May is National Building Safety Month and this year’s theme is “Prevent, Prepare, Protect. Building Codes Save.”
Deputy fire marshals at TVF&R utilize the Oregon Fire Code during plan review of new buildings and development projects.
Our deputies work cooperatively with the building departments within our District’s 11 cities and four counties to provide input on access and water supply for emergency response.
The plan review process typically starts at the land-use phase with a pre-application meeting where the applicant(s) and stakeholders meet to discuss the project.
Once submitted, TVF&R deputies review the plans to ensure specific code requirements for fire apparatus access, adequate water supply (fire hydrants, locations of fire department connections, water supply tanks, etc.), general fire precautions, and fire detection and suppression requirements are met. TVF&R deputies may also provide input and guidance on other building systems and services depending on the project.
Taking the lead and heading off potential issues early in the design phase allows for adjustments to be made in a relatively quick, simple, and cost effective way as opposed to finding the issue after construction when it may be nearly impossible if not cost prohibitive to correct.
