Frequently Asked Questions

• The Village of Midlothian requires annual fire inspections in certain occupancies.  
• The Village also requires an inspection for any new business prior to opening to the public or operating out of the building the business is located.
•  These include places of public assembly, storage buildings, industrial uses, etc. The purpose of these inspections is to assure code compliance and an acceptable level of safety for the building occupants, as well as to protect adjacent properties who may be affected by an incident on your property.

Although we may be able to accommodate you with an earlier fire alarm test, sprinkler test  or a general walk through and provide suggestions; a final inspection will ALWAYS be required.

A final fire inspection must be made when:

• The permitted work is completed
• The building department has approved all of their inspections
• The health department has finished their inspections (if required)
• Before being furnished, stocked, or occupied. (Exception: At the discretion of the Fire Chief or FPO, approval for furnishing can be granted if all fire protection systems are in service, and are monitored (if required)
• And other items as deemed appropriate have been completed, (i.e. exit and emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, no open electrical, etc.) Tests and inspections for all required fire protection and alarm systems, exit and emergency lighting must be conducted before occupancy. A final inspection MUST be approved before occupancy.

No, we will be out to conduct inspections at random.

Most business owners do not have the specialized knowledge necessary to conduct a fire and life safety inspection of their business. Nor do they realize the devastating effects that a fire or hazardous materials incident can have on their business. Business failure rates after a significant fire can be as high as 70 or 80 percent. Your best bet is to be prepared not to have the fire to begin with.

The amount of time you will need to make corrections depends on the severity of the problem. Some violations of the fire code are so severe that they must be corrected immediately. Others make take days or even weeks to correct. Consult with your Fire Prevention Officer concerning the amount of time which is appropriate to make corrections.

Typical Fire Code violations include:

1. Fire extinguishers that have not been serviced annually or low on charge. Extinguishers need to be serviced and ready for use in the event of a fire.

2. Blocked or locked exit doors. The building occupants will need exit doors to be available in the event of an emergency.

3. Extension cords used in place of permanent wiring methods. Extension cords are not manufactured to handle the same amperage loads as permanent wiring methods. Cords need to be unplugged and stored until the next use.

4. Address or suite numbers not posted. The Fire Department will need to find your building if you have a fire or other emergency. Address numbers should be 12 inches tall for industrial uses, 8 inches for commercial, 6 inches for residential, and 3 inches for individual suite numbers. 

5. Exit signs missing or not illuminated. Exit signs show you to location of exits in the event of a power failure.

6. Sprinkler systems not serviced and up to date. A properly operating sprinkler system is essential in putting out a fire.

7. Fire alarm systems not serviced and up to date. Fire alarm systems notify the building occupants of the emergency situation so that the building can be evacuated.

8. Open electrical boxes or exposed wiring. Exposed wiring poses an electrocution hazard to the occupants and emergency personnel.

9. Placards not posted indicating hazard rating of materials. NFPA placards tell the Fire Department when you have flammables or other hazardous chemicals in the event of a fire.

10. Improper handling or storage of flammable materials. Improper use or handling of flammable materials can be the cause of a fire.

If excessive return inspections are conducted without correcting violations, you may be charged a reinspection fee.

Yes! Locally adopted codes and regulations are concurrently applicable to the requirements of the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Local requirements may be more stringent than those adopted and enforced by the OSFM. Therefore, the OSFM encourages building owners to verify compliance with both the state-adopted codes as well as those imposed by local authorities. Compliance with OSFM rules and codes does not guarantee compliance with local codes or ordinances.

Requirements for Commercial kitchen equipment inspections include:

1. Exhaust duct Weld Inspection is required prior to concealing the ductwork
2. Anchor straps shots be in place the on the stove and fryer too prevent them from pulling away from the wall and damaging the gas lines.
3. Fire Suppression System Dump Test
4. This inspection is required prior to utilizing the kitchen exhaust hood and food heat processing appliances for cooking purposes. The system shall be tested in accordance with the appropriate NFPA Standard, and the installing contractor shall have the appropriate manuals to verify adequate flow rates per nozzle.
5.  Due to the nature of commercial construction it is not uncommon to have separate inspections for both wall cover and ceiling cover. Also phase rough and final inspections are possible for projects.

Please email the Midlothian Fire Department Fire Prevention Officer or call (708) 752-8963 to schedule the inspection.

Requirements for a fire alarm system are:

• Operational Acceptance Test of all devices shall be conducted in Accordance with NFPA 72.
• This testing is usually conducted on the final inspection, and on systems that are required to transmit alarm and trouble signals to an approved Central Station System, remote-station system, etc. the off-site monitoring shall be installed and in service prior to the inspection by this office. (All devices shall have been tested and working properly prior to scheduling the inspection).