(a) Each local fire marshal and the State Fire Marshal, for the purpose of satisfying themselves that all pertinent statutes and regulations are complied with, may inspect in the interests of public safety all buildings, facilities, processes, equipment, systems and other areas regulated by the Fire Safety Code and the State Fire Prevention Code within their respective jurisdictions.

(b) Each local fire marshal shall inspect or cause to be inspected, at least once each calendar year or as often as prescribed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subsection (e) of this section, in the interests of public safety, all buildings and facilities of public service and all occupancies regulated by the Fire Safety Code within the local fire marshal's jurisdiction, except residential buildings designed to be occupied by one or two families which shall be inspected, upon complaint or request of an owner or occupant, only for the purpose of determining whether the requirements specified in said codes relative to smoke detection and warning equipment have been satisfied. In the case of a school building, each local fire marshal shall submit a written report to the local or regional board of education documenting each such inspection.

(c) Upon receipt by the State Fire Marshal of information from an authentic source that any other building or facility within the State Fire Marshal's jurisdiction is hazardous to life safety from fire, the State Fire Marshal shall inspect such building or facility.

(d) Upon receipt by the local fire marshal of information from an authentic source that any other building or facility within the local fire marshal's jurisdiction is hazardous to life safety from fire, the local fire marshal shall inspect such building or facility. In each case in which the local fire marshal conducts an inspection, the local fire marshal shall be satisfied that all pertinent statutes and regulations are complied with, and shall keep a record of such investigations. Such local fire marshal or a designee shall have the right of entry at all reasonable hours into or upon any premises within the local fire marshal's jurisdiction for the performance of the fire marshal's duties except that occupied dwellings and habitations, exclusive of common use passageways and rooms in tenement houses, hotels and rooming houses, may only be entered for inspections between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., except in the event of any emergency requiring immediate attention for life safety, or in the interests of public safety. Each local fire marshal shall make a monthly report to the authority which appointed the local fire marshal and shall be paid for his or her services in making such inspections of buildings, facilities, processes, equipment, systems and other areas the compensation agreed upon with such appointing authority.

(e) The State Fire Marshal may adopt amendments to the Fire Safety Code and the State Fire Prevention Code regarding requirements for the frequency of inspections of different building uses regulated by the codes and set forth a schedule of inspections, except for inspections of residential buildings designed to be occupied by three or more families, that are less frequent than yearly if the interests of public safety can be met by less frequent inspections.

(1949 Rev., S. 3675; 1957, P.A. 516, S. 2; P.A. 83-511, S. 3, 4; P.A. 89-42, S. 1, 2; P.A. 07-84, S. 4; P.A. 08-65, S. 2; P.A. 09-7, S. 4; 09-227, S. 1; P.A. 11-8, S. 21, 22.)

History: Sec. 29-52 transferred to Sec. 29-305 in 1983; P.A. 83-511 included manufacturing establishments within the types of buildings and facilities which local and state fire marshals may inspect in the interests of public safety, effective July 1, 1984; P.A. 89-42 added an exception to requirement that local fire marshal inspect all buildings and occupancies each year for one and two-family residential buildings which shall be inspected for smoke detection and warning equipment upon complaint or request of an owner or occupant; P.A. 07-84 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), made technical changes therein and added Subsec. (b) permitting State Fire Marshal to adopt amendments to Fire Safety and Fire Prevention Codes re schedule of inspections; P.A. 08-65 divided existing Subsec. (a) into new Subsecs. (a) to (d), redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (e), amended Subsec. (a) to delete reference to public service and manufacturing facilities, to add reference to “processes, equipment, systems and other areas” and to add reference to the State Fire Prevention Code, made technical changes in new Subsec. (b), amended new Subsec. (d) to require local fire marshals to conduct inspections of certain reported fire hazards and to add reference to “processes, equipment, systems and other areas”, and made technical changes in Subsec. (e); P.A. 09-7 made a technical change in Subsec. (d), effective May 4, 2009; P.A. 09-227 amended Subsec. (b) to require each local fire marshal to submit an inspection report for school buildings to local or regional board of education; P.A. 11-8 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (e), effective May 24, 2011.

See Sec. 29-244 re requirement that valid operating certificate be displayed.

Annotation to former section 29-52:

Cited. 189 C. 228.

Annotation to present section:

Cited. 23 CA 528.