The Florida Senate

633.085  Inspections of state buildings and premises; tests of firesafety equipment; building plans to be approved.--

(1)(a)  It is the duty of the State Fire Marshal and her or his agents to inspect, or cause to be inspected, each state-owned building on a recurring basis established by rule, and to ensure that high-hazard occupancies are inspected at least annually, for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire or endanger life from fire and any violation of the firesafety standards for state-owned buildings, the provisions of this chapter, or the rules or regulations adopted and promulgated pursuant hereto. The State Fire Marshal shall, within 7 days following an inspection, submit a report of such inspection to the head of the department of state government responsible for the building.

(b)  Except as provided in s. 255.45, the department head is responsible for ensuring that deficiencies noted in the inspection are corrected as soon as practicable.

(c)  Each department shall, in its annual budget proposal, include requests for sufficient funds to correct any firesafety deficiencies noted by the State Fire Marshal.

(d)  Each department shall, in its annual budget proposal and for all proposals for new construction or renovations to existing structures, include requests for sufficient funds to pay for any charges or fees imposed by the State Fire Marshal for review of plans, renovations, occupancy, or inspections, whether recurring or high hazard.

(2)  The State Fire Marshal and her or his agents shall conduct performance tests on any electronic fire warning and smoke detection system, and any pressurized air-handling unit, in any state-owned or state-leased space on a recurring basis as provided in subsection (1). The State Fire Marshal and her or his agents shall also ensure that fire drills are conducted in all state-owned or state-leased high-hazard occupancies at least annually.

(3)  All construction of any new, or renovation, alteration, or change of occupancy of any existing, state-owned or state-leased space shall comply with the uniform firesafety standards of the State Fire Marshal.

(a)  For all new construction or renovation, alteration, or change of occupancy of state-leased space, compliance with the uniform firesafety standards shall be determined by reviewing the plans for the proposed construction or occupancy submitted by the lessor to the Division of State Fire Marshal for review and approval prior to commencement of construction or occupancy, which review shall be completed within 10 working days after receipt of the plans by the Division of State Fire Marshal.

(b)  The plans for all construction of any new, or renovation or alteration of any existing, state-owned building are subject to the review and approval of the Division of State Fire Marshal for compliance with the uniform firesafety standards prior to commencement of construction or change of occupancy, which review shall be completed within 30 calendar days of receipt of the plans by the Division of State Fire Marshal.

(4)  The Division of State Fire Marshal may inspect state-owned space and state-leased space as necessary prior to occupancy or during construction, renovation, or alteration to ascertain compliance with the uniform firesafety standards. Whenever the Division of State Fire Marshal determines by virtue of such inspection or by review of plans that construction, renovation, or alteration of state-owned and state-leased space is not in compliance with the uniform firesafety standards, the Division of State Fire Marshal shall issue an order to cease construction, renovation, or alteration, or to preclude occupancy, of a building until compliance is obtained, except for those activities required to achieve such compliance.

(5)  The Division of State Fire Marshal shall by rule provide a schedule of fees to pay for the costs of the inspections, whether recurring or high hazard, any firesafety review or plans for proposed construction, renovations, or occupancy, and related administrative expenses.

History.--s. 15, ch. 75-151; s. 2, ch. 83-336; s. 2, ch. 84-143; s. 6, ch. 84-243; s. 19, ch. 89-233; s. 4, ch. 90-359; s. 5, ch. 91-189; s. 5, ch. 93-276; s. 12, ch. 95-379; s. 425, ch. 97-102; s. 60, ch. 98-287.