Risk Check

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

In January, 2015 the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office abandoned its calendar based commercial occupancy inspection program in favor of one that prioritizes inspections based upon the specific risks presented by each occupancy. Businesses are assigned a unique risk assessment score that represents an evaluation of the specific fire hazard, life safety, and community impact risks against mitigating conditions present including; fire sprinklers, fire alarms, fire resistive construction and the response capabilities of the local fire department. Inspection priority and frequency of inspection is assigned based on the Risk Check score such that those with higher risk scores receive priority for inspection and prevention assistance than those with lower risk scores. The outcomes of this effort will; ensure that 100% of the upper 50th percentile Risk Check scored inspections will be accomplished annually; sufficient re-inspections and assistance such that all identified hazards are corrected promptly not to exceed ninety days after the initial inspection; and that the ratio of re-inspections to initial inspection will be reduced by 20% from the calendar based program in the first year of implementation; and assure that no occupancy goes beyond four years without having a fire inspection.