EFFINGHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT -

FIRE PREVENTION

Lieutenant Joseph “J.R.” Nieman (Email) heads the Fire Prevention Bureau. Routine fire prevention inspections and assignments are conducted by our full-time duty crews conducting approximately sixty inspections a month. In addition, re-inspections are conducted along with remodeling or new construction projects within the City in cooperation with the City Building Department. Under City Ordinance 100-2004, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 2000 Edition has been adopted as the fire safety code for all buildings and enclosures within the corporate city limits. The department also supports the KNOX Box entry key system for all municipal/county/state facilities, businesses, schools, and multi-family dwellings. This system allows firefighters to gain entry into these facilities after hours without the use of forcible entry maintaining the security of the building and facility.

In 2006, the department conducted 1,825 (up from 1,271 in 2005) inspections/re-inspections identifying 3,925 (up from 3,271 in 2005) fire code violations. The following is a breakdown of the occupancy types that were visited and inspected:

The on-duty personnel have been conducting approximately sixty (60) inspections a month, in addition to re-inspections or follow-ups from previous inspections. On average, we are visiting ninety-nine (99) businesses each month, averaging sixty (60) new inspections and thirty-nine (39) re-inspections.