life safety & support services

Your upcoming Fire Inspection will be based on the requirements of the Florida Fire Prevention Code, as well as certain rules enacted by the Florida State Fire Marshal.  To assist our community with compliance, the following is a list of the most commonly discovered issues during a fire inspection.

• Missing street address numbers (min. 3”)
• Open electrical boxes, missing outlet/ switch plates.
• Improper or exposed electrical wiring
• Missing fire extinguisher
• Missing/ inoperative emergency lighting
• Extension cords used as permanent wiring
• Missing Emergency Plan
• Missing/ improper handrails on stairs
• Missing/ inoperative smoke alarms, including one needed for the hearing impaired for hotels, motels, or vacation rentals.

By spending a few moments reviewing these items, you can easily eliminate most, if not all, of these most commonly discovered Fire Code Violations. The goal of the Life Safety Division is to work cooperatively with our partners in the community, to achieve Fire Code compliance through education, and not issuance of violations.  Should you have any questions regarding the above, please send us an email to prevention@fmbfire.org and we will be happy to assist you with any concerns.  For information on the Top 10 Fire & Life Safety Code Findings click the following link:  https://fmbfire.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/FMBFD-Top-10-Fire-and-Life-Safety-Code-Findings.pdf

A fire watch is required whenever a fire protection system or systems is out of service for four hours or more in a 24 hour period.  Additionally, a fire watch may be ordered whenever a system is deemed unreliable by the Fire Department due to more than three (3) false alarms in a 24 hour period. Finally, a fire watch may be ordered after a fire that has compromised a buildings required fire or life safety system, or when department staff feel that a system may fail to properly protect or alert occupants from danger. Any questions can be directed to PREVENTION@FMBFIRE.ORG.

The Fire District has a long standing partnership with the KNOX Company for providing safe, secure, Fire Department access into buildings after hours.   Ordering of these devices can be accomplished by the client directly at www.KNOXbox.com

• Master Key to all Units
• Front Door Key
• Elevator Control Key
• Fire Alarm Control Room Key/Key to Alarm Panel
• Keys to all Mechanical, Electrical, and Storage areas
• Roof top door
• Any Keys to areas that are routinely secured

Fire Investigations are critical to prevention of fires, public education, and to inform the fire protection industry of risks yet to be identified in the market place.

The crime of Arson impacts all members of the community through increased insurance ratings, and the potential risk Arson poses to life, along with, property.   Any fire that is determined to be “Incendiary” or labeled as “Unknown” by the Fire Marshal are routinely referred to the Florida State Fire Marshal Arson Investigators who will conduct Joint Investigations with the FMBFCD Fire Marshal.

The FMBFCD Fire Investigators are active members in the Lee County Arson Task Force which provides assistance to the Florida State Fire Marshal’s Office on major fire investigations throughout the (5) counties which make up Southwest Florida.

After the Fire:

After the fire is controlled, typically District Fire Investigators will make contact with the property owner or responsible party.   It is important to note, that Fire Investigators will be taking photographs, conducting interviews, and evaluating the scene carefully.  These are standard parts of a Fire Investigation.

Property owners are allowed at some point, to be accompanied by a Fire Investigator to retrieve personal belongings and possessions.  Items retrieved from the Fire Scene will be photographed and cataloged as part of the final fire investigation report.

Once Fire Investigators release the site to the responsible party, it is imperative that home owners understand that the Fire Scene is still hazardous, and private investigators for the insurance company will typically be on site within (24) to (48) hours after the fact to conduct an investigation to determine origin and cause.

Retrieving Fire Investigation Reports:

Fire Investigation reports are typically available within (3) weeks of a fire.  To request a Fire Investigation report please contact the Fort Myers Beach Fire Administration Office to request a copy of the Official Fire Investigation report.

Hotel/Motel Fire Safety:

Vacation is a time to relax, enjoy time away from work, and enjoy the company of friends and loved ones, however, when it comes to Fire Safety there never is a vacation.   The Men and Women of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department would like to encourage all visitors to our community to be active partners in their safety by taking a few moments do the following:

• Take time to locate the Fire Exit closest to your room
• Make sure your hotel has working smoke detectors
• Evacuate the structure if the fire alarm sounds
• For our international visitors, 911 is the number to call for POLICE, FIRE, or AMBULANCE services.

