Fire Marshal shuts down job !!

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benaround

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Gilbert, Az. Fire Marshal shows up today and says his fire trucks need a 20 ft. path

around the building, and it's too muddy for them!!!!! It's a 3 story wood frame building and

it's about 50% complete. So he 'shut the job down until he is satisfied' that his trucks can

drive around the building. It effected about 50 workers, it's a first for me.

What do you think ?
 
benaround said:
Gilbert, Az. Fire Marshal shows up today and says his fire trucks need a 20 ft. path

around the building, and it's too muddy for them!!!!! It's a 3 story wood frame building and

it's about 50% complete. So he 'shut the job down until he is satisfied' that his trucks can

drive around the building. It effected about 50 workers, it's a first for me.

What do you think ?
Click to expand...

Many fires occur when a building is under construction. The Chief needs access for his fire-fighting equipment. It was probably a precondition of the issuance of the permit and he's enforcing it. Time for the GC to step up to the plate and get those access roads passable.
 
In Colorado back in 2002 I saw a project for a mini-subdivision get shut down because there was no room for the firetrucks to turn around. Luckily that was still in the planning stage. I think it's a local fire code or zoning issue.
 
It stinks for the workers but I can understand why he would do it. And I agree with sparkchaser1961, I bet that this closure was not the first thing the fire dept asked for, I bet they nicely asked the GC at least a couple of times to fix the area up.
 
The 2006 International Fire Code 1410 requires approved vehicle access to all construction and demolition sites and access to within 100 feet of fire department connnections.
 
I should of added that the curbs are all in and the site has been graded. It don't rain much

here in Az. but it did last week, the GC kept us off the site with our trucks so we wouldn't

tear it all up. I think the problem started a while back and now it's a contest. It will be dry

by tomorrow so the only ones paying for it is the workers.
 
Kdawg67 said:
In Colorado back in 2002 I saw a project for a mini-subdivision get shut down because there was no room for the firetrucks to turn around. Luckily that was still in the planning stage. I think it's a local fire code or zoning issue.
Click to expand...


The same thing happened here not too far from me. The builder had to redesign an access area and turnaround.


Most areas are still have volunteer firemen involved. The least someone can try and do is make the access and other items compliant.
 
Our FM has done this a few times in my jurisdiction. But he isn't feared nearly as much as the city engineering department. If the access road tracking device isn't preventing materials from leaving the job site as trucks come and go, they shut the whole job down as well...

Mot contractors ae happy to comply with and work with the local Fire Department. And for good reason...
 
This is the second time I have heard of this in a week. My Uncle (who is a GC) was teling me a similar story when he was putting in the utilities for a subdivision he is working on the Fire Prevention officer for the town shut down the job until an access road was built. He said the same thing as the Fire Marshal that he could not get his trucks to the site if there was an emergency.

Definatly a valid point by the Fire Dept.


Joe
 
benaround said:
Gilbert, Az. Fire Marshal shows up today and says his fire trucks need a 20 ft. path

around the building, and it's too muddy for them!!!!! It's a 3 story wood frame building and

it's about 50% complete. So he 'shut the job down until he is satisfied' that his trucks can

drive around the building. It effected about 50 workers, it's a first for me.

What do you think ?
Click to expand...

Imagine the head lines if those same 50 workers died because the fire truck could not get to the building?
 
It's happened around here before. I believe the last time I heard of it was a subdivision, the FD only allowed a couple houses to be started before the roadbase was down. The GC might have snuck those couple house starts in on the FD, I don't know.
 
While I understand his concern I must say I visit countless construction sites where I cannot get my truck around/near the building. I take it as just the way construction is.
 
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