FIR 4311 UNIT V SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

UNIT V SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

Introduction

I live in a very small town with only a volunteer fire department. The town I live in has not had a business fire in a very long time, but that does not mean we should not take fire prevention codes seriously. Our town does not have code inspectors to inspect structure in the town for code violations. I believe that we should have code compliance inspectors to inspect buildings for compliance issues. Since I have the background in the safety field I am constantly assessing hazardous situations while I am in the local businesses. There are numerous businesses and city owned buildings that are “not up to code” in my town. The city should employ a code inspector to at least protect the many city owned buildings.

Code Inspector

The reason that my town does not have code inspectors is because we do not have the money to pay people to inspect buildings. A code inspector can be a very beneficial tool to reduce costs of damages due to fires. A fire can be very costly to a business owner and could potentially shut the business down. The pay of a code inspector will essentially pay for itself by saving the city and businesses money by enforcing codes and preventing fires. The code inspector position will also generate revenue for the city by enforcing fire codes and issuing citations to the business owners. The benefits of having a code inspector far outweigh the cost for the code inspector salary.

Why Code Enforcement Is Needed

Code enforcement is the basis for fire prevention inspections, and “the inspection process is the very backbone of the fire prevention program.” (Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 6). Code enforcement helps keep buildings “up to code” and prevent fires. Code enforcement is great for fire prevention and a good fire prevention program is the most effective method of keeping the community safe from fires (Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 5). Code enforcement can sometimes as easy as using a checklist. Common uses for checklists include simple fire inspection forms that list common and/or critical deficiencies and preliminary inspections of multiple location with similar characteristics, such as schools or roadside vendors (Fire inspector, principles and practice, international association of fire chiefs, pg. 296). Fires can be very costly, but no cost compares to the loss of human life, which is why code enforcement is very important. Fire rates drop significantly when trained inspectors make annual inspections of public buildings fires (Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 8).

Conclusion

In conclusion, fire code inspections are very costly, but in the long run they will pay for themselves and the salary of the code inspector. Code enforcement will help prevent fires and save the city and business owners money if the buildings are fire code compliant. In 1978, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in a joint effort with the Urban Institute, the U.S. Fire Administration, and the National Science Foundation, released the results of the study “Fire Code Inspections and Fire Prevention: What Methods Lead To Success?”9 The study was an attempt to determine if fire inspections could lower the number of fires and, correspondingly, the lives and dollars lost. The findings of this study show that four to eight percent of fires were caused by hazards that could be seen and corrected by the direct actions of fire inspectors (Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 7). Performing a good fire inspection can save money and lives. No cost analysis is needed to protect human lives.

REFERENCES

(Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 6) Retrieved from: https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-166/issue-01/features/code-enforce-critic-success-fire-prevent-prog.html

(Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 5). Retrieved from: https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-166/issue-01/features/code-enforce-critic-success-fire-prevent-prog.html

(Fire inspector, principles and practice, international association of fire chiefs, pg. 296).

(Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 8). Retrieved from: https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-166/issue-01/features/code-enforce-critic-success-fire-prevent-prog.html

(Fire engineering, 01/2013, Code enforcement: critical for a successful fire prevention program, para. 7). Retrieved from: https://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-166/issue-01/features/code-enforce-critic-success-fire-prevent-prog.html