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Abington fire marshal seeks adoption of 2021 International Fire Code to modernize inspections and recordkeeping
Summary
Fire Department presenter Chris Platts urged the board to adopt the 2021 International Fire Code with about 40 local amendments to update a decades-old local code; commissioners asked about bonfire rules, accreditation and how documentation will be submitted via a free portal.
Chris Platts, presenting for the Abington Township Fire Department, urged the Board of Commissioners on May 28 to adopt the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) with local amendments to replace an outdated local fire code.
Platts told commissioners the township currently relies on a 1990-era code for local practices and highlighted changes in hazards and technology since that time. "So what I'm proposing to go to is the 2021 International Fire Code," Platts said. He said the update would expand permit requirements for hazardous processes, improve maintenance and inspection requirements for fire-protection systems, address lithium-ion and energy-storage hazards, and standardize enforcement with surrounding municipalities.
Platts said the proposal includes roughly 40 local amendments, many of which are administrative ("fill in the blank" local references and fee schedules), and about 32 technical amendments intended to align the code with local practice. He described one operational change intended to reduce repeated enforcement problems: businesses will be required to submit annual fire-system documentation through an online portal so records are centralized. Platts said his team wrote over 1,200 violations in the past year for missing documentation and that he found a vendor offering a free portal level, so residents and businesses would not face new costs.
Commissioners questioned specifics: bonfire rules (the IFC defines "bonfires" and the proposed local rule requires a 50-foot clearance and a permit for large ceremonial fires), whether adopting the IFC affects state construction rules (Platts said the fire code addresses operational—not construction—requirements and was coordinated with the solicitor), and whether there are costs or revenue impacts (Platts said there is no direct cost and the change is fiscally neutral). Platts said the update would help the department maintain international accreditation.
The board did not vote on the ordinance at the meeting; Platts said the ordinance package will return in June with final amendment language.
Quotes of record
"It's been over 30 years since our last complete adoption of a fire code," Platts said, arguing the township's current code is outdated.
"We will not be gaining any money from this. We will not be losing any money from this," Platts said in response to budget questions about adopting the code.
Next steps
Platts will present a final ordinance and amendment list in June. The board asked that the package include implementation details for the documentation portal, clarification about who must submit inspection records, and any permit or fee changes that would affect businesses.
