Commissioners adopt ordinance to strengthen county fire-code enforcement

Booneville Fire Chief Stephen Byers told the Ward County Board of Commissioners on June 29 that the county needs a single, codified ordinance to give fire chiefs and inspectors clear legal authority to inspect buildings and enforce code corrections. "It gives us a codified legal document that would allow us to go out, enforce the fire codes, hold the owners accountable and have something to stand on," Byers said.

Byers said the ordinance stitches together state laws, local rules and building codes into a single local document so fire departments have consistent authority and guidance. County staff said they coordinated outreach with stakeholders and that both legal and practical reviews supported forwarding the measure to the full board.

Commissioner discussion focused on whether the draft was ready for action and whether technical or legal questions remained. After brief remarks from staff and the fire department, a commissioner moved to approve Ordinance 2026-13; a second followed and the board approved the ordinance by voice vote.

The ordinance, described by staff as intended to improve enforcement capacity for commercial occupancies and to provide legal access for inspections, will be available in the county clerk's office and on the county's public documents once fully executed. The board recorded the motion and verbal ayes; no further recorded roll-call tally was provided at the meeting. The county did not announce an effective date in the discussion; implementation steps and communications were described as forthcoming.