INSPECTIONS

The Fire Service Act; Chapter 35:50 of the laws of Trinidad and Tobago empowers Fire Officers to enter any or all buildings to which the public has access, whether on payment or otherwise for the purpose of determining the condition of the premises. In this process, the officer will consider the type of building (construction), the use to which the building is put, the number of persons occupying the building and any other features, which may allow him to make an assessment of any risk inherent in the building and the hazards that can be associated with its use.

The inspection of the building will also allow the officer to determine:

• Means of escape in case of fire or other emergency.
• Water supplies available for fire fighting.
• First aid fire fighting equipment (fire extinguishers, hose reels).
• Means of warning persons of a fire or other emergencies.
• Means of detecting the presence of a fire.
• Warning and advisory signs (exit, no smoking, etc.)

Exercises involving the inspection and assessment of premises are conducted on a daily basis throughout the country in an effort to ensure that an acceptable level of fire/life safety is maintained.

Following an inspection / assessment of a building, a full report is prepared and a list of requirements/recommendations issued to the occupant, owner or his agent. A time frame is conducted to determine whether they have been satisfactorily implemented.

Generally, the requirements/recommendations issued to an owner are in keeping with internationally accepted standards. Some of these are the (N.F.P.A.) National Fire Protection Association U.S.A., or British Standards Institute, U.K. (B.S.I).

Under normal circumstances, inspections are not carried out at private homes. However, where there are multi-storey or multi-tenanted buildings used as residences, these are considered a serious enough risk to warrant periodic inspections by Fire Prevention Officers.

HOW INSPECTIONS ARE CARRIED OUT.

Inspections are carried out in two modes.

1. Random selection of premises by the Fire Prevention Officer: - i.e. he may select a category of public premises and cause an inspection to be carried out e.g. government owned/occupied premises, schools, hotels, health care facilities, business/commercial property.
2. At the request of the property owners: - i.e. an owner/occupant may make a request of the Fire Prevention Officers to conduct an inspection of his/her premises to determine whether it meets the required standard of fire and life safety or to satisfy the requirements for obtaining a license.

HOW TO OBTAIN AN INSPECTION.

An inspection can be requested simply by penning a letter, addressed to the Chief Fire Officer or the Fire Prevention Officer in charge of each of the four (4) divisions – North, South, Central and Tobago. The location of the premises must be indicated as well as its present or intended use. If there is an intention to renovate the premises, or make any material changes, a copy of the plan of the building indicating any changes proposed must be made available.

If the premises is unoccupied, a contact number or address of a person associated with the premises should be indicated.

A fee of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) is payable to the “Chief Fire Officer” in advance of the inspection being carried out. This payment may be made by cash or certified cheque at any of the Headquarters Stations located as follows, between the hours of 8:00 am. - 2:00 p.m.

• Port of Spain - Fire Service Headquarters, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain..
• San Fernando - Fire Service Headquarters, Bypass, San Fernando.
• Chaguanas - Fire Service Division Sub. Headquarters, Biljah Road, Chaguanas.
• Tobago - Fire Service Division Sub. Headquarters, Scarborough, Tobago.

SPECIAL INSPECTIONS

For certain types of licensed premises, an inspection is required initially upon establishment of the business and each year thereafter. Examples of these are:

• Liquor Shops
• Bars ,
• Beer Gardens
• Restaurants
• Spirit Grocers. – Liquor Licenses Act - Chapter 84:10.

In order to satisfy the provisions of this Act; Section (21) sub (1).

The premises must be inspected to determine:

• The condition of the premises making it suitable for public use.
• Sufficient means of exit in case of fire and first aid fire fighting equipment.
• Its ability to accommodate members of the public adequately and safely.
• Any other Safety consideration which can be addressed by the Fire Service.
  

Applications for these licenses are made at the Magistrates’ Court. A copy of the application from the court indicating the address of the premises, the name and address of the applicant and the date of the hearing of the application, must be submitted to the Fire Service, Fire Prevention Section. This notice must reach the department in sufficient time to allow for the inspection to be conducted and a report sent to the court on time for the hearing. In addition, any requirements identified by the inspecting officer must be attended to prior to the date of the hearing.

Some of the requirements issued generally are:

• Adequacy of the means of escape in case of fire.
• First Aid fire-fighting equipment i.e. extinguishers in serviceable condition and of an appropriate type.
• Exit and Directional signs in position to indicate the direction of travel and location of exits.

A fee of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) is required for each inspection.

Exception: - Where the premises is a hotel or guesthouse, the inspection fee will be payable both for the hotel and liquor license inspections.

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