To promote public fire safety and to support orderly development of good building practice as regards fire safety in all new and existing buildings used by the public.
It is both an monitoring and regulatory role for the Council as a Fire & Building Control Authority relating to inspections, recommendations and actions in respect of existing and proposed buildings.
The following are some of the activities of the Fire Prevention Department:
- Fire Officers carry out inspections of Places of Public Assembly and other high-risk premises in the County
- Fire Officers process Fire Safety Certificate Applications in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Building Regulations 1997-2008
- The Council's Fire Prevention Staff advise on current fire safety standards required for proposed and existing developments as inputs into the Planning function of the local Authority
- The Fire Service carry out 'During Performance Inspections' of places of public assembly, to ensure compliance with fire safety requirements and preventing overcrowding
- Community Fire Safety
- inspection of existing buildings under the Fire Services Act and the Licensing Acts
- the inspection and licensing of retail petroleum stations and bulk petrol distribution stores under the Dangerous Substance Act, 1972 and Dangerous Substances Regulations, 1979. Secondly the Council also has a role in relation to the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (V.O.C.'s) emissions at petrol stations under the Air Pollution Act (Petroleum Vapour Emissions) Regulations 1997.
The Fire Services Act 1981 & 2003 is one of the primary pieces of legislation relating to fire safety in buildings in Ireland. This act places a duty on any person having control over a premises (a dwelling house occupied as single dwelling is excluded) to:
- Take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire on the premises
- To ensure as far as is reasonably practicable the safety of persons on the premises in the event of an outbreak of fire