Inspection of buildings and equipment; orders; firesafety inspection training requirements; certification; disciplinary action.

The State Fire Marshal and her or his agents or persons authorized to enforce laws and rules of the State Fire Marshal shall, at any reasonable hour, when the State Fire Marshal has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of this chapter or s. 509.215, or a rule adopted thereunder, or a minimum firesafety code adopted by the State Fire Marshal or a local authority, may exist, inspect any and all buildings and structures which are subject to the requirements of this chapter or s. 509.215 and rules adopted thereunder. The authority to inspect shall extend to all equipment, vehicles, and chemicals which are located on or within the premises of any such building or structure.

(1) Each county, municipality, and special district that has firesafety enforcement responsibilities shall employ or contract with a firesafety inspector. Except as provided in s. 633.312(2), (3), and (4), the firesafety inspector must conduct all firesafety inspections that are required by law. The governing body of a county, municipality, or special district that has firesafety enforcement responsibilities may provide a schedule of fees to pay only the costs of inspections conducted pursuant to this subsection and related administrative expenses. Two or more counties, municipalities, or special districts that have firesafety enforcement responsibilities may jointly employ or contract with a firesafety inspector.

(2) Except as provided in s. 633.312(2), every firesafety inspection conducted pursuant to state or local firesafety requirements shall be by a person certified as having met the inspection training requirements set by the State Fire Marshal. Such person shall meet the requirements of s. 633.412(1)-(4), and:

(a) Have satisfactorily completed the firesafety inspector certification examination as prescribed by division rule; and

(b)1. Have satisfactorily completed, as determined by division rule, a firesafety inspector training program of at least 200 hours established by the department and administered by education or training providers approved by the department for the purpose of providing basic certification training for firesafety inspectors; or

2. Have received training in another state which is determined by the division to be at least equivalent to that required by the department for approved firesafety inspector education and training programs in this state.

(3) A firefighter certified pursuant to s. 633.408 may conduct firesafety inspections, under the supervision of a certified firesafety inspector, while on duty as a member of a fire department company conducting inservice firesafety inspections without being certified as a firesafety inspector, if such firefighter has satisfactorily completed an inservice fire department company inspector training program of at least 24 hours’ duration as provided by rule of the department.