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Fire officials tell vendors to expect annual inspections, NFPA rules and 10‑foot spacing at events
Summary
Douglas County fire and city officials said mobile vendors must meet NFPA codes, maintain required fire extinguishers and ventilation/hood documentation, and keep 10‑foot spacing at special events; some inspections are recognized across jurisdictions via HOA.
Douglas County fire officials briefed mobile food vendors at a Food Policy Council training on fire-safety and licensing steps, outlining code references, hood requirements and event spacing rules.
"You have to have an inspection every year and it's calendar year," Jason Champagne said, explaining that fire inspections and stickers are recorded per vehicle and that the HOA mutual-recognition of inspections helps participating jurisdictions avoid duplicate inspections.
Officials said vents and hoods are reviewed against NFPA 96 (ventilation) and that if a mobile unit produces grease-laden vapors it will likely require a Type I hood; documentation such as hood drawings must be maintained in the vehicle. Gas devices and lines will require annual lead tests and inspection tags under the updated code standards officials said they expect to adopt.
Fire officials also described minimum portable-extinguisher requirements for vehicles that do not require a commercial kitchen hood: a 2A:10BC-rated extinguisher is required and must be maintained and inspected annually. Inspectors will also check electrical installations and outdoor-rated extension cords.
On operations at special events, fire staff said mobile vendors must maintain a 10-foot separation to avoid blocking fire lanes or exits and should not place generators where they expose the public; vehicle-attached generators are treated differently than free-standing units. Officials urged vendors who are forced into tighter layouts by event organizers to inform the event organizer and contact fire staff so the department can intervene.
Vendors were directed to obtain city permits through the city clerk before operating on public property in Lawrence, and to schedule fire inspections a week or two ahead; officials said inspections typically begin in late winter and early spring and run on a calendar-year basis.
The presentation closed with a reminder that rules vary by jurisdiction and that vendors should check with local clerks and fire departments when operating outside Douglas County.
