Fire Prevention

The Fire Prevention Bureau

Service Priorities

• Partnering with the Community while promoting Fire and Life Safety.
• Providing Public Education and awareness to reduce the fire and life safety risk.
• Utilizing well-trained inspectors to educate the public while conducting a comprehensive inspection and code enforcement program.
• Investigating the cause and origin of fires.
• Fire and Life Safety records and maintenance.

The Fire Prevention Bureau consists of a Fire Marshal, Assistant Fire Marshal, Fire Plans Examiner/Inspector, two Fire Prevention Specialists, and a Fire Safety Coordinator. All staff level personnel are supervised by the Assistant Fire Marshal who is directly responsible for code enforcement, fire plans review and engineering, fire investigation, and fire and life safety education.

We strive to provide you with the highest level of customer care and service. We also provide a Customer Service Survey which we invite you to fill out and mail back. The form is self-explanatory and will help us serve the public better. Please call 449-5453 if you have any questions or comments. Thank you.

Code Enforcement Once a building is constructed, we conduct maintenance inspections to help ensure that a reasonable degree of fire safety exists. Fire Inspections are conducted by our Fire Inspector, Fire Prevention Specialist and Suppression crews. We work in partnership with building and business owners to help us with this process. We also have a self-inspection program.

Fire Plans Review and Construction

The Fire Prevention Bureau of the Vacaville Fire Department partners with the community to provide building plan review services for both new and existing construction projects. Services include the review of designs and installation of automatic fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems which will be built into the structure. The City has delegated the responsibility to ensure public fire safety in all public buildings and multi-tenant occupancies to the Fire Department. The Plan Review and Construction Program is responsible for ensuring these projects adhere to fire and life safety code requirements regulating the safety of people who will occupy the building or area.  Click here to see list of permit fees.

Sprinkler Requirements

Present-day automatic fire sprinklers have been perfected to the point that they are extremely reliable when properly maintained. Automatic sprinkler systems are recognized as the most reliable of all fire protection devices controlling or extinguishing a fire at an early stage. The design of automatic sprinkler systems is based upon the assumption that only a portion of the sprinkler heads will flow during a fire. On average, about 96 percent of all fires in sprinkled buildings are controlled or extinguished by two to four fire sprinkler heads. Contrary to most beliefs, not all fire sprinkler heads will flow at the same time. The life safety of building occupants is enhanced by the presence of a sprinkler system and the loss of property is reduced.

2007 California Fire Code amendments regarding fire sprinklers adopted by the City of Vacaville can be found on the City's website under the Land Use and Development Code.  

Fire Investigation is conducted by the Assistant Fire Marshal, and Suppression personnel, and our Police Department who also assists in this process. We work very closely with the Police Department on fires determined to be arson.