Bourbon Fire Marshal Says District Will Enforce New Codes

Bourbon Fire Marshal Corey Rice says the fire district will enforce the 2018 International Fire Code — inside and outside the city limits.

Several questions about permits, which businesses need them, enforcement and more have arose in the two months that Bourbon Fire Chief Steve Kimker asked the city council to adopt the codes.

The codes grant building and occupancy permits to businesses.

The city has taken no action on the codes and the topic wasn’t discussed at council meetings in May or June.

The fire district’s board of directors passed the ordinance earlier this year.

Permit Processes

Rice said there are three types of permits the Bourbon Fire District is requiring:

Building Permit — This is required any time a building is built as new construction, fire protection systems are added to an existing building, major remodels, or additions added to existing buildings. This permit process requires the owner or contractor to apply for a building permit by filing out a permit application, emailing it to the fire marshal, and paying the permit fee. A set of plans are required for any of the above projects.

A fire protection set of plans must be submitted from the installer and be stamped by an engineer or architect. 

After the permit is issued the fire marshal will do routine inspections throughout the process. Once the project is completed and passes the inspections an occupancy permit will be issued.

Occupancy Permit — This is required anytime a business is formed, changes name, moves location, or new ownership takes over. 

This is a routine fire inspection of the existing premises looking for safety items such as fire extinguishers, exit signage, and safe egress. A permit application must be filled out and emailed to the fire marshal, the $25 fee paid, inspection completed, and when violations are corrected an occupancy permit will be issued. 

Firework permit — This is required for any person selling fireworks or putting on a firework display.  A permit application must be filled out and emailed to the fire marshal, the $75 permit fee paid, and an inspection of the tent or review of the display plans, before a permit will be issued. 
Rice said the codes apply to all who build, operate or own a commercial business within the Bourbon Fire District.

“This doesn’t matter if you are inside or outside the city limits of Bourbon,” Rice said. “The fire codes apply to all inside the district boundaries.”

All commercial businesses will be subjected to the fire code moving forward, Rice said.

Any business that is new, being remodeled, adding fire suppression systems or new occupancy must be inspected.

Existing businesses that do not fit into the existing criteria will be grandfathered in.

“The fire marshal cannot go into all of the businesses and make them add a sprinkler or hood system,” Rice said. 

Benefits

Rice and the Bourbon Fire District are touting the new codes as safety measures.

“We want all our citizens who live and work in the district to have a safe experience when patronizing the local business,” he said. “This not only protects life but property as well.”

Rice points out that the fire district receives credit for compliancy when graded by ISO (Insurance Services Offices).

ISO can impact how much citizens and businesses are paying for insurance.

These all help to lower insurance on residential and commercial properties withing the district. “The lower our rating the better insurance rate you will get,” said Rice, adding that it may take “many years” to reflect.

Rice said that any time someone applies for insurance, the insurance company contacts the fire district for the ISO rating.

“In fire districts with a code and inspection program, business receive cheaper insurance rates,” Rice said. “However, we want more business to come to Bourbon and this is the first step to lowering insurance cost for all and a safer community.”

Enforcement

Questions also exist over how the fire district will enforce the code.

The city will reportedly not ask its police officers to enforce the code.

Rice said as marshal, he and the district’s elected officials will act as the enforcement agency.

“If businesses don’t comply, there are several routes that we the authority to get compliance,” he said. “Instead of going that route, we always try to help find a common solution.”

Rice said the city of Sullivan has not adopted the codes, but the Sullivan Fire District still has a good working relationship with the city.

He added that the district intends to be fair and will not be persuaded “to be lax on the fire codes.”

This is to benefit the safety of our community,” he said.

Questions on the fire codes can be addressed to Rice at bourbonfiremarshal@gmail.com or visiting the website at bourbonfpd.com for permit applications.

For general questions or information about the fire district, contact Kimker at bourbonfirechief@gmail.com