Welcome to the new blog portion of my website. I'm going to be discussing issues that arise in code enforcement and invite comments and ideas from you. In today's difficult economic environment, we're all struggling with how to perform our jobs with decreasing resources. We're being confronted with new challenges daily due to the foreclosure crisis (ever try to find a live person to speak with about pipes bursting in subzero weather in a foreclosed house with mold growing so bad the residence can't be salvaged?) In my practice as a municipal prosecutor, I deal with these questions daily. I'm also interested in how effective code enforcement can reduce crime in a community and I will be writing about that issue. While I can't give legal advice on this blog, I will be pointing out interesting cases that may be useful to you.Using Operational Permits for Fire Prevention
I am always surprised to discover that many fire departments and districts don’t make use of the operational permit provisions in the International Fire Code in Section 105.1.1 and 105.1.2(1). Jurisdictions adopting that code can require persons and entities to obtain a permit to engage in certain activities and processes. It’s a useful way to monitor different kind of activities in an organized fashion and to generate revenue through permit fees. This issue came to my attention recently because of a situation I was reviewing involving the improper storage of hazardous materials. The company ignored the notices until ticketed. If it has been warned of the possible revocation of its operational permit to conduct the activity, it would have given the jurisdiction added leverage. Since most departments and districts conduct yearly inspections of commercial structures anyway, additional inspections probably wouldn’t be required. If the company didn’t pass its inspection, it could be subject to a revocation of the permit. Faced with the possibility of losing its ability to conduct business, the business might be more likely to comply quickly. I created forms for operational permit applications and operational permits in my book, “The Fire Inspector’s Guide to Codes, Forms and Complaints”. The CD-Rom that comes with the book contains the forms in Word and PDF formats so the inspector can easily create forms for his or her local jurisdiction. You can access the link to the book by clicking on the “Linda’s Publications” tab at the top of this page.
Category(ies): Code Enforcement, Fire Prevention
