How to get fire department clearance for your Restaurant

How to get fire department clearance for your Restaurant or eatery – If your restaurant or cafe uses a flame for preparation and selling of food then you need to satisfy the conditions laid down by the fire department to ensure the safety for customers as well as the staff.

In addition to the excessive health department rules and regulations that need to bounded by,there are a certain list of fire safety rules that need to be complied with before you can go ahead and get a license for clearance from the fire department.

How to get fire department clearance for your Restaurant

Depending on your state rules which may vary,these are some of the obligations that you need to satisfy before you get a nod of approval from the fire department.

1.Dual entrances – One of the most important rules to adhere to before you are granted a fire safety license is to have a front as well as a back entrance to your restaurant or cafe.These dual entrances serve as a point of exit in case of a fire in the kitchen.In most cases the secondary back exit would should be accessible from the kitchen.

2.Fire retarded door – this is a heavy duty steel reinforced door that needs to be separating the dining area from that of the kitchen.This is so that in the event of a fire,the flames do not enter other areas of the establishment.

3.Sprinklers and fire extinguishers – In addition to smoke alarms,there needs to be a sprinkler system in place as well as fire extinguisher cylinders in all areas of the restaurant.Depending on the square foot size of the restaurant that will ascertain the exact number of extinguishers,the prominent areas are the dining areas,kitchen and mezzanine-if any.

4.Schematics of a mezzanine – Most restaurants that have a mezzanine have to be extra cautious while applying for a fire safety license as there are some extra conditions that they have to take care of.A mezzanine is a potential fire hazard for a few reasons-

• In most cases it has only one entry and exit staircase
• The height of the mezzanine needs to be taken into account as well as the height below it.The minimum height that needs to be kept is about 8 feet.(could change due to the state)
• The space below it cannot have any sort of cooking or preparation of food

5.Gas monitor alarm – In addition to a smoke alarm,there is something called as a gas alarm.This is a sensor that detects a high than normal level of cooking gas vapours and triggers an alarm if found.It is a wailing siren,much similar to that of a fire brigade and alerts everyone in a 40 feet radius to exit the premises.

6.Prohibited usage – Combustible liquids are prohibited to be used in a commercial kitchen.Only electric burners,induction burners or gas flame fires are allowed to be used.Make sure these are the only types of fuels that are present,if any fire marshall decides to check.

7.Sanctioned areas – Make sure that the areas for cooking,storage room,seating areas,bathroom,utility room are exactly as described in the blueprint layout of the premises.These areas cannot be interchanged and the cooking area needs to be also have a back access wide enough for the fire truck to come in.

Should you have your own fire marshall?

There have been unconfirmed reports of the fire department making it mandatory for atleast one staff of the kitchen crew to be fully trained as a fire safety marshall.This would help in the event of a catastrophic event before the fire services could arrive