# Fire drills and enforcement



## SVFD6 (Sep 25, 2015)

New inspector looking for some advice and options with a possible sticky situation:

- Using 2006 IFC -

I have good info that the director of a local preschool has given me false documentation of evacuation drills.  It started a few months ago when I asked for the records.  The response I got was evasive like "Oh I'm learning how to use some new software, I'll get them to you when I figure it out."  I say "Ok" and plan to follow up.  A couple months later I have received records via email that claim several drills since this all started.  To protect a source I'll just say the drills didn't happen, and hadn't for a while.  Proper inspection and enforcement has never really happened here; _small_ rural place, previous inspectors were part time at best and I imagine the school got complacent.  There has been one actual drill very recently which is starting toward the goal of compliance with section 405.  So rather than continue to be amazed at the audacity I am trying to sort my options.  So the way I see it I could:

1. Let it go and hope things are peachy from here on.

2. Confront the director and say wtf, rant, rave, write 'em up, etc.  This I fear could possibly endanger the livelihood of my source.

3. Confront the director and say that was bad, don't do it again.  The source might still be affected.

4. Expose the deception attempt (what would that be called exactly, fraud?).

5. I thought about giving them a kick in the pants by walking in unannounced and pulling the alarm to watch what happens but figure that's not allowed under 104.3 without a warrant or permission.

6. Get a warrant and do the above?

7. What else?

Hope this doesn't sound like it should have been in the whine and cheese forum, just trying to remain objective and get you experienced officials' perspective on it.  Mountain or mole hill?  What would you do?

Thanks

p.s. I neglected to mention our little town is trying to step our game up lately and still have only the barest of policies and procedures about this kind of thing beyond chapter 1 in the IFC.


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## cda (Sep 25, 2015)

Does the state or some other agency license the day care??

If so like in our state they also regulate if fire drills are done.

Dump the day care to the state agency!!!


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## cda (Sep 25, 2015)

Yes you need permission to enter the building

Yes you should say you are there to conduct/ witness a fire drill

Try to sing and dance if you get push back, so you get the drill done

SECTION 405 EMERGENCY EVACUATION DRILLS

405.1 General. Emergency evacuation drills complying with the provisions of this section shall be conducted at least annually in the occupancies listed in Section 404.2 or    """"when required by the fire code official. """""".    Drills shall be designed in cooperation with the local authorities.


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## SVFD6 (Sep 26, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> Does the state or some other agency license the day care??If so like in our state they also regulate if fire drills are done.
> 
> Dump the day care to the state agency!!!


Our state regulates public schools, this is a private non-profit, otherwise dumping it off would be a very attractive idea for sure.



			
				cda said:
			
		

> Yes you need permission to enter the buildingYes you should say you are there to conduct/ witness a fire drill
> 
> Try to sing and dance if you get push back, so you get the drill done
> 
> ...


Yeah the main thing is that they get it done.


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## cda (Sep 26, 2015)

the other thing is ask for a schedule of the upcoming fire drills and say nicely that you will be there to witness the drill!!!


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## SVFD6 (Sep 27, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> the other thing is ask for a schedule of the upcoming fire drills and say nicely that you will be there to witness the drill!!!


That's one of the first things I did :wink:


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## cda (Sep 27, 2015)

What state are you in?


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## SVFD6 (Sep 27, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> What state are you in?


SW Colorado


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## cda (Sep 27, 2015)

Have you checked with the state to see if they do handle the place or Should???

http://www.coloradoofficeofearlychildhood.com


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## SVFD6 (Sep 28, 2015)

cda said:
			
		

> Have you checked with the state to see if they do handle the place or Should???http://www.coloradoofficeofearlychildhood.com


Yeah it's all local for these:

"...must be inspected and obtain an approving inspection report from the

local department of health or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and

from the local fire department..."

and

"Fire drills must be consistent

with local fire department procedures. A record..."

Think I'll just follow up on the witnessed fire drill this week and go from there.


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## Moscow (Sep 28, 2015)

Here we inspect and license all the Day Cares. So, the are subject to an inspection every year for license renewal. What I do to find out if they are doing the fire drills properly is, we show up usually late morning to early afternoon go to the nearest pull station and pull it. Then we will time it. let me tell you it works great. after the drill I ask to see there log and if there is big time difference between what I have and what they have written down they have no argument. I use it as a teaching tool as well. When we first started this we had one day care leave a baby in the swing which is not good. One last thing if you are going to start doing this you better get the Admin to sign off on it. You will get lots of complaints at the start, but if they have your back it will work great for you.

Good luck


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## north star (Sep 29, 2015)

*% ~ ~*



> " 7. What else? "


Document, ...document, ...document, ...document, and document some more !In addition to keeping all of your files & records at work, ...recommend

that you keep multiple copies at a secure, non-work related place.

Files & records have been known to mysteriously disappear.

I also agree with **Moscow** in that you should get your AHJ Admin.

up-to-speed & on board for "when, not if" this gets uglier.



*~ ~ %*


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