To prevent fire hazards and encourage a safe environment, the Joplin Fire Department will soon be visiting Joplin businesses to conduct a routine safety inspection. Inspections are done for every business on an annual basis. They were paused during the pandemic and will restart in mid-January. New software has also been implemented to help with the efficiency of the inspections.

Assistant Fire Chief Andy Nimmo said the department is working to assist businesses by “identifying and mitigating safety hazards that put them, their employees, their customers, and their property at risk. It also provides an opportunity for our crews to familiarize themselves with the buildings within the city they serve.”

Nimmo encouraged business owners to assess their business prior to the inspection and correct some of the common safety hazards found during the review including:

- address not visible from the street
- fire extinguishers with an expired inspection tag
- exit signs and lighting not functioning or present
- excessive clutter and/or blocked exits and pathways
- temporary power sources (extension cords) used as a permanent power supply.

All individual crews within the Joplin Fire Department have been assigned approximately 200 safety inspections to complete within the calendar year. Each individual crew is responsible for scheduling a time with the business owner that will minimize any disruptions to the business. 

The inspections are a requirement of the Insurance Services Office (ISO) which directly impacts everyone’s insurance premiums.