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Fire chief asks to be notified of rooftop solar approvals as building inspectors propose code updates
Summary
Plattekill Fire Chief Doug Foster asked the board to adopt a process notifying the fire department when lightweight truss roofs receive rooftop solar installations; building inspectors concurrently proposed updating codes and the board agreed to introduce changes as a local law and set a public hearing.
Doug Foster, chief of the Platico/Plattekill Fire Department, asked the town board to establish a notification process so firefighters receive advance notice when solar panels are approved on lightweight truss-roof structures.
Foster said such roofs can present added hazards during firefighting, citing concerns about additional weight and electrified panels. He asked the building department and the board to consider a notification or review step and offered to share a process used by a neighboring town.
"My ask would be is that events like that or approvals like that in the future, we just get a notification," Foster said, adding the request is meant to improve firefighter safety and pre-planning rather than to change the approval authority.
Board members also reviewed recommendations from building inspectors to update certain building codes and discussed introducing the proposed changes as a local law; doing so would trigger a public hearing at a future meeting. One member noted that engineers typically certify structural work, and that approvals should include appropriate documentation.
The board directed staff to proceed with introducing the code updates as a local law and to coordinate with the fire department on notification procedures and documentation requirements.
