MY local fire department has STUPID policies.....

[TomSeller]

I tried that the right after I moved into this place, but didn't bother with a bribe. Just wanted to meet the crew, make sure they knew how to get to my property, and give them the code to my gate. A year later it was a whole different crew, they didn't remember me, and they didn't even have the gate code any longer.:shocked: Now at the start of each fire season I just call and make sure that they have the code.:2cents:

We have a lock box they key open to get to my key. It could be a code in the lock box. Just like they do at every building in the city. No way they can keep track of individual codes.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

We have a lock box they key open to get to my key. It could be a code in the lock box. Just like they do at every building in the city. No way they can keep track of individual codes.

Out here if you have a padlock and chain, I think they'll add their lock. If you've got a combo lock, they tell you to set it to a particular number. You can do that easily with an electronic keypad, but using that combo is pretty insecure. Anybody with a number lock will know the combo, and probably a lot more people, too.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

We have a lock box they key open to get to my key. It could be a code in the lock box. Just like they do at every building in the city. No way they can keep track of individual codes.

Out here if you have a padlock and chain, I think they'll add their lock. If you've got a combo lock, they tell you to set it to a particular number. You can do that easily with an electronic keypad, but using that combo is pretty insecure. Anybody with a number lock will know the combo, and probably a lot more people, too.

 

[ultrarunner]

Chippers have to be compliant here if diesel powered 50 hp and up... I guess if no one knew and it never left the property who would care?

We have a lot of slash and cleanup to do from the Christmas tree operation... so far have not been able to get a burn permit... property is county and AG... problem is the city limit with expensive homes is across the road... to the county doesn't want any part of it... also the county fire station is very far away...

 

[JDgreen227]

THANKS to everyone here who has contributed to this thread!!!

Here is the latest chapter on what has happened: Almost 80 hours after I originally filled out the paper permit and asked for an inspection, the local fire marshal emailed me just before 5 pm Friday, saying they has finally inspected my burn pile and all I needed to do was call to activate my permit, and he also asked me to text him the day before I started to burn to inform him. I replied IMMEDIATELY, thanking him and promising to keep him informed, and I asked him to send me his cell number so I could text him. He never replied to my message.

ON Monday, I called the burning permit line to activate my permit (3 day window) and also left the fire marshal a voice mail informing him I planned to begin a burn either Tuesday or Wednesday, and asked once more for his cell number. No response to that either.

On Tuesday, I AGAIN called the burning permit line to be sure my permit was activated, and left the fire marshal ANOTHER voice mail informing him I was planning a burn Wednesday morning and once again asked for his cell number. NO RESPONSE....either to that or by his email to which I AGAIN asked for his cell number. I called the township office, and was told NO, WE CANNOT GIVE OUT HIS CELL NUMBER......!!!

Having done everything required AND THEN SOME, at 8:30 AM Wednesday we lit the pile...fifteen minutes in the burn (first picture) a township police car showed up because someone called 911 and reported a structure fire. He asked for my burn permit number, and upon talking with the fire department they said NO AUTHORIZATION existed so they sent out a crew cab command truck with six men.

Guess what? The first time I called and left voice mails to activate my permit, my TDD had printed out a record of the calls, and I had attached the transcript to my permit and the fire marshal read it, apologized, and left.

The other two pictures show the pile in later stages.

I followed all the regulations AND TRIED AND TRIED to give the fire department as much notice as I could....yet they didn't respond to my email or voice mail....WHAT GOOD IS TECHNOLOGY if people don't utilize it? AND, why didn't anybody pay attention to my burning permit authorization messages?

 

[JDgreen227]

Seven hours later into the burn it is almost level, and then an hour after that I covered the embers with snow. So YES, the fire was OUT before dark as the regulations require.

 

[jlgurr]

Around these parts we call that a "sit back fire."

Can't beat good documentation of conversations and my hat is off to you for having as much patience as you did. Better than I could have done...

 

[JDgreen227]

Around these parts we call that a "sit back fire."

Can't beat good documentation of conversations and my hat is off to you for having as much patience as you did. Better than I could have done...

Thank you...but as I told the fire fighters and police who were there, I sincerely appreciated their fast response time because you never know when a REAL emergency might occur.

And just a heads up...I wanted so much for this fire to go off safely and legally because of my last name...BURNS.....:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

 

[rtimgray]

Well, I'm glad you finally got your permit and got the pile burned. Good job on patience and documentation.

I can't imagine having to go through so much effort just to burn something. I've been burning piles every weekend since about Thanksgiving and I haven't told anybody...except the good folks folowing this thread, of course.

Congratulations on your successful burn. I have definately learned something...

Good luck and take care.

 

[Johnny g]

THANKS to everyone here who has contributed to this thread!!!

Here is the latest chapter on what has happened: Almost 80 hours after I originally filled out the paper permit and asked for an inspection, the local fire marshal emailed me just before 5 pm Friday, saying they has finally inspected my burn pile and all I needed to do was call to activate my permit, and he also asked me to text him the day before I started to burn to inform him. I replied IMMEDIATELY, thanking him and promising to keep him informed, and I asked him to send me his cell number so I could text him. He never replied to my message.

ON Monday, I called the burning permit line to activate my permit (3 day window) and also left the fire marshal a voice mail informing him I planned to begin a burn either Tuesday or Wednesday, and asked once more for his cell number. No response to that either.

On Tuesday, I AGAIN called the burning permit line to be sure my permit was activated, and left the fire marshal ANOTHER voice mail informing him I was planning a burn Wednesday morning and once again asked for his cell number. NO RESPONSE....either to that or by his email to which I AGAIN asked for his cell number. I called the township office, and was told NO, WE CANNOT GIVE OUT HIS CELL NUMBER......!!!

Having done everything required AND THEN SOME, at 8:30 AM Wednesday we lit the pile...fifteen minutes in the burn (first picture) a township police car showed up because someone called 911 and reported a structure fire. He asked for my burn permit number, and upon talking with the fire department they said NO AUTHORIZATION existed so they sent out a crew cab command truck with six men.

Guess what? The first time I called and left voice mails to activate my permit, my TDD had printed out a record of the calls, and I had attached the transcript to my permit and the fire marshal read it, apologized, and left.

The other two pictures show the pile in later stages.

I followed all the regulations AND TRIED AND TRIED to give the fire department as much notice as I could....yet they didn't respond to my email or voice mail....WHAT GOOD IS TECHNOLOGY if people don't utilize it? AND, why didn't anybody pay attention to my burning permit authorization messages?

If someone called 911 why would they send police to check out a reported structure fire & then they call the fire dept.? Something wrong with this picture.