Information for Businesses
Commercial Building Inspections
In late 2013, Upper Gwynedd Township adopted the 2009 International Fire Code in its entirety. Ordinance 2013-10 authorizes the Fire Marshal's office to conduct Fire & Life Safety inspections within the municipality. The purpose of this was to bring the municipality forward to today's industry consensus standards regarding Fire & Life Safety. As proprietors within Upper Gwynedd Township, there is a responsibility to ensure that all employees and visitors are in facilities that are in a safe operating condition. It is the goal of the Fire Marshal's office to work with the business owners to ensure compliance with the Fire Code, through the most effective means, while not creating a financial burden.
The initial cycle of inspections is anticipated to take 18 months to complete. Additional inspection cycles will be closer to 12 months.
Business owners or managers may download a copy of the Inspection Brochure. This covers many of the items required by the code, and will make the inspection process flow smoother if known deficiencies are corrected prior to the arrival of the fire marshal.
A fee schedule is also included in the brochure for your reference. Fees are based on square footage, and are determined using the Upper Gwynedd Township Geographic Information System (GIS) or the Montgomery County Property Records website.
Inspection Brochure
Inspection form based on 2009 International Fire Code.
Fire Alarm Systems
At any time a business places their fire alarm out of service, notification is required to be made to the Fire Marshal's office. An email address has been set up to facilitate this notification at: alarmsystems@uppergwynedd.org.
Please provide the following information when sending an email:
- Business Name
- Point of Contact
- Phone Number
- Reason for notification (testing, maintenance, etc...)
- Duration (9:00AM-1:00PM)
Confined Space Entry
Any business that utilizes the resources of the Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department for rescue while conducting operations in a "Permit Required" Confined Space shall make notification to the following email address: alarmsystems@uppergwynedd.org. 24 hours notice is requested for all planned entries.
Please provide the following information when sending an email:
- Business Name
- Point of Contact
- Phone Number
- Location of the entry (Building number, floor level, etc...)
- Reason for entry (cleaning, maintenance, etc...)
- Duration (9:00AM-1:00PM)
Knox-Box Access System
All commercial occupancies with Upper Gwynedd Township are required to have a key box that allows the Fire Department access during after hours in the event of an emergency. We have chosen to utilize the Knox-Box Company for these key boxes. They are fortified steel boxes, that use a high-security proprietary key system. Including the Fire Marshal, there are only 4 other authorized keyholders. This system is in use world wide, including most of the municipalities here in Montgomery County. Below is an order form that may be used to place an order with the Knox Company. After your order is made, the Fire Marshal will approve the purchase. This is to ensure that we know the address of all installed boxes, as well as assisting owners in the proper placement on your building. Once the Knox-Box is secured to your building, the Fire Marshal's office will meet to confirm that the keys being placed in the box for the necessary doors. Additional information on the Knox-Box Company can be found at http://www.knoxbox.com.