(A) The Chief of the Fire Department shall hold the office of Fire Inspector, with power to appoint one or more Deputy Fire Inspectors, or an authorized contractor with Village Board approval, who shall perform the same duties and have the same powers as the Fire Inspector.
(B) It shall be the duty of the Fire Inspector to inspect all buildings, premises and thoroughfares, as required by SPS 314, and the interiors of private dwellings annually within the fire limits of the village if they are proposed to be used as a short-term rental business under Chapter 115 of the Village Code of Ordinances, for the purpose of noting and causing to be corrected any condition liable to cause fire.
(C) The Fire Inspector shall also investigate the storage and handling of explosives and inflammable liquids as needed within the village.
(D) Whenever or wherever in the village any inspection by the Fire Chief or his or her deputies reveals a fire hazard, the Chief or his or her deputies shall serve notice in writing upon the owner of the property giving the owner a reasonable time in which to remove the hazard. In the event that the fire hazard is not removed within the time allowed, or the next scheduled inspection, it shall be deemed a nuisance, as proscribed in Chapter 92.02 of the Village of Pepin Code of Ordinances. If enforcement action is required, the Fire Chief shall notify the Police Chief for the appropriate enforcement action. Penalties shall apply as described in § 95.9 below. If deemed necessary, the Fire Chief or his or her deputy is authorized to have the nuisance abated, and the cost of such nuisance abatement shall be recovered in an action by the village against the owner of the property as per §§ 92.04 and 92.05.
(E) The Fire Chief shall keep a written record of each property inspected which shall conform to the requirements of SPS 314 and shall make a quarterly report of inspections to the Village Board.
(F) No person shall deny the Fire Chief or his or her deputies free access to any property within the village. Whenever necessary to make an inspection to enforce this chapter, or whenever there is reasonable cause to believe there exists a fire code violation in any building or upon any property or upon any premises within the village, an authorized Fire Inspector of the village may, upon presentation of proper credentials, enter such building or premises or property at all reasonable times to inspect the same or to perform any duty imposed upon him or her by ordinance, provided that, except in emergency situations or when consent of the owner, occupant or both if they can be located after reasonable effort, 24-hours’ written notice is given of the authorized official’s intentions to inspect.
(G) The notice transmitted to the owner, occupant, or both, shall state that in the event entry is refused, legal action, including the issuance of a search warrant, may be pursued by the authorized official. In the event the owner, occupant or both refuses entry upon such request after such request has been made, the official is empowered to seek assistance in the form of appropriate legal action from any court of competent jurisdiction in obtaining such entry.
(Ord. passed 6-7-2022)