Fire inspections for most Sequim businesses are on hold for the indefinite future as local agencies remain in flux for a new, permanent position.
Churches, schools, restaurants, multi-family apartments and other structures may not be inspected for the remainder of the year after Clallam County Fire District 3’s fire commissioners opted in March not to replace retiring Fire Code Technician Steve Jackson.
He notified fire commissioners in September 2019 of his intent to retire at the end of May 2020.
District 3 Fire Chief Ben Andrews said in a phone interview that keeping the position is “something we definitely want to do.”
Andrews said, “The hard thing about those types of programs is that we can’t prove a negative. We can’t prove how many fires it’s prevented.”
Andrews said the fire code technician likely helps prevent fires, makes conditions safer for firefighters and residents, and helps lower some local homeowners’ insurance rates.
The City of Sequim and Clallam County both held interlocal agreements with the fire district starting in January 1996 for the fire technician to inspect businesses for the entities and report back to them.
Clallam County Fire District 3 paid for the position in full at about $106,446 per year, including benefits.
Enforcement
Both the city of Sequim and Clallam County have staff to inspect new building fire permits, but Jackson would inspect existing businesses and those that changed in use.
“(Choosing not to replace the position was) not a decision taken lightly,” Andrews said.
“We’re hoping the city and county can come to some sort of solution. The fire inspections are not the responsibility of the fire district. The city and county are the authorities.”
While the fire district did inspections as a courtesy, Andrews said fire code technicians typically only reported businesses/residents to the city or county if after six to nine months they refused to comply.
Barry Berezowsky, Sequim’s director of community development, said that enforcement on non-compliant buildings isn’t common.
“There are properties that aren’t compliant with the fire code, so we act on them,” he said. “It’s a potential life safety issue. It runs the (gamut) from commercial kitchen hoods not being inspected to fire suppression systems not being compliant.”
He confirmed that new businesses’ systems and fire escape access are inspected and tested and then put into a rotation for future inspections.
Berezowsky said changes in use are also inspected, such as Sequim Calvary Chapel taking over the former Doodlebugs space in downtown Sequim.
“We worked in conjunction with them to make it as safe as possible,” he said.
County’s perspective
George Bailey, Clallam County’s plans examiner/fire marshal/code compliance officer III, said in an email that county staff were disappointed in the fire district’s decision to end the interlocal agreement.
He said that without the fire district’s position, the county’s biggest challenge is funding; they are short staffed and county commissioners implemented a hiring freeze due to COVID-19’s uncertainty, Bailey said.
“With this limited staff it is a challenge to do any additional fire and life safety inspections on existing structures other than those with liquor and marijuana sales or processing,” Bailey said.
“We get a list from the state for approval/denial of existing use depending on the outcome of the inspections.”
Bailey said the county’s building department includes him, a customer service representative, two permit technicians for permits, one building inspector, one residential plan review/inspector and the building official.
Bailey wrote that the county doesn’t have a list of existing structures inspected by the fire district.
“We certainly would provide a ‘Fire and Life Safety inspection’ to any business that requested one when we had the opportunity to schedule one,” he wrote.
“Again all I can say is we are doing the best we can with the extremely limited resources available.”
Some of Bailey’s duties for his three positions he said include: performing building inspections, performing “Fire and Life Safety inspections” in new commercial buildings and existing alcohol and marijuana-related businesses, plan review of all fire sprinkler plans/fire alarm permits and associated permitting and inspections, handling fire code-related complaints, and performing all commercial plan review for code compliance and permitting.
City’s take
Berezowsky spoke of the interlocal agreement stopping to Sequim city councilors at their meeting on July 15. He proposed to Dan Orr, District 3 Assistant Fire Chief, about the possibility of firefighters on light duty assignment performing fire inspections but at the time had yet to hear back.
Berezowsky said this was something he helped implement at his previous employer with the City of Poulsbo.
In a later phone interview, Berezowsky said he spoke with Orr and that they don’t have many officers on light duty, and he suggested city staff speak with county leaders.
Berezowsky said “the ball is rolling” but nothing is scheduled to see how they can work cooperatively. He said most businesses are on a two to three-year rotation for inspection but it’s unclear of the most recent schedule.
As for those businesses with potential issues, Berezowsky said, “we hope there’s not a lot of them out there.”
“A lot of time it’s not intentional,” he said. “Things get overlooked … I don’t believe any business owners are intentionally in violation.”
District’s outlook
Andrews said fire commissioners haven’t taken a position to never fill the fire code technician position again.
“We won’t fill it for the rest of this year but we’ll look at it in 2021,” he said. “We’ll have discussions with the city and county about cost sharing.”
No determination has been made about the financial savings of not filling the position, Andrews said, but with COVID-19 and its uncertainty they’re trying to be “extra fiscally conservative as possible.”
During the pandemic, Andrews said the district’s costs have gone up for various unexpected expenses, such as personal protective equipment, and cleaning supplies.
Also, with an increase in call loads in recent years and COVID-19, Andrews said the fire commissioners were at a crossroads.
“(Jackson) had an enormous amount of fire safety in mind while doing inspections … and there’s a lot of value in that,” he said. “I’d love to (keep the position), but we couldn’t justify the cost.”
Some homeowners, depending on their insurer, see changes in their rates depending on factors like the rate of local fire inspections. Andrews said the fire district’s rating will be up for review again in about four years.
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
