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Prevention Bureau
The Fire Prevention Bureau was established by the Battle Creek City Commission as a division of the Battle Creek Fire Department (BCFD) in 1975. The Bureau is located inside Fire Station 1, 195 East Michigan Avenue.
Functions
The functions of the Bureau are defined by ordinance and include coordinating fire investigations, fire prevention inspections, and fire safety programs. Details of these 3 functions are described as:
Functions
The functions of the Bureau are defined by ordinance and include coordinating fire investigations, fire prevention inspections, and fire safety programs. Details of these 3 functions are described as:
Fire Investigations
- A preliminary fire investigation is conducted by the incident commander or delegated to an officer, prior to requesting a fire investigator (unless there are extenuating circumstances). The primary purpose of the preliminary investigation is to determine if the fire was accidental or intentional. If the cause is ruled accidental, then the case is closed and the only documentation is the incident report. If the cause is undetermined, then the cause is reported as "undetermined" on small fires and a fire investigator is called for all fires that are not small. If the cause is ruled intentional, then a patrol officer and crime tech investigate small fires and a fire investigator is called for all fires that are not small.
- A fire investigator determines the fire cause when fire officers cannot and also provides the appropriate documentation for arson cases. Arson fires are only referred to the detective bureau after the fire investigator determines a viable suspect and provides an investigative report substantiating the act of arson.
- This fire investigation protocol allows the BCFD to obtain warrants in about 10 arson fires per year. The BCFD routinely determines the cause and origin of about 99% of all fires with losses over $1,000.
Fire Inspections
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Fire safety inspections are conducted at all facilities designated as target hazards. These inspections are conducted by the fire marshal, using a national fire prevention code and specific protocol. The Battle Creek Fire Department defines target hazards as falling into one of the following categories:
- Downtown facilities (Dickman, Elm, Van Buren, Washington)
- Factories, storage facilities, office or mercantile complexes that have occupant loads above 100, or fire protection systems
- Hazardous material storage sites requiring Tier II reports
- Institutions, high rises, motels, and special housing complexes
- Schools, preschool centers, and recreation facilities
- The owners and managers of small businesses use a mailed inspection form and pre-inspection guide to conduct fire safety self-inspections of their small businesses.
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Additionally, the BCFD conducts the following inspections:
- Complaint inspections: Complaints are investigated anonymously
- License inspections: Liquor, theaters, second hand goods, etc.
- Requested inspections: Inspections are provided on request
- Fire prevention inspections evaluate maintenance and operations, i.e., "how a building is used and how the people in the building practice fire safety." The Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) National Fire Prevention Code has been adopted as the local standard for fire prevention inspections.
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The policy of the BCFD for fire prevention inspections is:
- To extend the 14 day grace period to correct violations, if the violation does not present an imminent danger, the owner has agreed to correct the violation, and the owner agrees to a specific date for correction
- To issue civil infraction citations (tickets) for violations not corrected as specified
- To provide free consultations regarding solutions to code problems
- To require all violations be noted
- To require the correction of all violations
- To require inspections to be comprehensive, viewing all enclosed space
- To seek voluntary code compliance through education
Fire Safety Education
- Station Tours: Basic fire safety education is taught to children, by firefighters, during station tours. The basic information is in an outline called "What Every Child Should Know".
- Public Talks: Presentations to groups are made by the Fire Chief or Fire Marshal.
- Public Programs for Children: Presentations to large groups of children use the "Fire Safety Trailer" and/or "Pluggie" the robot. The Fire Safety Trailer was gifted to the BCFD by the Battle Creek Kiwanis Club. The trailer is used during Fire Prevention Week each fall and is brought to all 20 elementary schools in the city limits each spring. The trailer teaches children from kindergarten to third grade basic fire safety, including "how to survive a fire at home."
- Juvenile Fire Setting: The Fire Marshal coordinates a task force that operates an educational intervention program for families with juvenile fire setters.
- Fire Prevention Week: The BCFD partners with other city departments and community organizations to provide an area-wide educational program during National Fire Prevention Week each October. This program includes a media blitz, individual presentations to each kindergarten classroom, fire safety literature used in every K-3 classroom, fire safety literature sent to the home of every K-3 student, and a Saturday afternoon family entertainment program that is designed to be educational.
Other Fire Prevention Bureau Services
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The Fire Marshal coordinates:
- Civil infraction tickets
- Commercial property files
- FOIA requests
- Incident reporting
- Issuing monthly activity reports
- Knox boxes
- Pre-fire planning
- Public information handouts
- Researching phase 1 requests for UST data Tier II reporting
- The point-of-contact for legal inquiries, regarding fires, is the Fire Marshal, who represents fire administration on various committees and boards. Consultations on fire code requirements can be scheduled or provided by phone.