If a violation is found during an inspection, a Fire Inspection Notice will be issued to record the type and location of the violation—if there is not a responsible party on site to receive the notice, it will be mailed to the property contact.  Unless the violation poses an immediate fire, life, or safety violation, reasonable time will be granted to make the corrections. 

No. Fire extinguishers shall be conspicuously located along normal paths of travel where they will be readily accessible and immediately available in the event of a fire.

Yes. Servicing which includes maintenance, recharging and hydrostatic testing shall be performed by licensed businesses. 

The Township does not provide this service.  Fire extinguisher service shall only be performed by a licensed contractor.  You may search online for “fire extinguisher servicing”, or look in the yellow pages. We do not endorse or recommend fire extinguisher servicing companies. Please be aware of fraudulent fire extinguisher servicing companies saying they were “sent by the Fire Department” to service the extinguishers. We would never send a company to service your fire extinguishers. A fire extinguisher company or a fire service company of any kind does not have enforcement powers nor the authority to demand work to be performed. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or threatened, call the Abington Township Police Department, or 911. If you have further questions regarding fraudulent fire extinguisher or fire protection service companies, please call the Fire Marshal’s Office at 267-536-1057.

Yes. All businesses and multi-family residences within the Township of Abington are required to provide fire extinguisher(s).  

The number of fire extinguishers required will depend on the type of hazard being protected, the maximum travel distance allowed to each extinguisher, and the square footage of the business or multi-family residence. Contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 267-536-1057 and ask to speak with a Fire Inspector to determine how many your property requires. 

Yes. Fire extinguishers with a Class K rating shall be provided for hazards where there is a potential for fires involving combustible cooking media (vegetable or animal fats; CCR Title 19).

All business occupancies, as determined by the Fire Code Official, shall be inspected at least once a year for fire and life safety requirements, based on federal, state, and locally adopted codes and regulations. 

To report violations, please call the Fire Marshal’s Office at 267-536-1057, or send an email to FireMarshal@AbingtonPa.gov.

If compliance has not been met after the period allotted by the initial issue of the Fire Inspection Notice, a 2nd Fire Inspection Notice will be issued; concurrently a penalty fee may be assessed to you. A subsequent recheck will be made, and if the conditions in violation are still found, a final notice will be issued by way of a Compliance Order.  A subsequent recheck will be made, and if unsafe conditions are still found, a penalty fee will assessed by way of a Administrative Citation. If conditions continue to exist, the matter will be forwarded to the District Justice office, and additional fees will be assessed. Each additional re-inspection for non-compliance will be charged as a penalty fee. If you have been assessed a penalty fee for noncompliance, you will not have your violation notice signed off as corrected until proof of payment is made.

A re-inspection is necessary to confirm the correction or abatement of any previous fire and/or life safety violations. 

The Abington Township Fire Marshal enforces the Fire Code.  Chapter 85 of the Township Code has been adopted by the Board of Commissioners. The sections of this Chapter define the Fire Code Official’s inspection responsibilities.

The Fire Code is a model code adopted by the state or local jurisdiction and enforced by fire prevention officers within municipal fire departments. It is a set of rules prescribing minimum requirements to prevent fire and explosion hazards arising from storage, handling, or use of dangerous materials, or from other specific hazardous conditions. It complements the building code. The fire code is aimed primarily at preventing fires, ensuring that necessary training and equipment will be on hand, and that the original design basis of the building, including the basic plan set out by the architect, is not compromised. The fire code also addresses inspection and maintenance requirements of various fire protection equipment in order to maintain optimal active fire protection and passive fire protection measures.

The Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code and applicable Fire Code, currently the 2015 edition of the International Codes.

Fire inspections are conducted to identify and correct any potential fire and life safety violations.  In doing so, the Fire Marshal plays a vital role in educating businesses and residents in proper fire prevention practices.