Fire inspection of local Magee businesses began Monday, August 11, according to Fire Chief David Craft. He made the initial announcement during the Magee Board of Aldermen meeting August 5.
Craft stated at the meeting and a in recent interview that inspections are necessary for compliance with the International Fire Code (IFC).
On his desk, he said, are three manuals approximately 2.5 inches thick with very detailed, specific information. “People comment ‘why don’t we put the fire code on the web page?’ You can’t put 10,000 pages for one thing and two they’re not going to know where to look to find the code they’re looking for. Three, they don’t know how to interpret the codes.” Craft suggested that anyone with a fire code question call the fire department for assistance.
The board has requested the inspections because in years past files have been lost including fire inspection reports. Craft and Building Inspector Duane Simmons will visit the 300+ businesses in Magee to conduct the inspections. “Then I’ll have a file saying I visited this business and they are in compliance. It’s a good thing for the city as it shows the city is in compliance to our latest adopted codes. It also protects the business owner because if they have a fire in the building, the first thing the insurance company will ask is ‘when was your last fire inspection?’ This way we will have a record.”
For more information about the inspections contact Chief Craft at 601-382-0793; Asst. Fire Service Director John Hosey at 601-382-4211; or Simmons at 601-503-392
