Home Safety Fire Inspections
A residential fire happens every half hour in Ohio. How safe is your home from a fire? To determine the safety of your home from fire hazards, study the questions in the attachment with your family. Every “yes” answer indicates a positive fire safety situation. However, every “no” answer points to a fire hazard that needs to be corrected! Click here for the Home Safety Inspection Checklist!
Preparing For Your Fire Safety Inspection
We have compiled a list of the most common hazards to assist you in preparing your business for a fire safety inspection.
Please feel free to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your inspector.
To view the Fire Inspection Checklist, click here.
WE CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS!!
The Wauseon Fire Department values you as a member of the local business community. Fire is physically and financially devastating to the operation of a business, and statistics show that over 40% of businesses affected by a significant fire never re-open.
The goal of the Fire Safety Inspection Program is to assist you in making your business a safe place for your customers and employees. We also want to work with you to ensure that if a fire were to occur, damage is limited as much as possible and your firefighters can operate in a safe and efficient manner.
A Fire Prevention Specialist from Wauseon will be stopping in to inspect your business in the near future. If you have any question about this checklist or the inspection process, please contact us.
- Interior Hazards -
- Do you have at least a 36-inch wide path to all of your exit doors?
- Do your exit doors open freely, with little effort, and are they unlocked?
- If equipped, are all the fire doors able to close freely, and free of hold open devices?
- If equipped, are all exit and emergency lights operating, including backup power?
- Is storage contained so that nothing capable of burning is within 2 feet of ceiling?
- Do you have at least 36 inches clear space around your furnace, water heater, and other heat-producing applications?
- Do you keep area underneath exposed interior stairwells free of storage?
- Are your walls and ceiling free of holes or missing acoustical tiles?
- Do you have all compressed gas cylinders secured or chained so they cant fall over?
- Are flammable liquids identified and stored in their original containers?
- Are utility shutoffs, fire alarm panels, and sprinkler controls easilyaccessible to firefighters in the case of an emergency?
- Is your maximum occupancy posted?
- Exterior Hazards -
- Are you storing anything that could burn close to your building or under overhangs?
- If your business has a designated fire lane, are the signs and/or paint markings in good condition?
- Is your address clearly visible from the street with atleast four inch contrasting numbers?
- Is there at least three feet of clear space around any fire hydrants on the property?
- Do you have a fire extinguisher installed so that an individual would not have to travel more than seventy-five feet to access one?
- Are all fire extinguishers within clear view and easily accessible?
- Have all fire extinguishers been inspected and tagged?
- Electrical Hazards -
- Is your business free of electrical overload, extension cords, and multi-plug adapters?
- Are all electric outlets and switch contacts covered with a safety plate?
- Is your business free of any electric boxes, exposed wiring, or open spaces in your fuse/breaker panel?
- Do you have at least 36 clearance around any fuse/breaker panel?
- Is your fuse/breaker panel clearly labeled so power can be disconnected quickly in the event of an emergency?
- Fire Sprinkler Systems -
Some building require a fire sprinkler system because of the size of the building or type of business operation. If you have a sprinkler system installed, be sure to check the following:
- Has the fire sprinkler system been inspected and tagged by a qualified contractor within the past year?
- Is there at least 3 feet of clear space around sprinker connection valves?
- Are spare sprinkler heads and an appropriate wrench installed in a cabinet near the sprinkler riser?
- Are sprinkler control valves chained open or maintained by a fire alarm system?
- Is the fire department connection on the outside of the building free of obstruction and are caps in place?
- Fire Alarm Systems
Some building require a fire alarm system because of the number of occupants or the type of business operation. If you have a fire alarm system installed, be sure to check the following:
- Does the fire alarm system show "Trouble" or "Alarm" on the keypad or alarm panel? If so, contact a qualified alarm contractor to restore your system.
* Please ask your Fire Safety Inspector or click here to learn about our Knox Box Program which helps prevent damage to your building in the event of a false alarm.