Fire Marshal’s Office
Protecting life and property before emergencies happen.
We provide community safety education, enforcement of fire, building and life safety codes, investigation of fire causes for criminal, or product recall follow up and the application of adopted codes to construction projects.
The Fire Marshal’s Office is managed by Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli.
Services
- Administering fire safety education
- Fire cause determination
- Inspection of business and multi-family occupancies
- Plan review and inspection of new construction for fire code compliance
- Inspection Information
- Alarm Reduction
- Citizen Access Portal
- Administrative Review
- New Construction
- Legal Burning?
- Fire Protection Contractors
Business Inspection Information
The Fire Marshal’s Office maintains an inspection database of businesses, buildings and facilities within the City limits. This database contains:
- Property ownership information
- Construction and fire protection features
- Business owner information
- Emergency response history
- Current and historical inspection records
- Other important records
Each building, suite and/or business has a unique record I.D. number. It is important that the contact information is up to date. This information is often used to contact a responsible party after hours to notify them of a fire or other emergency.
Fire Code Permits are required to install and/or operate hazard categories regulated by the Fire Code. Typically, a Fire Code Officer will provide a link to the application form.
Once the application is processed and approved through a fire inspection, the permit will be issued. If you were not directed to apply for a permit, please consult with our office before applying. vanfmo@cityofvancouver.us
Unwanted Alarm Reduction
Responding to unwanted alarms diminishes the Fire Department’s readiness to respond to emergencies where minutes count.
The VFD has responded to as many as 1,700 unwanted alarms annually during the past several years. While examining the unwanted alarm data, a trend was identified that indicated an increasingly upward movement of unwanted alarms each year.
Since a large percentage of these alarm signals alarms are preventable, the Fire Marshal’s Office is asking everyone to take proactive measures to reduce false calls for the 9-1-1 dispatching center and emergency service personnel.
- For single family residents, call your monitoring company immediately if you accidentally create a false/ unwanted alarm. If the signal was already sent, call 311 and let them know to cancel the emergency responders if appropriate.
- For businesses, this means having your fire alarm and sprinkler systems inspected, tested and maintained by an endorsed fire protection system contractor on an annual basis
Use the Citizen Access Portal to conduct a variety of business tasks with the Fire Marshal’s Office.
Without registration you can
- Submit a declaration
- View a current list of Endorsed Fire Protection Contractors
- Securely pay invoices
With registration you can
- View inspection results
- Apply for fire code operational permits
Invoices
To pay invoices or view the contractor list you do not need to log in or register, you can use the invoice number or the inspection number.
Declarations
To process an inspection, just use the link in the correction notice provided to the fire inspector. There you may affirm and declare that the fire code violations have been corrected. Logging in is not required
Vancouver Fire Marshal issues recreational burning ban
Vancouver, Wash. – Due to arid conditions, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli is issuing a total ban on recreational burning effective at 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 13th , for the city of Vancouver. The recreational burning ban is based on weather conditions, fuel moisture content in vegetation and community fire safety needs. It will remain in effect throughout the summer/fall months or until weather and fire danger conditions greatly improve. Citations may be issued to those who violate the order. An update will be provided when the recreational burn ban is lifted. These types of fires are prohibited during the ban:
- Recreational fires and bonfires
- Campfires
- Fires in outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and chimney-type devices
- EXCLUDES – Approved fire pit appliances such as natural gas/propane-powered equipment with approved fire safety clearances to combustibles.
Cooking outdoors in propane or charcoal barbecues approved for that type of use is still allowed during the burning ban. Cooking and heating fires in unmanaged situations, such as encampments of unsheltered community members, are illegal under City ordinance and will be extinguished.
“The risk for fire is high and state officials have said that this year’s wildfire season has the potential to be challenging as the fine fuels continue to cure,” said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli. “It is vital that everyone be extra vigilant about fire safety during this time. In addition to not using any recreational fires, we also ask that smokers never put out their cigarettes in bark mulch or planters or toss lit cigarettes out of car windows.”
While the recreational burn ban is in place, all fires will be illegal within the city limits. Community members are encouraged to call 911 and report any fire-related activity so it can be promptly extinguished by the fire department. Those who violate the recreational burn ban may be subject to a fire code citation and a $500 fine, which may include criminal penalties.
Learn more about fire and life safety prevention at https://www.cityofvancouver.us/departments/fire-department/
Contact Info:
MEDIA CONTACT: Heidi Scarpelli, Vancouver Fire Marshal, 360-833-3418, Heidi.Scarpelli@cityofvancouver.us