During a routine fire inspection at a small mercantile establishment, a volunteer firefighter spotted something that tripped his instincts. Hanging from chains directly over the entrance to the storeroom was an HVAC unit, bolted to the post-and-beam constructed ceiling joists and mounted on a 2-inch plank. It was not a code violation, so he could have ignored it easily. But he couldn't.

If a fire was to occur in this establishment, the most likely starting point would be the storeroom. The HVAC unit would be a hazard, even if its location was acceptable under code. If he were fighting the fire, he and his fellow firefighters would have to attack it from or through this doorway. He would want to know that the HVAC unit was directly above his head. He had not noticed the unit until he was leaving the storeroom and looked up — as a good inspector should. How would firefighters know it was there with the smoke and flames they faced on entry?

He gave his inspection form to the store owner with notice that the violations he found, although minor, should be corrected forthwith. The inspector explained why it was important to correct the violations and that he would be back to re-inspect the establishment in 15 days. But by giving the store owner a number of days to correct these violations he, in essence, gave that store owner permission to have the violations for those days. This grace period puts the department in a liability situation should one of those violations cause a fire in that period.

As he left the scene, he had an uneasy feeling that would not go away. The image of that HVAC system falling on a firefighter was quite vivid. The department did not have a policy, procedure or a form that would allow him to report his finding formally. There was no direct connection between the fire inspector and the preplan process. The fire inspector went to the fire chief to tell him what he found.

The department's preplan committee and fire inspectors held meetings, and everyone realized that there is a direct link between fire inspection and firefighter safety. It is the fire inspectors who get into the community on a regular basis. They are more likely to see situations like this HVAC system than those who did the preplanning. Every inspector must look at all occupancies they inspect as though they were fighting a fire in that establishment. They must notice those things that could be dangerous to firefighters, as well as things that would make it difficult to fight that fire.

The department members felt these inspections must become an intricate part of the preplan process. They also felt that when responding to a call, having a quick-reference preplan book in each apparatus would be helpful. Such a reference book would be sorted by address and would have one or two sentences notifying the officer of any key safety alerts at that occupancy. This formalizes the link between fire inspection and firefighter safety and absolutely fits into the department's Everyone Goes Home agenda.

Inspectors and preplan personnel truly are a team, and the information-sharing should be two-way. Just as the fire inspectors give information to the preplan team, the preplan team and all other firefighters should be educated in basic fire inspection. During routine fire and EMS calls, they can check that extinguishers are inspected and tagged properly, sprinkler systems have their annual inspection, aisle space is adequate, and general-housekeeping practices are good. They would then report any issues to the fire inspectors who, in turn, would inspect the occupancy.

The department developed simple forms and a direct line of effective communication. The entire fire department became more aware of fire inspection and its direct connection to firefighter safety. One of the firefighters said, “The fire inspectors may not be the ones who get the medal of valor, but they save more lives than any of us.”

Fire inspection falls under one of the three Es of fire prevention: education. It's just as important to educate adults in fire prevention as it is to education children. An approach should targeted directly to the needs of the community. For example, if fire inspectors find that housing near local colleges often has furniture on the front porches or if there are frequent fire calls at such locations, a department should develop a specific education program. The National Fire Incident Reporting System is a simple way to analyze where a department's fire incidents are occurring.

Another of the three Es in fire prevention is engineering. The fire service mustn't continue to be defeated by the building industry over residential sprinklers. All fire organizations must unite and become much more vocal about passing ordinances and codes requiring residential sprinklers. Residential fires kill more people than any other type fire in the United States, and many firefighter injures and deaths occur while fighting these fires.

Reviewing plans is another aspect of fire prevention engineering. Just as it is important for a fire inspector to inspect with the eyes of a firefighter, at least one plans reviewer in every municipality should be a qualified firefighter. Plans reviewers should look at a set of plans in the same way the fire inspectors look at buildings. They should constantly ask themselves the following question, “If there were a fire in this building, what would we as firefighters like to know?” This information also must be directly linked to the department's preplan process, with the information found being added into the preplan alerts book in the cab of every piece of department apparatus. Plans review, if used in this manner, can be a valuable tool in a department's Everyone Goes Home agenda.

This fire inspector is a real hero, even if he never gets the medal of valor with its accompanying ribbon on his uniform. There's no telling how many lives he saved and how many injuries he prevented with his observations. It is his love for his fellow firefighters and his proactive commitment to the fire service that makes an untold difference in his fire department.

Be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to fire, employ these concepts, and realize that fire prevention saves firefighter lives and prevents firefighter injuries. It takes each and every one of us to make sure everyone goes home.

Chief Mike Chiaramonte, CFO, is a 40-year member of the Lynbrook (N.Y.) Fire Department and its former chief. Chiaramonte is a past chairman and board member of the IAFC Volunteer and Combination Officers Section Board and past president of the IAFC Eastern Division. He's also a National Fire Academy Instructor and on the advisory board to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Chiaramonte is a state EMT-B. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a master's degree from Hofstra University, both in communications education.