Services:

The City of West Richland teams with Benton County Fire District #4 to provide fire and emergency services to the the citizens of West Richland. It is the focus of both the City of West Richland Building department and Benton County Fire District #4 to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public through education, enforcement of the building and fire codes.  For additional information about the EMS services provided please contact Benton County Fire District #4

Fire & Life Safety Inspections:

Fire & Life Safety Inspections are required for all commercial occupancy’s. These inspections are conducted annually by Benton County Fire District #4 on behalf of the City of West Richland.

The primary focus of these inspections is education. By demonstrating what the potential hazard are and why it is essential to make any needed corrections helps to create awareness. The background and experience provided by the Benton County Fire District #4 Officers is beneficial to the inspection and education process.

Common Code Issues
These inspections address all the requirements of the International Fire Code with respect to public and fire personnel safety. Some of the most common code violations found are:

  • Blocked and/or obstructed exits and/or aisles
  • Excessive accumulations of combustible materials
  • Improper storage of combustible and/or flammable liquids
  • Improper use of extension cords/power strips
  • Improperly maintained fire extinguishing systems
  • Lack of fire extinguishing systems or fire extinguishers
  • Non-functioning exit signs and/or emergency lights
  • Overloaded electrical circuits/wiring
  • Poor housekeeping
  • Unsafe practices/storage/processes

The majority of issues found during an inspection are easy to correct. The goal of the City of West Richland and Benton County Fire District #4 is to work with all Business and Property owners in a manner that creates cooperation and a willing attitude to create and maintain a fire safe environment for patrons and employees.

Impairment/Fire Watch:

In the event that a buildings required protection system stops functioning for some reason, the City of West Richland Building department and the Benton County Fire District #4 shall be notified immediately and a Fire Watch maybe required.

To ensure the protection of residents or tenants and neighboring structures,  a person or persons designated by the property owner or owner’s representative maybe required to perform patrols of the property to watch for signs of fire or other hazards until the required protection system is back in approved working order. The International Fire Code requires that specific measures be taken to ensure the fire watch is effective. See the following forms and handouts below for more information.