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Des Moines fire official outlines stricter checks for food‑truck propane, suppression and egress
Summary
John Tucker of the City of Des Moines Fire Prevention Bureau summarized expanded food‑truck inspections, saying checks now focus on propane cylinders and piping, hood suppression systems, required extinguishers and annual pressure testing adopted under the 2024 International Fire Code.
John Tucker, a Fire Prevention Bureau staff member with the City of Des Moines Fire Department, described how the city inspects mobile food vendors and the key safety items inspectors review.
Tucker said the bureau’s annual food‑truck inspections have "exploded in growth," rising from fewer than 50 inspections in 2021 to more than 150 in 2024–2025. He said the bureau’s stated goal is to "collaboratively work with the mobile food vendors and educate them on our inspection process as well as how to work safely in the city of Des Moines."
Inspectors begin with the propane system, which Tucker said must be mounted on the vehicle exterior. "We start by looking at the two 100‑pound cylinders — maximum allowable…
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