Special to the Herald

SPRINGFIELD – The Effingham County Board of Commissioners isn’t waiting until the smoke clears to start promoting safety measures in commercial and industrial buildings. It is taking a proactive approach.

Elizabeth Sapp has been charged with leading the effort to protect occupants. She was named the county’s fire inspector last month.

Sapp, a Guyton resident and member of Development Services, has impressive credentials. She served as a firefighter in the U.S. Marine Corps. She also worked as a firefighter for a dozen years in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

“Then I became interested in the life safety aspect (of firefighting) as far as code enforcement goes,” she said, “and then I became a building plans examiner for the City of Hardeeville. I did that for about six years.

“It’s been a fun ride.”

Sapp, who has a Master’s degree in emergency services management, also worked for FEMA for two years. She aided in the recovery following hurricanes in Florida (2022) and Louisiana (2021).

“I didn’t really like being deployed to disasters,” Sapp said. “That was hard on my family life because I have kids and stuff.”

Sapp, who spent a few months as a FEMA flood plain manager, is getting ready to inspect the county's existing commercial and industrial buildings. She has created a checklist that she will use to help their owners prevent and combat blazes.

“I’m not trying to recreate the wheel,” she said. “I am trying to use things from other counties and other people who are in this type of profession.”

Sapp’s top priority is warehouses. Some of them contain 1 million square feet of space or more.

“They are very big and they have lots of moving parts,” she said.

During inspections, Sapp checks fire sprinkler systems, exit locations, accessibility for Effingham County Fire Rescue (ECFR) equipment and much more. Her checklist has 22 points.

Sapp’s initial inspection of existing buildings will be a courtesy. Futures ones, however, have the potential to result in fines for each violation on her checklist.

The board is expected to consider a fine schedule in the coming weeks.

“I have been in a couple warehouses and they are doing good so far,” Sapp said.

Warehouses are required to have bidirectional antennas. They allow firefighters inside the building to communicate with those on the outside.

“Radio communication is a biggie,” Sapp said. “What warehouses are storing is also a big deal. It could be furniture versus chemicals.

“There is a lot that goes into it.”

Sapp is working closely with ECFR Chief Clint Hodges.

“I am kind of like his eyes on these buildings,” she said. “I can let him know if any of them aren’t safe. He has been extremely helpful.

“He is also sending out his guys so that they can do pre-plans of these buildings so that they can become familiar with them,” Sapp added.

Life Safety Inspection Checklist

Life Safety is essential for protecting building occupants and the community. Moving forward, Effingham County has incorporated an annual Life Safety inspection for all new and existing commercial/industrial buildings.

During inspection, if discrepancies are found, they shall be documented and emailed to the owner. A re-inspection of all listed discrepancies will be required.

Below is a list of items that will be looked at during these inspections. Re-inspection fees may be incorporated in the future.

·       Address on building visible (not blocked) from road.

·       Knox Box present with working and/or labeled keys inside.

·       Fire Hydrant locations are easily identifiable, accessible to emergency personnel, and painted.

·       Fire Lanes must be accessible to emergency personnel, and free of debris/storage.

·       Click to enter / key codes must work for all new buildings (and existing commercial sites if applicable).

·       Permanent signage shall be provided on the exterior/interior side of all Fire Department access doors.

·       The fire department connections are visible and accessible (must not be blocked). Couplings or swivels are not damaged and rotate smoothly. Check FDC and fire hydrants.

·       All emergency lighting inside building and exit signage shall be inspected and approved.

·       Emergency Fire/Life Safety Plan is on site and identifies locations of nearest exits, fire extinguishers, AED locations, and areas of refuge (if applicable).

·       Inspect AED (Automated External Defibrillator) equipment and ensure it is located within an AED cabinet and in a readily accessible location. Test batteries to ensure they are working.

·       Exits doors and exit signs are not blocked, locked, hidden from view, and battery backup is working.

·       Verify locations of “areas of refuge/assisted rescue” (if applicable) and ensure those areas are clear from any obstructions (i.e. emergency stairwells).

·       Verify location of Annunciator panel(s), and ensure it is working properly.

·       Verify fire protection systems/components and/or rooms (sprinkler risers, fire pump/riser rooms, sprinkler heads, fire extinguishers, etc.) are free from storage and debris, and these systems have been inspected (recently).

·       Ensure commercial cooking equipment has passed annual inspections, and grease accumulation isn’t present/heavy in exhaust areas. (Class K Fire Extinguisher/commercial kitchen extinguishing agents).

·       Hand-held portable fire extinguishers are properly mounted with the top of the extinguisher not more than five feet above the floor when up to 40 lbs. or not more than 3 ½ feet above the floor if over 40 lbs., and the bottom at least 4 inches above the floor.

·       All electrical shall comply with the 2020 NEC (National Electrical Code) and 2018 IFC. Extension cords are not used as a substitute for permanent wiring. Extension cords are only used with portable appliances. Extension cords must be of a continuous length without splices).

·       All electrical panels and emergency shut offs must be inspected and labeled.

·       *Field testing of radio signal strength must be conducted within and outside of structure. The signal must be strong and working. Emergency responders should be able to communicate to dispatch and each other.

·       Hazardous, flammable, and combustible liquids/chemicals must be stored properly and easily identified. MSDS Sheets must be present and within a conspicuous location.

·       All empty or unused flammable and combustible liquid containers and tanks shall be stored as if they are full, or have been removed and disposed of properly.

·       All smoke- and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and working.