(a) This Part Sixteen - Fire Prevention Code shall be enforced by the Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Division of Fire, which is hereby created and established. The Fire Chief shall supervise and appoint such officers and personnel thereto as he or she deems necessary. Appointment to the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be of such duration as is determined by the Fire Chief.
(b) The Fire Chief or any municipal fire safety inspector shall have the authority to enter premises, to inspect buildings and premises, to issue and serve orders, investigate fires, issue and revoke permits and approve materials, devices, or mode of construction as is more specifically set forth and provided in this Code.
(c) For the performance of the duties and powers provided by this section, the Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized to commission and appoint the Fire Chief and any municipal fire safety inspector a special police officer.
(d) (1) When inspecting structures and occupancies other than residential structures and occupancies in the City to achieve compliance with the Fire Prevention Code, the City, through the Bureau of Fire Prevention, shall impose the following fee schedule to the owners of those structures/occupancies inspected.
A. The fees for all permits issued by the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.00) unless otherwise set forth below or in this chapter.
B. Operational permits for fire hydrants shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00) and seventy-five dollars ($75.00) of this amount shall be considered a deposit. The deposit shall be refunded when use of the hydrant has ceased and it is determined by the City that no damage associated with the use of the hydrant has occurred. If any damage has occurred, the Fire Prevention Bureau may require the permittee to make repairs within a reasonable time, or the Fire Prevention Bureau may cause the repairs to be made and deduct the cost of repairs from the deposit. To the extent that the cost of repairs exceeds the amount on deposit with the City and the City has made the repairs, the permittee shall be liable for the difference and shall be obligated to pay the City immediately upon written demand by the City.
C. A permit for hot work is twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
D. The fee for mobile food truck inspection is twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
E. The fee for witnessing inspection, testing, and maintenance of all fire protection systems (i.e., fire alarm, sprinkler system, hood system, and the like) is twenty-five dollars ($25.00).
F. The fee for plan review of fire protection systems is two hundred dollars ($200.00).
G. The fee for annual safety inspections is twenty-five dollars ($25.00), except that the fee for annual safety inspection of space equal to or greater than 12,000 square feet shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00).
H. The fee for a follow-up inspection to verify compliance with any violations is fifty dollars ($50.00), provided that said fee shall be waived in any instance in which all violations have been corrected as of the date and time of the follow-up inspection. The follow-up inspection shall take place within 30 days of the annual inspection or initial inspection.
I. The fee for a second follow-up inspection (i.e., third overall inspection), in cases where violations are found at the time of the follow-up inspection as set forth in division (d)(1)H. of this section, is one hundred dollars ($100.00). The second follow-up inspection shall take place within 14 days of the follow-up inspection described in division (d)(1)H. of this section.
J. The fee for a third follow-up inspection and every inspection thereafter (i.e., fourth overall inspection or greater), in cases where violations are found at the time of the follow-up inspection as set forth in division (d)(1)I. of this section, is two hundred dollars ($200.00). The third follow-up inspection(s) shall take place every seven days after the follow-up inspection described in division (d)(1)I. of this section, until compliance is achieved.
(2) If it is determined by the Fire Chief and/or the Inspector of the Bureau of Fire Prevention that the correction of the particular violation requires more than 30 days after the initial inspection to complete because of its complexity or expense, the Fire Chief and/or the Inspector of the Bureau of Fire Prevention may waive the imposition of the aforesaid fees and may establish a reasonable compliance timetable for that specific violation before follow-up inspection(s) is/are required.
(e) When multiple permits are required for a specific activity at one location, the permit application may be consolidated into a single permit application, and one permit covering all inspections may be issued. The permittee shall pay for a consolidated permit that same aggregate amount that would have been paid if the permits were issued separately.
(f) Any party that fails to pass an inspection under division (d)(1)I. of this section may be subject to criminal or civil citation as set forth in Section 1602.99, upon referral of the matter by the Fire Chief to the Law Director or Prosecutor.
(Ord. 2019-28. Passed 6-3-2019.)