Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone
There are many reasons why the fire service has such a strong connection to the law, but a recent story out of South Carolina brought that connection home to me once again in a way I had not expected. In Beaufort, they have been having a difficult time enforcing their nuisance codes which govern things like overgrown grass and shrubs, trash and other safety and health violations.
Beginning Monday, January 11, 2010, the Beaufort Fire department will take over enforcement responsibility for the nuisance code. What at first blush may seem like a strange assignment actually has a pretty logical basis. First of all, overgrown lots, accumulations of rubbish, and abandoned automobiles pose fire hazards. Second, many of the residents responsible for these lots do not have the physical ability to do anything about it, nor the financial way with all to hire someone to help them or pay the fines.
After the announcement, city comptroller Mack Cook was quoted in the local paper as saying "These (firefighters) are the guys with the muscles who will help residents remove trash and hazards. They would rather do that now than come back and put out a fire later." Fire marshal Lt. Daniel Byrne concurred with Cook’s comments, saying the department preferred to correct violations, not focus on writing tickets and collecting fines.
In this time of economic hardship, keeping firefighters employed and productive in novel ways makes a lot more sense than layoffs and closing fire stations. It may mean less time for training and inspections, but the big picture is that these firefighters will still be there when an alarm comes in.
