Chambers County commissioners voted Jan. 14 to adopt the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code with locally tailored clarifications and administrative language.

County fire‑marshal staff summarized substantive changes in the updated code, including added language addressing electric‑vehicle charging station placement and emergency shutoffs, provisions consolidating mobile food vendor‑park guidance, clarifications on in‑building communications and a new focus on energy‑storage systems. The presenter noted some provisions in the model code (for example, rooftop artificial vegetation or 3‑D printing language) may not be applicable in Chambers County but were included as part of the model updates.

The code update also clarified that approvals from the fire marshal remain conditioned on compliance with other county requirements — for example, drainage and subdivision regulations — so that building sign‑offs are not interpreted as relieving applicants of other legal obligations.

Why it matters: Updated fire code provisions affect permitting, design and inspection requirements for new development and for certain specialized occupancies (EV chargers, battery energy‑storage, some storage uses). Commissioners noted these changes bring county standards into alignment with more recent national model codes while preserving local control through clarifying language.

Ending: The court adopted the updated fire code and asked staff to proceed with implementation and coordination with permitting staff.