The first recognized fire ordinance or code dates back to 1631 in Boston, MA. John Winthrop, the Governor of the colony at that time outlawed the construction of wooden chimneys and thatched roofs on homes due to the extreme fire danger.
Fire code and regulated inspections across the United States are nothing new. In fact, the first organization fire prevention “inspections” date back to New Amsterdam (New York City) with four appointed fire wardens. Fire codes, building codes, and the importance of life safety inspections has a foundation that dates back hundreds of years.
As tragedy struck time and time again around the United States, codes evolved and more regulation was put in place with the goal of mitigating issues that led to fire, injuries, and loss of life.
The FCFD has a total of seven Certified Fire Safety Inspectors (CFSI) that underwent a significant initial State of Ohio certification to understand and be able to apply codes within Ohio. Along with certification, inspectors must maintain continuing education requirements to remain credentialed. There are no fees assessed by the FCFD to conduct a fire inspection.