FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT WILL THIS COST OUR DEPARTMENT?

Per the Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code, the Chief of the department or his designee, may require property owners, developers, and or builders to procure the services of a licensed fire protection engineer, determined by the Chief, to review construction plans and documents, perform on-site inspections and witness fire and life safety system testing, and attend meetings and advise the fire department relative to new construction projects or renovations to building occupancies and structures (527 CMR 1.15.1.1). 

The scope of services provided by the engineer shall include, but is not limited to, the following: reviews, inspections and comments to regulatory compliance of required fire protection systems generated by the Massachusetts Building Code (780 CMR), Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code (527 CMR), Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 148, and applicable NFPA standards. The scope of the service may include reviews and comments relative to fire department policies, permits and licenses, special permits to fire protection, fire prevention, firefighter safety, and emergency response procedures. 

It is to be understood and acknowledged by all parties involved that FirePoint Consulting, LLC. represents the interest of the fire department and will be acting on behalf of said fire department. The property owner will be responsible for all costs and associated fees.

WHEN DO WE TYPICALLY STEP IN?

We perform third party reviews of the following regularly, but we are more than happy to offer our services wherever they may be needed. 

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• Large residential buildings

• Schools

• Stadiums

• Mixed Use Commercial Buildings

• Malls

• Warehouses

• Mixed Use Residential Buildings

WHAT DO WE LOOK FOR?

We have extensive experience reviewing construction plans and documentation, as well as performing final inspections of various occupancy types. From the very beginning of the project we will be involved with reviewing the NFPA 241 plan to ensure that construction safety practices are being met. This is for the safety of both the project teams as well as the local emergency responders.

As the final design is being developed, we will work with design teams throughout each iteration of the plans to ensure all aspects of the design are compliant in accordance with applicable codes and standards. This includes but is not limited to: fire department access, presence of the correct life safety systems, fire protection systems designed to compliance, adequate water supply, adequate fire alarm notification coverage, adequate sprinkler coverage throughout

During the inspection phase of the project, we typically hope that all of the potential deficiencies were addressed during the preliminary reviews and design consultations, however that is not often the case. FirePoint Consulting, LLC. will perform a set number of site walk-throughs before the project reaches the point of final inspection. The purpose of these site visits is to ensure that the project is on the correct path and to identify any deficiencies early on. Items that we often address on preliminary inspections include but are not limited to: Consistent signage throughout the building to ensure wayfinding for fire department under emergency conditions, code compliant programming of fire alarm initiating devices, final commissioning of BDA system, identification of missing fire protection and fire alarm notification appliances, standpipe flow tests, location of fire department connection, annunciator, exterior beacon, etc.