Codes Save Lives
Code compliance saves business
The Allen County, Indiana, Building Department was recently
contacted by a local fire department following a commercial
business fire to evaluate the need for an emergency demolition
order for the portion of the building that remained standing.
In my capacity as Building Commissioner, I responded to the
call and met with fire officials and the owner of the business.
Although the investigation into the cause of the fire had
not been completed, preliminary review pointed to arson. As
we discussed how to handle the remainder of the building and
the substantial amount of debris, the owner commented that
he now understood the benefits of fire and building codes.
He noted that the portion of the building that was still standing,
containing the administrative offices, had recently been remodeled
and that the contractor had been required to add fire separation
walls between the office area and the warehouse. This had
increased the cost for the work but, as the owner now acknowledged,
turned out to be worth every penny.
While there had been some damage to the offices, all of the
company's paper files and computer records were able to be
salvaged. In fact, less than eight hours after the fire was
reported the owner and his crews were in the process of moving
the material to another building in preparation for the resumption
of business activities. While losing his facility was a hardship,
the owner still had an operating business because the building
and fire safety codes had been followed.
The fire occurred at 3 a.m. so the building was empty and
there were no injuries or deaths, but the codes also protect
in other ways. In this case, a business was able to recover
critical records and continue operations with minimal downtime.
Story submitted by
David O. Fuller, C.B.O.
Building Commissioner
Building Department, Allen County, IN
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