CITY DEPARTMENTS: Public Safety: Burnet Fire & EMS Services

Fire Marshal’s Office and
The Office of Emergency Management

The mission of the Burnet Fire Marshal’s Office is:
    Fire Prevention through…
        Fire Inspection
            Fire Code Enforcement
                Fire Safety Education
                     Fire Investigation

Fire Inspection.

Is the physical act of scrutinizing existing businesses and buildings and those under construction to discover fire safety violations and other hazardous conditions that could make that place more susceptible to having a fire that could cause the loss of life or property. The saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is never truer than when it comes to fire. The cost of preventing a fire is hundreds of times less than the cost of fighting the fire that starts. Inspecting buildings and facilities to eliminate the causes of accidental fires is the earliest step than can be taken in prevention.

Fire Code Enforcement. Is the administrative and legal process of insuring that people know what the fire safety rules are, how they can eliminate specifically codified fire and life safety hazards and the punitive actions for not doing so. Enforcement is implemented when other methods fail. A Fire Marshal Citation may be issued ordering the owner/occupant of the premises to correct any hazardous situations. If violations are not corrected the violator is subject to a fine of $500-$2000 per violation, each day until the violation is corrected. The current codes that the Burnet Fire Marshal’s Office enforces are the:

2000 International Fire Code
2003 International Building Code
2003 International Residential Building Code
2000 Life Safety Code (NFPA 101)
and the Code of Ordinances of the City of Burnet

Fire Safety Education.

Informs and instructs the general public about the dangers of fire and about fire-safe behavior. These programs are offered to all areas of the general populace, from day cares to civic groups and include anything from fire extinguisher, fire safety and fire drill training. There are many fire safety program types and one can be tailored to your specific needs based on audience, age group, and location to name a few. All programs are done by appointment and we ask that you give us two week notice to insure the appropriate program is prepared for you. You can set up a fire prevention program by contacting Fire Marshal John Erskine at (512) 756-2662 or by e-mail.

Arson Investigation.

All fires have causes. Some are truly accidental. Others are started on purpose. When this is done maliciously it is called arson. The objective of a fire investigation is to determine the origin and cause of a fire. Interviews must be conducted, evidence collected, and comprehensive reports of all findings prepared. If, during the investigation, any criminal activity is uncovered, the investigator must move against those responsible. An investigator, who has reason to believe that arson was committed, is obligated to develop the case to its fullest extent. This may include the filing of criminal charges and serving as a witness for prosecution.

The mission of the Office of Emergency Management is:
    Disaster Readiness through…
        Mitigation
            Preparedness
                Response
                     Recovery

The four phases of emergency management (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) are the management phases that match the Emergency Life Cycle. Although each phase has tasks assigned to it, the process is dynamic and interconnected. For example, tasks taken to recover from a disaster may have effects on mitigation, preparedness, and response to future occurrences.

Mitigation:

Actions taken to eliminate a hazard, or to reduce the probability and the effect, should the disaster occur. Such actions include building codes, special identification and routing requirements for the movement of hazardous material, and land use and zoning requirements.

Preparedness:

Actions taken to facilitate disaster response and recovery. This includes planning and training and equipping local government and citizens to respond to emergencies arising from hazards which cannot be eliminated through mitigation. Examples include the development of emergency operations plans and guidelines, training of personnel, and exercises to test plans.

Response:

Actions taken to save lives and property during an emergency. This may include search and rescue, fire suppression, evacuation, emergency sheltering, etc. It may also include behind-the-scenes activities such as activating emergency plans and activation of an Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Recovery:

Actions taken to return a community to normal or near normal conditions. This could include reconstruction of roads and public facilities, securing financial aid for disaster victims, and review and critique of response activities.
Everyone in all levels of government and throughout the private sector, have responsibilities in all four phases of emergency management.

Notices from the Fire Marshal

Fireworks

The City of Burnet prohibits the sale or use of fireworks within its limits. Due to the recent property annexation by the City several firework stand locations as well as potential stand locations are now within the city limits.

Also, properties which have until recently been in unincorporated portions of the county and therefore not subject to fireworks bans are now subject to the ban on fireworks usage. If you have leased your property to a fireworks vendor, or if you run a fireworks stand on your own or someone else's property and are unsure whether it is in the city limits or not, please contact the Fire Marshal's Office prior to setting up your stand.

Stands that are set up inside the city will be told to relocate outside of the city.

The Fire Marshal's Office can be reached for further information on fireworks at area code (512) 756-2662, Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM.

Burnet Land Annexation's Effects on Controlled Burning

The Burnet Fire Marshal's Office has issued the following information about the affects of annexation on the controlled burning of brush.

The recent annexation of property by the City of Burnet has taken in property, which have been allowed to burn brush at will so long as Burnet County was not under a burning ban. Those properties are now subject to the controlled burning ordinance of the City.

Controlled burns within the city limits may be conducted by approval from the Fire Marshal's office and permit only.

The permit, which costs $10.00, allows a 30-day period for burning brush on a property located in the city. The permit will be approved so long as the applicant can meet all conditions of the permit which include:

Allowable materials are new or used dimensional lumber that is free from paint, varnish, oils, stains, treatment for insect or decay or glues or resins not found in the wood in its natural state. Any trees or brush collected from the site of the fire.

Unauthorized materials include leaves, peat or any other dense vegetation that does not readily burn and any construction material that was not produced in nature. (i.e. OSB, Plywood, glu-lam beams, etc.) and all non wood construction material.

The fire must be positioned 50 ft or more from other combustible materials and structures

A method of controlling the fire must be present, (i.e. garden hose, extinguisher, etc.)

Fire must be constantly attended by person 17 years of age or older

Hours of burning are sunrise to sunset with no material added to fire one hour or less from sunset

No fires allowed if wind speed is less than 6 mph or greater than 20 mph

Controlled burning permits are not necessarily subject to the burn bans placed on the county by the county court. Based on property size, location, and controlling techniques, controlled burns can be allowed during times of burn bans.

Properties located on the outer edge of the city limits that are adjacent to undeveloped properties outside the city have a less likely chance of being approved for burning when a county burning ban has been issued. This is due to their close proximity to open lands that would allow a large fire spread. Permits at these properties will be evaluated for burning on a case by case basis.

If you have property in the recently annexed portion of the City of Burnet you should call and request a permit prior to conducting any controlled burns. The Fire Department will extinguish any non-permitted controlled burns inside the city and a warning issued. Further non-compliance is subject to fines from $100.00 to $2000.00 at the discretion of the Municipal Judge.

The Fire Marshal's Office can be reached for further information on controlled burning at area code (512) 756-2662, Monday through Friday, 8AM to 5PM.