A new Fire Inspector, Jerry Marrison, was hired by the Board of County Commissioners in February 2014. Over the past several months, Mr. Marrison has worked hard to insure the duties of the Fire Inspector are being fulfilled. Part of his duties include public education opportunities and youth firesetter intervention. Mr. Marrison has become an active figure in the school system delivering safety messages to the students pertaining to fire prevention and fire safety, in addition to general safety messages related to safe driving and the importance of not drinking or texting while driving.
To protect the health and safety of Nassau County’s residents, Mr. Marrison inspects fireworks displays and meets with personnel in advance to insure basic safe handling/loading procedures will be followed. Businesses handling flammable or hazardous materials are inspected to insure the materials are being stored and disposed of properly and in accordance with the Occupational Safety Hazards Act (OSHA). The Fire Inspector also conducts various fire prevention activities including but not limited to fire drills, evacuation plans, and creation of fire committees.
The Fire Inspector is responsible for a number of activities mandated by Florida Law or Administrative Code. Chapter 633 of the Florida Statutes requires the Fire Inspector to conduct plan reviews during construction of new facilities, with the exception of detached one and two-family dwellings. It also requires the Fire Inspector to conduct periodic fire safety inspections on all existing commercial buildings and multi-family residential structures in the County. During inspection, the Fire Inspector will look to insure there are no electrical hazards such as exposed or bare wires or use of unauthorized extension cords and adaptors. He will inspect the facility’s fire system and fire extinguishers to insure they have been serviced. Fire sprinklers will be tested to insure they are working correctly. The Fire Inspector will also look for clearly identified emergency exits and insure that they are free of obstacles. Commercial fire inspections shall be conducted on a bi-annual basis, with the exception of those mandated to be done annually by Florida Statute. If any violations or discrepancies are found, business owners are given a time period to address any violations.
The Office of Fire Prevention is aware that the requirements of the Florida Fire Prevention Code can be confusing, however they are here to help. If you ever have any questions regarding fire safety and/or inspections, please do not hesitate to contact the Fire Inspector’s Office at (904) 491-7525.
-Sabrina Robertson
Nassau County Manager’s Office