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Mt. Healthy adopts Southwest Ohio Fire Safety Council standards into city code
Summary
Council adopted Ordinance 26-2072 to amend Chapter 92, adding the Southwest Ohio Fire Safety Council Unified Standards to Mt. Healthy's code; the change gives the fire department local authority to issue citations and fines, and the council suspended the two-reading rule to adopt the ordinance the same night.
The Mt. Healthy City Council voted Wednesday to adopt Ordinance 26-2072, which amends Chapter 92 (fire prevention) by adding the Southwest Ohio Fire Safety Council Unified Standards to the city's code. Council members said the change comes from a department assessment and is intended to allow the fire department to issue local citations and fines for certain infractions.
City Manager Bauer said the ordinance ‘‘basically gives more teeth to what [the fire department] do[es],’’ and noted the city will work with neighboring departments that have implemented the standard to learn best practices. Council suspended the two-reading rule before voting to adopt the ordinance that same night.
The city’s inspector, who spoke after adoption, said the standards would permit more local handling of complaints that previously had to be escalated to Columbus, calling the change "a tool in the tool belt" that will speed enforcement while continuing to abide by Ohio law.
Why it matters: The ordinance expands local enforcement options for fire-safety violations in older or noncompliant buildings and could change how the city handles inspections and follow-up enforcement. Officials said a draft schedule of fines will be prepared and returned to council.
Next steps: Staff will finalize proposed fines and present them to council for approval; the city will coordinate with neighboring departments to shape enforcement practices.
