visit their website for more information: National Institute for Certification In Engineering Technologies. (n.d.). Become certified. Retrieved from
http://www.nicet.org/ You may have an interest in obtaining a certification credential as a Certified Fire Plan Examiner (CFPE) through National Fire Protection Association. Visit their website for more information: National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.). Certified Fire Plan Examiner. Retrieved from
http://www.nfpa.org/training/certification-programs/certified-fire-plan-examiner-i The Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1911 set the stage for the development and creation of numerous building, fire, and life safety codes in the USA. United States Department of Labor. (n.d.). The Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911. Retrieved from
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enforcement of fire and life safety codes within your jurisdiction was first posted on July 11, 2019 at 12:29 pm.