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The Office of Educational Facilities



Jack A. Villagomez
Senior Project Architect
1054 Turlington Building
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400



Phone: (850) 245-9294
Email:

Fire Safety - Space Heaters

Portable electric and fuel-fired space heaters are very popular but present serious hazards. Over 30,000 people are injured and killed each year from portable heater related fires. Unfortunately schools present a likely atmosphere for such hazards.

There are stringent requirements to follow that make safe use of these heaters almost impossible to insure. These include maintaining a clear area of at least three feet all around a heater, not using a surge bar for power, making sure heaters are designed and located so they are not easily overturned, and using only heaters that are listed.

These are minimum requirements of the Florida Fire Prevention Code which also permits the Authority Having Jurisdiction the right to simply prohibit the use of heaters where the AHJ determines it is unsafe. The AHJ is the local fire department or the district certified fire inspector who's concern is the safety of building occupants and property. Maintaining a safe environment must also be a primary concern of the person in charge of the facility but to begin with district school board when writing board policy.

Residential Fires: Kitchen

Residential fires are often the result of dangerous conditions that we can prevent. Take for instance kitchen fires while baking or frying. There are some simple habits we can learn to create a safe environment at home and wherever there are kitchen stoves at school. The following are just a few practices mentioned in the attached article from State Farm Insurance. Watch the video to make an impression.
  • Don't leave your cooking unattended
  • Checking your email or watching TV can wait until you've switched off the burner.
  • Keep cooking areas clean to prevent grease buildup
  • Heat cooking oil slowly. Be patient with those French fries; heating oil too quickly can easily start a fire.
  • Fire Extinguisher: An ABC Dry Chemical fire extinguisher is the best option since it won't accelerate grease fires. Read the instructions, and know how to operate it.

Legislation Finally Approved

HB 331 (PDF) has been approved by the governor and will be enacted July 1, 2011 Among other things this legislation:
  • Does away with the required annual inspection by local fire officials while allowing the LFO to inspect if they so choose. School districts will still be required to perform their own inspections but will now assume more authority to enforce their own compliance with rule and code.
  • Abolishes the classification of special state firesafety inspector on July 1, 2013. Special inspectors with 5 years experience as of July 1, 2011 will be allowed to take the test for fire inspector before July 1, 2013.
  • Allows each board to employ a chief building official or inspector and a fire official certified pursuant to chapter 633
For more information on other changes underway i.e. 69A-58 click on Fire Safety School Inspections and House Bill 331 (2011) (PDF) - New! and keep an eye on SFM website The Bureau of Fire Prevention.

New! Online Course

Reception by administrators for the automated voice-over program is well received. Comments on the new Powerpoint presentation are indicative of their interest and willingness to learn more about safety in their facilities.

The program, Online Safety in Existing Education Facilities Course, stresses how important it is for principals and maintenance staff to recognize hazardous conditions and how to eliminate them. The program also informs administrators of the benefit of having district safety officials who can advise their maintenance personnel and administrative staff.

Take a look and offer any suggestions you think would improve the program. For more information contact Jack Villagomez at

Sanitary Conditions in Wet Areas

Some areas require special finishes for maintenance of sanitary conditions. Areas such as toilet rooms, showers, and kitchens require impervious floor, base, and wall finishes that are, nonabsorbent, and resistant to corrosion or the effects of water, normal cleaning materials, and natural or artificial chemicals generally associated with toilet rooms, shower rooms, and food preparation areas.

Such products as seamless epoxy quartz flooring, special two part epoxy coatings, and ceramic tile or quarry tile and their grout are acceptable as impervious materials but some common finishes are not. Materials such as 12 inch vinyl tile flooring (because of the seams) or applied rubber base because it is surface mounted and not integral with either the wall or the floor are not considered impervious.

Other considerations in sanitary areas like toilet rooms include providing and maintaining accessories like soap dispensers, toilet paper and paper towel dispensers, as well as toilet stall partitions and doors.

Also SREF 5(1)(e) Board Policies outlines cleaning schedules for various locations and how often and what type of cleaning is required for those specific areas.

Serious Life Safety Hazards

“Serious Life Safety Hazards” referred to in statute 1013.12, require prompt corrective action by the board or withdrawal of facility from use until corrected. Those Serious Life Safety Hazards as defined by the State Fire Marshal include: Non-functional Fire Alarm, Non-functional Fire Sprinkler System, Padlocks or other unapproved locks at exits, Inadequate exits, Hazardous Electrical Conditions, Potential Structural Failure, Hazardous Storage, nonfunctioning or missing Incorrect heat or smoke detectors, Fire Extinguishers missing or not inspected, Fire doors w/ wedges or doorstops.

Building managers must prevent these hazards from occurring or left unattended where they do exist. These are all hazardous conditions that district fire inspectors and local fire officials check for when performing required fire inspections.

Remember that exit stairs are a “Protected Means of Egress” and are to be treated as such. Occupants must be able to enter a stair and be protected from fire and smoke all the way out of the building. Regardless what other codes may allow as an exception, Department of Education does not allow storage in a stair including the area under the steps coming down from the floor above. This is serious enough to be repeated in SREF 5 (10)(a)34., 69A-58.0081(15)(c), and Florida Building Code 423.20.1 General storage. See Informative Links below - “What’s Wrong with this Picture”?

Training Schedule:

  • February 29, 2012 and March 1, 2012 - 2 Day Class 69A-58/SREF - Miami-Dade Public Schools - Miami.
  • April 26, 2012 - 1 Day Class 69A-58/SREF - Volusia County Schools - Daytona Beach.

Informative Links:


Office Contact

Office of Educational Facilities
1054 Turlington Building
325 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
Telephone: (850) 245-0494
Fax: (850) 245-9236