Fire Inspections: Good Policy or Big Government?

Palmer Supervisors have proposed a new ordinance that would require to get and pay for an inspection for fire safety. But one business owner thinks it's just another way for government to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong.

Doug Janowicz, owner of , told that the proposed inspections were “ridiculous” and amounted to “a yearly tax on small businesses.”

Fire Commissioner said at a previous meeting that the inspection would cover "simple housekeeping" like ensuring sprinklers are working.

"We're trying to get our foot in the door," Grube said. "We need to start someplace."

Janowicz thinks the inspections are an overreaction to the in July, and recommended that supervisors merely create clear regulations that business owners can follow.

“If there is another fire,” he said, “and that businesses is found to have violations, that’s when the township should slap them with fines … [inspections are] too much government and we don’t need it.”

Supervisors chairman David Colver said the proposed ordinance was not a reaction to the fire. Discussions had been going on for years, he said, about creating an ordinance to help promote fire safety.

“Our volunteer firefighters go on 500 to 600 calls a year,” Colver said, “and inside the buildings they find exits blocked and inventory in hallways … they can’t get through the buildings … it’s dangerous for our firefighters.”

said that three days a week would be dedicated for the code enforcement officer to do only constructions and fire inspections.

Palmer Township has more than 500 businesses, and Christman doubted they could be inspected every year.

“It could take several years to get through all the township businesses,” he said, “so there could be a couple years in between inspections.”

Supervisors agreed the inspection fee should only be collected when a business is inspected, not as a yearly charge.

The new sets the cost of a fire inspection from $50 to $200, depending on the size of the property.

The new ordinance is being drafted now and will be presented to supervisors for a vote sometime in December.

Fire Inspection

PROPOSED FEE

   0 to 2,500 sq. ft.

$50

   2,501 to 20,000 sq. ft.

$100

   20,001 to 50,000 sq. ft.

$150

   50,001 sq. ft. and over

$200

   2 or more re-inspections

$50