• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Question for Fire Code officals

D

DuaneW

Registered User
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Messages
78
Location
North Dakota
I work as the fire code official for my county, they have me with my boss as the CBO. I came to find out that the county has removed the term fire code official with building official for all of chapter 10 of the IFC. I am just wondering what everyone's take is on this. I have talked to the building official and he states that I have no business dealing with chapter 10 because it is only handled during the plan review process.

TO Me that tells me that every time that i have done an inspection and plan review and sited them for means of egress they have to follow what the IFC says is a minimum standard.

What do you guys think. I really need input because to me I am not being able to do my job. and it is causing some conflict in my office.
 
“”they have me with my boss as the CBO””

Please clarify

Not sure why the bo would want a second look?? Unless he never misses stuff

Plus you have to live with it once the building is built and you do inspections.

Plus some reason chapter 10 is in IFC
 
Last edited:
Same reason Chapter 9 is in the IBC. Consistency.

Doesn't matter what hat you are wearing, they are the same in both codes.
 
1003 thru 1029 of the IFC is exactly word for word as the IBC that what the at the beginning of each section represents. Section 1030 is for maintaining egress systems. So I do not see a conflict. Unless you are using Chapter 10 to require a means of egress that was code compliant at the time it was constructed to meet today's code.
For example under the older codes only one handrail was required on a set of stairs. Today a handrail is required on each side that you cannot retroactively enforce.
FYI
Section 1030.4 will allow you to retroactively require exit signage to comply with the current code.
 
One thing, Sounds like the bo does not want any plan review comments from chapter 10. Except his.
 
DuaneW said:
I work as the fire code official for my county, they have me with my boss as the CBO.
Click to expand...

So... both you and your boss are CBO's (Certified Building Officials)?

Here we adopt the IFC and the IBC which only makes me the Building Official (BO) and Fire Official (FO) by title only, No Certification making me a CBO or CFO. We have a volunteer fire district with a Fire Chief, Asst Fire Chief, Captain and firefighters. Frankly we may not want to relinquish the fire code it helps us with the ISO ratings.

Inspector Gift said:
We all work together. It is best when it is a collaborative relationship.
Click to expand...
I agree, I request feed back on plans, especially when fire sprinklers are in play. The more "Eyes on the pie", so to speak.
 
cda said:
Do you answer to the bo?

Is he your boss
Click to expand...
yes he is my boss. Like i tried to explain to him he does not get to go into a building after it was built and so many people go in and make changes in building with no permits that With the wording removing fire code official I can never have them fix exit signs, emergency lights or unblock a door. and he did not care
 
Pcinspector1 said:
So... both you and your boss are CBO's (Certified Building Officials)?

Here we adopt the IFC and the IBC which only makes me the Building Official (BO) and Fire Official (FO) by title only, No Certification making me a CBO or CFO. We have a volunteer fire district with a Fire Chief, Asst Fire Chief, Captain and firefighters. Frankly we may not want to relinquish the fire code it helps us with the ISO ratings.

I agree, I request feed back on plans, especially when fire sprinklers are in play. The more "Eyes on the pie", so to speak.
Click to expand...
I work for the County not a city. Here all but the big town has volunteer departments and none of the departments have any trained inspectors but they all adopted the IFC. so I can not work in any towns in my county but I still have over 2800 buildings that I try to inspect a year by myself plus new construction and plan review.
 
IBC 2012
[F] 1001.3 Maintenance.
Means of egress shall be maintained in accordance with the International Fire Code.

That would mean Section 1030 of the IFC so yes the Building Official under the building code has the responsibility and authority to require a "means of egress" to be maintained under the building/fire code edition it was constructed under.
 
DuaneW said:
yes he is my boss. Like i tried to explain to him he does not get to go into a building after it was built and so many people go in and make changes in building with no permits that With the wording removing fire code official I can never have them fix exit signs, emergency lights or unblock a door. and he did not care
Click to expand...



Seems like somewhere either by ordinance or job description or something

It gives you the power to enforce the fire code which picks up the building code.

If not I would at least document anything found

So when someone gets hurt or dies, give them the documentation and the bosses name and phone number
 
What a conumdrum, until someone dies it will remain what it is or move on to another agency (bummer!)
 
Truthfully

Still not clear on what you do, who your true boss is and authority

Does the building offical assign your daily, weekly, monthly assignments ?

Does he tell you to do annual inspections?
 
cda said:
Truthfully

Still not clear on what you do, who your true boss is and authority

Does the building offical assign your daily, weekly, monthly assignments ?

Does he tell you to do annual inspections?
Click to expand...
My job description is Plan review and yearly fire inspections. I am the only one that is tasked with yearly inspection. The only way that the CBO or building inspectors can get into a building is if they are invited by me. I am just unsure how I can over look violations to the Means of egress (chapter 10) which included exit signs, emergency lighting, and blocked exits. or modification to the locks after the CBO signs off on the building.
 
From what I'm getting out of this it seems the lines of responsibility are blurry at best. That being said if you are charged with performing yearly fire inspections and you find things which were missed in the past, either by your predecessor or other building officials you have a responsibility to bring that forward to the building owner and have same corrected assuming its in the scope of your employment to do so.
 
Perhaps you can forward to the state what you find during your inspections (serious violation) and they will follow up on them. It is there responsibility to do the inspections and approve the political subdivisions that do them in lieu of the state. If you are being held back by a BO then the state should be notified and correct it or rescind their approval of your county doing fire inspections

North Dakota Code > Chapter 18-01 > § 18-01-02
North Dakota Code 18-01-02 – Duties of state fire marshal and deputy state fire marshals
https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/north-dakota/nd-code/north_dakota_code_18_01_02
 
DuaneW said:
My job description is Plan review and yearly fire inspections. I am the only one that is tasked with yearly inspection. The only way that the CBO or building inspectors can get into a building is if they are invited by me. I am just unsure how I can over look violations to the Means of egress (chapter 10) which included exit signs, emergency lighting, and blocked exits. or modification to the locks after the CBO signs off on the building.
Click to expand...


So you go in and say they have added a large enough assembly room and it needs two exits, but only one is provided.


You write a requirement for another exit,,

What happens??

BO overrules you??

Other ??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top