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The Florida Senate

2024 Florida Statutes

Title XXXVII INSURANCE
Chapter 633 FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL Entire Chapter
SECTION 218
Inspections of state buildings and premises; tests of firesafety equipment; building plans to be approved.
F.S. 633.218
633.218 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, this chapter, or the rules adopted pursuant hereto. The State Fire Marshal shall, within 7 days following an inspection, submit a report of such inspection to the head of the state agency 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.
(e) For purposes of this section:
1.a. The term “high-hazard occupancy” means any building or structure:
(I) That contains combustible or explosive matter or flammable conditions dangerous to the safety of life or property;
(II) At which persons receive educational instruction;
(III) At which persons reside, excluding private dwellings; or
(IV) Containing three or more floor levels.
b. As used in this subparagraph, the phrase “building or structure”:
(I) Includes, but is not limited to, all hospitals and residential health care facilities, nursing homes and other adult care facilities, correctional or detention facilities, public schools, public lodging establishments, migrant labor camps, residential child care facilities, and self-service gasoline stations.
(II) Does not include any residential condominium where the declaration of condominium or the bylaws provide that the rental of units shall not be permitted for less than 90 days.
2. The term “state-owned building” includes contractor-operated correctional facilities as defined under s. 944.710.
(2) The State Fire Marshal and her or his agents may conduct performance tests on any electronic fire warning and smoke detection system, and any pressurized air-handling unit, in any state-owned building or state-leased building or 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 high-hazard state-owned buildings or high-hazard state-leased occupancies at least annually.
(3) All construction of any new state-owned building or state-leased building or space or any renovation, alteration, or change of occupancy of any existing, state-owned building or state-leased building or space must 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 for review and approval before commencement of construction or occupancy, which review shall be completed within 10 working days after receipt of the plans by the division.
(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 for compliance with the uniform firesafety standards before commencement of construction or change of occupancy, which review shall be completed within 30 calendar days of receipt of the plans by the division.
(4) The division may inspect state-owned buildings and space and state-leased buildings and space as necessary before occupancy or during construction, renovation, or alteration to ascertain compliance with the uniform firesafety standards. Whenever the division determines by virtue of such inspection or by review of plans that construction, renovation, or alteration of state-owned buildings and state-leased buildings or space is not in compliance with the uniform firesafety standards, the division 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 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; s. 28, ch. 2013-183; s. 29, ch. 2019-140; s. 9, ch. 2024-84.
Note.—Former s. 633.085.