It is the responsibility of every tenant and building owner to adhere to fire safety rules and be inline with area fire codes, because if not, the results could be disastrous. Many towns and cities across the country are taking a more active role in enforcing these fire codes. No better do we see this than in Augusta. The town is making it its duty to enforce codes in an effort to save lives and prevent damage. According to Chief Roger Audette of the Augusta Fire Department, “The property owner is directly responsible and liable to make sure they meet the code and all applicable laws as well.”
The fire department along with city officials aren’t pulling any punches, as homes are being deemed unfit for occupancy at a record pace or, according to Code Enforcement Officer Robert Overton, “We explained to the tenants we were concerned about their continued use of the building we did not want them in the building any longer than was absolutely necessary. Typically, once the building is vacated we go through the building with them with detailed inspection try to identify every issue that would need to be resolved before it can be re-occupied.”
Basically, property owners nationwide need to be proactive about being in line with codes for the safety of the tenants. Faulty buildings will inevitably lead to a loss of life. There are many things that go wrong with a building – from inadequate number of exits out of the building to the lack of smoke detectors. Any one of those things can cause what should be a minor incident to become a disaster – and when it becomes a disaster, that’s when we come in at John Michael Agosti & Associates.
At Agosti & Associates we provide consulting and expert witness services in the areas of Fire/Explosion Investigations; Fire and Building Codes; and Fire Department Operations and Procedures.
