Fire Inspections

Annual Fire Inspection Program

Why are annual fire inspections required?

Performing annual fire inspections minimizes the chances of fires occurring, thus reducing fire and property damage while increasing public safety. More specifically, it is the law. The Fire Department performs annual inspections to comply with state law (California Health & Safety Code) which requires an annual fire inspection of the following occupancies:

• Occupancies containing sleeping units or more than two dwelling units where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature
• Hotels, motels and lodging houses
• Public and private schools (Grades K-12)
• Group home facility

What do fire inspectors look for during an annual fire inspection?

Annual fire inspections help mitigate known hazards and ensure that our community is being maintained in a safe and acceptable manner and in accordance with state fire, building and property maintenance codes. Our inspection team reviews proper maintenance of items such as fire protection systems, egress systems, fire protective construction, and confirms sufficient site access for Fire Department personnel. At a minimum, fire inspectors will ensure compliance with the items listed in the Annual Fire Inspection Checklist.

Business Fire Safety Assessment

We encourage everyone to take fire prevention seriously. Businesses that want to be proactive can perform a self-check to help identify potential fire hazards. This Business Safety Checklist is a tool that businesses can use to perform a self-assessment to identify items that can be corrected to mitigate risk before a problem occurs.

Business inspections are not currently part of the annual inspection program. If a business would like to request an inspection, the fire department will be happy to conduct a fire and life safety inspection at the fee rate listed in the master fee schedule. Please contact the Fire Department Administrative Assistant at (805) 461-5070 to schedule.

Annual Fire Inspection Fee Payment Details

While the State mandated that local fire departments perform annual inspections, it did not provide any funding mechanism to offset the cost. Atascadero Fire has been performing these inspections for the past three years at no cost to property managers or owners, but unfortunately is not able to continue providing these State required inspections at no cost.

Fees will be charged per the Master Fee Schedule for purposes of cost-recovery. Fees are determined either per building or per property, depending on occupancy type, and cover the first inspection plus one additional re-inspection. Buildings that need additional inspections to confirm correction of noted violations may incur an additional fee.

An invoice will be mailed after the initial fire inspection has been completed to the mailing address on file. The City of Atascadero accepts cash or checks for payments either in person by appointment or by mailing to: City of Atascadero, 6500 Palma Ave, Atascadero, CA 93422.