The New Construction Division at the Raleigh Fire Department has a simple goal: to protect residents, property, and first responders. “We want to prevent any issues from arising, which is always easier to do than to try to deal with them if they do happen,” says division leader and Assistant Fire Marshall Kevin Bailey.
The division is part of the Office of the Fire Marshall, and its members review construction plans, issue permits, and inspect buildings to ensure they meet state codes and national standards. “We’re involved from the start of development to construction to when the building is ready for occupancy,” Bailey explains. “The outcome of the plan review process will impact the building's construction and built-in fire protection features for the life of the building.”
Bailey leads four plan reviewers and five field inspectors. The plan review team assesses about 6,000 construction plans per year. Those are plans for new roads, fire hydrants, and buildings, for example.
The field inspections team, in turn, completes about 5,700 inspections a year.
“Except for two lulls – the first one took place in 2008 and the second one during the COVID years – we’re seeing a continuing increase in requests,” Bailey explains. “Raleigh is one of the country’s fastest-growing cities and we see that growth every day in our work.”
Development Services used to handle plan reviews and field inspections, but former Raleigh Fire Chief John McGrath saw the need for technical expertise within the fire department and founded the New Construction Division in 2006.
Experienced Team
Bailey, a northern California native, has been in the division since its inception and now serves as its supervisor. “We’re fortunate to have a very experienced team,” Bailey says. “Some of our plan reviewers have been here for 10 or 15 years and many field inspectors even longer.”
A few members are former firefighters, while others have mechanical, fire protection, or design engineer backgrounds. All members go through extensive, specialized training.
“Being willing to continue to learn and ask questions is crucial in this line of work, given how quickly techniques and building materials, for instance, change,” Bailey says. “But that’s also one of the key features that I like about this job – no two days are the same and you have the opportunity for continuous learning and meeting new challenges.”