As Construction Picks Up, Fire Inspections Struggle to Keep Pace

The Monarch Fire Protection District will be using on-duty firefighters for routine inspections of buildings on interim basis while they seek applications for the positions of fire inspector and administrative assistant.

The moves, approved by the district’s board of directors at a meeting in June, are the result of a picked up pace of construction that is stressing its ability to inspect all the new buildings while during regular checks of current ones, according to an article in West Newsmagazine.

Fire Marshal Roger Herin said the workload has increased to such a point that he feels two additional full-time fire inspectors are needed.

However, the cost of making such hires was a concern for board chairman Robin Harris. After discussing it at length, Harris made a motion for using firefighters to perform the more routine inspections instead of placing it solely on Herin’s department.

It passed 2-0 with support from board member Jane Cunningham. The board’s third director, Steve Swyers, was not at the meeting, the article reported. They also voted to authorize the purchase of up 10 iPads for the firefighters to use in their inspections.

For more information, read the full article here.