For further information on Hotel/Motel Fire Safety please visit the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) at http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/property-type-and-vehicles/hotels-and-motels/hotel-fire-safety-tips

High Rise/ Condo Fire Safety:

The Fort Myers Beach community offers tremendous natural beauty year round to our residents and visitors.   It is no surprise than many residents and visitors elect to spend their time in High-Rise/Condo’s that offer a spectacular view our Island Paradise.   The National Fire Protection Association classifies a building as any building that is (75) feet above ground level.

When a Fire Occurs in a High Rise/Condo this can quickly become a very serious situation, however, by taking the following steps will help keep you and your family safe:

• If a Fire Occurs always use the Stairs Never the Elevator
• Ensure all smoke detectors are working
• Never leave unattended food cooking on the stove or in the oven
• If there is a fire pull the Fire Alarm on your way out
• Know the location of your closest fire exit

Residents and Condominium Board members are highly encouraged to visit NFPA website at http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/by-topic/property-type-and-vehicles/high-rise-buildings for further important information on how to keep your High-Rise/Condo community safe.

Car Seat Safety

Did you know that over 73% of Child Car Seats are installed incorrectly?  This statistic is staggering and sobering considering the results can be truly tragic.   The following recommendations can help keep your child health and safe while riding in a vehicle:

• Ensure your Car Seat is appropriate for your child’s size and weight
• Once installed a car seat should not move more than an inch from side to side
• Perform the pinch test, make sure that once the harness is buckled you cannot pinch any extra webbing

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Department has specially trained technicians to provide members of our community with the essential aspects of installing child safety seats.

For further information on this topic, please visit Safe Kids Worldwide at https://www.safekids.org/car-seat

Engaging our citizens and business community in becoming active partners with their Fire Department in Safety is essential to building a strong, safe, and resilient community.  The Fort Myers Beach Fire Department offers a wide range of free public education opportunities to help our community members in becoming active partners in their safety.

Community CPR and First Aid

Early bystander cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early access to defibrillation with an automated external defibrillator (AED) is critical to survival of out of hospital cardiac arrest.  When a beating heart stops, every minute that CPR is not performed dramatically affects survivability.  Therefore, the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department offers free community CPR and AED to our community partners throughout the year.   To learn more about community CPR and AED please go to http://www.sca-aware.org/community-cpr-aed-programs.

If any individual or group is interested in taking, a community CPR class email the Life Safety Division at Prevention@fmbfire.org.  Classes are held for groups of minimum of six or more.

* Please note that CPR standards have changed in recent years. Please contact us to set up training on the most recent lifesaving changes!

Fire Safety

Whether in the home or at work Fire Safety should always be on everyone’s mind, it only takes a few moments for tragedy to occur.  The Fort Myers Beach Fire Department takes are community’s Fire Safety very seriously, therefore we offer a wide array of Fire Safety educational opportunity such as:

• Fire Extinguisher Training
• Community presentation on Fire Safety in the Home
• Fire Safety Presentation to business groups

If you are interested in learning more about fire safety for your home or place of business, please email the Life Safety Division at PREVENTION@FMBFIRE.ORG

Car Seat Installation

Over 73% of child car seats are installed incorrectly. This sobering statistic is why the Fort Myers Beach Fire Department has partnered with Safe Kids International and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to provide free car seat installation and inspection service.  If you or someone you know is need of having a car seat installed or inspected please contact the Life Safety Division at PREVENTION@FMBFIRE.ORG

Lee GROWS

Lee GROWS is a program run by Lee County for anyone interested in getting a better understanding of what happens behind the scenes of Lee County Government.  We find this program to be very beneficial for our community members as it allows them to tour the Emergency Operations Center and Dispatch Center to see the process of calling 911.  For more information or to set up a tour, please click here. LeeGROWS