Fire Department

CITY OF PLEASANTON FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE

The primary duty of the City of Pleasanton Fire Marshal's Office is to develop, foster and promote methods of protecting the lives and property of the citizens of Pleasanton from fires, both natural and man-made hazards, and other significant events through the direct coordination and action with other public safety, private, and business communities. We take pride in the execution of this responsibility with the highest standards of professionalism, efficiency, integrity and accountability.

Main Functions:

The Fire Marshal’s office consists of four functions: Fire Code Compliance & Enforcement, Fire Prevention & Inspections, Fire/Arson Investigations, Community Outreach Initiatives. Our office provides rapid response to requests for investigations, inspections and fire code compliance.


>>FIRE & ARSON INVESTIGATIONS<<

The Fire & Arson Investigations area of the City of Pleasanton’s Fire Marshal's Office is responsible for investigating fires within the Incorporated Area's of the City of Pleasanton.

The Fire Marshal treats every fire scene as a possible crime scene in order to properly preserve any evidence of what may have been the cause. A fire scene is investigated from the area of least damage working backwards towards the area of the most severe damage. In some cases, the cause of the fire may be accidental due to faulty electrical wiring, overloaded electrical systems, candles, smoking materials such as cigarettes, faulty motors, cooking fires, or any other type of accidental fires. Some fires are natural. In other words, caused by decomposition of materials (a compost pile), lightning, or spontaneous combustion of some chemicals.

In other cases, the fire may be incendiary (arson), meaning that the fire was intentionally started. Some common motives for setting intentional fires are for profit (insurance fraud), revenge, concealment of another crime (such as a home invasion, drug house, homicide, vehicle used in a robbery), vandalism, excitement, and extremism (extremist groups setting fires in order to further their cause). When a fire is determined to be arson, the Fire Marshal’s office will conduct a full criminal investigation aggressively pursuing those individuals responsible and execute arrest warrants, search warrants. The Fire Marshal maintains a close working relationship with other Fire & Arson Investigation Agencies. The City of Pleasanton’s Fire Marshal's Office has jointly investigated fire scenes with other Local, State, and Federal Agencies.

If you would like more information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Fire Marshal at (830) 569-3867

If you have information relating to a suspicious fire, please call us at (830) 569-3867 or (830) 281-8502, Crime Stoppers at (830) 769-2255. You may remain anonymous.


>>ENFORCEMENT & PREVENTION INSPECTIONS<<

The Code Enforcement Section ensures that new commercial structures and places of public assembly and access built within the incorporated areas meet standards as outlined by the International Fire and Building Codes, as well as, NFPA Standards adopted by the City of Pleasanton. This process begins with the submission of an application for building permit along with design blue prints for the proposed structure.

These plans are reviewed to ensure compliance and when approved a building permit is issued. Inspections are conducted during each phase of the construction project, and when the building is complete a certificate of occupancy is issued. This process is also required for the installation or modification of any Fire Protection Systems.

All new commercial and public buildings are required to have a building permit and comply with the new International Codes. This has contributed to safer buildings, benefiting both citizens and firefighters. The Code Enforcement Office completes detailed plan reviews and conducts on-site construction inspection.

The City of Pleasanton has adopted the 2012 Editions of the International Fire and Building Codes. All construction documents must comply with the 2012 International Fire and Building Codes and the amendments contained in the City of Pleasanton for the Enforcement of the Fire and Building Codes.


>>FIRE CODE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT<<

Fire Code Compliance

The Fire Marshal conducts the necessary inspections of various buildings constructed in the incorporated areas to ensure the structures have been built with the appropriate levels of fire resistance and public health and safety measures as required by the adopted fire and building code.

Fire Code Enforcement

Where a violation of the adopted Fire or Building Code exists, and voluntary compliance measures have failed to remedy the situation, the Fire Marshal conducts the investigation of the code violation, prepares the associated civil and/or criminal case for presentation to municipal court.

Building Permit and Plans Review

The City of Pleasanton Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for ensuring all construction plans are reviewed to ensure the proposed building meets the minimum fire and life safety requirements of the 2012 International Fire and Building Codes, amendments as adopted by the City of Pleasanton for the Enforcement of the Fire and Building Codes, the National Fire Protections Association (NFPA), where applicable, and other Nationally accepted construction standards.

Fire Protection System Permits and Plans Review

The Fire Marshal is responsible for issuing system permits for installation of required fire protection systems in new construction as well as updated/remodeled facilities. Each fire protection system plan is reviewed to ensure the specialized fire system meets minimum NFPA and appropriate engineering specifications and standards.

Construction Inspection

The Fire Marshal conducts the necessary inspections of all buildings constructed in the incorporated areas to ensure that certain installed equipment meets the minimum requirements of the fire code. These inspections ensure that electrical, heating, fuel gas, and fire protection systems have been installed in accordance with the building and fire code.

Fee Schedule

This document is the current Fee Schedule in use by the Fire Marshal's Office. The fee schedule is established in accordance with state laws, and approved by the City Counsel of the City of Pleasanton. This document encompasses all fees charged by the fire code enforcement and fire prevention sections of the Fire Marshal's Office. The fee schedule is established at the time the fire codes are adopted, and is subject to change when codes are updated every three years. All fees charged by the City of Pleasanton Fire Marshal’s are NON REFUNDABLE.