Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire department rolls out vacant-building placard system, will mark only ‘extreme hazards’
Summary
The Chester Fire Department described a vacant-building placard program tied to firefighter safety, using three placard types and Active911 mapping; only buildings posing extreme hazards will be placarded, and some erroneous placards are being corrected.
The City of Chester Fire Department presented its vacant-building placard program to city council on June 25, explaining placards are being used to improve firefighter safety at vacant or derelict structures.
Fire officials said the city has adopted the 2018 International Fire Code and — after receiving a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant in February 2022 — purchased placards used to identify building conditions at emergency scenes. The department described three placard types: a plain red square indicating “normal conditions” (occupiable), a placard with a single white slash indicating recognized hazards that require caution, and an X-shaped placard indicating extreme hazards and that no interior operations should be conducted.
Commissioner JP Shirley said the department will use placards only for buildings that meet the “extreme hazards” criteria rather than placarding every vacant property. Placards will be accompanied by a digital marker in the department’s Active911 system so dispatch and responding units will see the designation in their mapping and mobile displays.
Shirley acknowledged some placards were placed on properties that do not meet the extreme-hazard threshold and said the department is revisiting those locations and removing inappropriate placards. Property owners who believe a placard was placed incorrectly were instructed to contact the fire department (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) for an inspection; in an emergency residents should call 911.
Council members asked whether the placard program connects to demolition or rehabilitation work. Staff said demolition or rehabilitation typically involves the city’s licensing and inspections (L&I) office and the Chester Economic Development Authority (CETA) where funds or demolition prioritization exist; L&I enforcement actions can lead to magistrate proceedings and, in some cases, emergency demolition coordinated through CETA. The fire commissioner said demolition costs can range “anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per building” and that county/city funds for demolition are limited; CETA has allocated a sum (discussed during the meeting as approximately $100,000–$150,000) to demolition activities this year but staff said exact funding allocations should be confirmed with CETA.
Shirley emphasized the placards are intended as a firefighter-safety warning and a complement to the department’s digital building-marking system. He said the department will perform annual summer block checks to update placarding as properties are demolished, rehabilitated or otherwise change condition.
