Responsibilities

The Fire Prevention Division is responsible for the prevention of injuries to persons and losses to property that are caused by fire and other emergencies.

Public Education

In 2019, the Public Education Section presented 136 fire safety programs to 5,953 attendees. The division provided 2,835 copies of fire safety literature to citizens; conducted 7 fire drills that included recommendations toward fire and life safety, and installed 1,428 FREE smoke detectors for installation in area homes.

Inspections

The Inspections Section performed 3,5723 existing commercial building inspections, conducted 741 new construction inspections at different stages of construction, performed 239 plan reviews, reviewed and approved 112 applications for permits as required by ordinance for different activities during 2019. Additionally, 18 citizen complaints were resolved.

Investigations

The Investigations Section investigated 291 fires in 2019, of which 79 were determined to be intentionally set fires. Investigators arrested 12 citizens for fire or explosive violations. The bomb squad responded to 12 bomb threats and investigated 43 suspicious items as potential improvised explosive devices.  There were 20 fire injuries and 3 fire deaths.