Introduction
The Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for the community risk reduction efforts of the Fire Department including code enforcement, investigation, and public education. The office consists of a Fire Marshal and two Deputy Fire Marshals.
The Fire Marshal’s Office is required by the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut to enforce state and local laws regard life safety and fire prevention. The Office is required to enforce the Connecticut Fire Safety, the Connecticut Fire Prevention Code, and more than 100 standards that are referenced by the parent codes. The Fire Marshal is also mandated by state law to investigate the origin and cause of all fires and explosions which occur within the Town.
The Fire Marshal’s Office staff are trained and certified by the Connecticut State Fire Marshal and work in conjunction with other agencies such as the Windsor Locks Police Department, Building Department, Connecticut State Police, CT OSHA, ATF and the FBI as needed. All staff must attend state And national training to maintain certifications and proficiency in all aspects of their position.
The Fire Marshal’s Office is dedicated to delivering fire and life safety programs because the information we offer may result in a fire being prevented or life being saved. The FMO provides education to the public through programs in schools, elderly housing facilities, at public gatherings, and upon request. Additionally, public service announcements can be found on our website and are distributed electronically for publication to the media. We welcome you to check our website regularly for information that may prevent a fire or save a life.
Our Vision: The Town of Windsor Locks will continue to be a safe and resilient community through fire and life safety code compliance, public education, and the use of progressive fire prevention practices.
Our Mission: To provide a fire safe community through the delivery of innovative and fiscally responsible risk reduction techniques including planning, enforcement of Connecticut’s Fire Regulations and Town Ordinances, the promotion of safe attitudes among the citizens through public fire education, and the investigation of all fires which occur within the Town.
Our Values: All members of the Windsor Locks Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office perform their duties with integrity and compassion, to the highest ethical and professional standards, while being respectful of all.
Our Goals:
- To provide a safer community through the enforcement of fire regulations of the State of Connecticut and the Town of Windsor Locks by conducting inspections, performing plans review and investigating fire safety complaints.
- To promote fire safe attitudes throughout the Community through public fire education.
- To identify the origin and cause of all fires that occur within the Town through thorough fire scene examination to reduce leading fire causes.
- To work with partner agencies in preparing the community to meet challenges from a variety of natural and manmade hazards.
Michael L. Sinsigalli
Fire Marshal
email: [email protected]
John Donahue
Senior Deputy Fire Marshal
email: [email protected]
James Pascarelli
Deputy Fire Marshal
Office Phone: 860-627-1467
Office Fax: 860-292-6811
Resources
The Connecticut Fire Safety Code and the Connecticut Fire Prevention Code are State laws that are enforced by the Windsor Locks Fire Marshal’s Office under the general guidance of the Office of the State Fire Marsal. Both the State Fire Prevention Code and the State Fire Safety Code contain requirements for new and existing structures and carry both civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance. These State laws are enforced through inspections that are required by Section 29-305 of the Connecticut General Statutes to be performed by the local fire marshal. Both Codes apply to all buildings within the Town, except for 1 & 2 family homes.
You can view the Codes at the following links:
The Windsor Locks Fire Marshal’s Office looks for to working with you. Please call us at 860-627-1467 if you have questions or is you have received a code citation.
Plans Review
Plans, specifications and other construction documents for the construction of new buildings and alterations, renovations, or additions to existing structures regulated by the Connecticut Fire Safety or Fire Prevention Code must be submitted to the Fire Marshal’s Office for review. In Windsor Locks, the submittals to the Fire Marshal’s Office are made through the Building Official’s Office during the building permit process.
In accordance with Town ordinance, a fire code plan review of 25% of the building permit fee is assessed at the time of permit application.
Have questions regarding the application of the Fire Code to your project? Call us at 860-627-1467. We are happy to help.
The primary way in which the Fire Marshal’s Office enforces State Fire Regulations is through inspections which are required to be conducted by Section 29-305 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Working under directives issued by the State Fire Marshal, fire marshals conduct inspections of the structures and processes under their jurisdiction. If the inspection discloses violations of the Codes, the fire marshal is required to abate the fire code violation, giving a reasonable amount of time for compliance. Reasonable time is determined by the nature or the violation and the risk to people or property. Abatement orders are typically issued to the property owner but may also be issued any party responsible for the property or tenant space.
Fire Code violations carry both civil and criminal penalties that are assessed through court action. However, cases are only referred to court where property owners or other people cited fail to comply with code or develop and acceptable schedule of compliance with the response time specified on the abatement order.
Once an abatement order is received by the responsible party, there are three ways that they can respond. The first is to simply correct the cited issues. This is generally the best approach where the issues do not require significant construction ort other actions to correct. The second way is to apply, in writing, for a time extension in which additional time is requested to develop a program and schedule for compliance. The third way to respond is to propose an alternative method of compliance where it can be shown that compliance would present a significant, non-financial hardship to comply with the letter of the law.
You can learn more about the code modification process and obtain a modification application form at the following link:
Mail the application with supporting documentation to the Local Fire Marshal for review. After supporting/not supporting the request, the Local Fire Marshal will mail the application to the State Fire Marshal for review.
You also have the right to appeal the decision of the local fire marshal to the State Codes and Standards Committee. You can learn more about the appeal process and obtain an appeal application form at the following links:
The Windsor Locks Fire Marshal’s Office looks for to working with you. Please call us at 860-627-1467 if you have questions or is you have received a code citation.
Time to Check Your Smoke Alarms
Did you know that smoke alarms in your homes have an expiration date? They do! The circuitry and detection technology degrade over time to where they are no longer dependable and may not operate effectively should a fire or smoke condition occur. This degradation cannot be determined by pushing the test button on the alarm because that button only tests the alarm circuit. For this reason, the National Fire Protection Association and alarm manufacturers recommend that smoke alarm are replaced by the expiration date that can be found on the back of each smoke alarm.
Traditionally, fire departments remind their residents to change the batteries in their smoke alarms each fall when the time changes between Daylight Savings and Standard time, which occurs on November 6th this year. The men and women of the Windsor Locks Fire Department are committed to fire prevention and community safety. This year we urge our residents to check the expiration date or manufacture date on the back of the alarm. If the alarm is older than 10 years beyond the manufacture date or has exceeded the expiration date, we urge you to replace the alarm. New alarm technology is affordable and comes with a self-contained 10 year battery and can be reset. Units that combine smoke detection and carbon monoxide detection are also available. And while you are at it, it is a good time to review with your children how to leave your house in case of a fire.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep our community safe through fire safety awareness.