How Does the Fire Safety Inspection Work?

Each year high hazard buildings will require an annual inspection while low hazard buildings will be conducted bi-annually. A phone call message will be left, and/or a letter will be mailed out, emailed, or it will be delivered in person to each occupancy prior to the inspection. These will instruct the occupant of the inspection date and time. 

If the Fire Inspection finds any fire codes violations, they will be noted. The responsible occupant will be asked to correct any violations that are discovered. Failure to correct violations will result in additional fees for violations, as set forth by the Whitehall Township Ordinance 3170. 

For violations that cannot be corrected on-site, you will be given a period to correct the discrepancies and a follow-up inspection (re-inspection) will be scheduled to confirm that the violation has been corrected. A separate fee is assessed for follow-up inspections and failure to comply. A certificate of completion will be issued when all discrepancies have been repaired. The business will receive an invoice for the inspection fee within thirty days of the first fire safety inspection. A final report will be sent after the final inspection shows that everything is now in compliance.

The Fire Inspector will conduct a detailed inspection of commercial properties to ensure that life safety issues comply according to the current International Fire Code the Township is utilizing. Inspecting items including some of the most commonly found fire safety violations such as: 

· Conditions of exits

· Exit Signs

· Operations of the Exit door

· Records for annual fire alarm and fire protection systems

· Emergency lighting

If any conditions are found that violate Whitehall Township Ordinance 3169 or issues that could cause fire or endanger life or property, the inspector will notify the business owner or manager and issue an inspection report requiring that the hazardous condition be corrected immediately. A re-inspection will be scheduled after an established time period to correct the violations. 

 Whitehall Township Ordinance 3169 authorizes and requires Whitehall Township Bureau of Fire to conduct fire inspections in all commercial properties subject to Fire regulations. The inspection is to locate potential fire or life safety hazards and mitigate them before they become an issue. These inspections will help to alleviate potential fires in the future through Fire Prevention. This can be accomplished by enforcing the International Fire Codes that was adopted by the Township. The Fire Inspection Ordinance was passed August 13, 2019. This program will not include one- and two-family dwellings. Commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi (three or more units) family structures will require annual inspections. In order to enhance public health, safety, and welfare the goal of the program is to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and property loss from fire. 

The Whitehall Bureau of Fire Inspectors will conduct inspections for all institutional, commercial, multi-family residential, and industrial properties, within Whitehall Township. Each inspection will occur annually, unless additional inspections are required. Larger and more complex buildings, healthcare facilities, office buildings, factories, schools, malls, and other large assemblies will require additional specific inspections including specialized testing for the maintenance of fire and smoke detection systems, alarms systems and other protection systems on annual and semi-annual basis as per current code requirements conducted by qualified contractors or companies.

 The fee for a fire safety inspection are based upon a fees schedule that takes into consideration the type of occupancy, the usage, and the square footage of the facility. Please see the attached document for a list of the fee schedule categories. For a copy of the current fee schedule, or any questions regarding the fee schedule structure, please call the Fire Inspections office at the    

Whitehall Township building between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm at 610-437-5524 Ext. 100 or visit us on the official township website: www.Whitehalltownship.org

A fee will be charged for the commercial fire safety inspections. The following are some of the fees please review Ordinance 3170 for the complete fee schedule:

• Less than 2,000 sq. ft. $150.00
• 2,001 to 10,000 sq. ft. $200.00
• 10,001 to 25,000 sq. ft. $250.00
• 25,001 to 50,000 sq. ft. $300.00
• 50,001 to 75,000 sq. ft. $350.00
• 75,001 to 100,000 sq. ft. $500.00
• 100,001 to 200,000 sq. ft. $750.00
• 200,001 to 300,000 sq. ft. $1,000.00
• 300,001 to 500,000 sq. ft. $1,500.00
• Greater than 500,001 sq. ft. $2,000.00

Any additional re-inspections which are not an Initial, Annual or Bi-annual Fire Inspections shall be billed to the property owner at a rate of $65.00 per hour. Such billing shall be for a minimum of one hour, and shall continue after the first hour in thirty minutes increments thereafter.