The Rutherford County Fire Marshal's Office is responsible for conducting fire and life safety inspections throughout the County, conducting plans review for all new commercial construction projects, and issuing construction and operational permits. Permitting information may be found below. For questions regarding fire and life safety inspections or to schedule an inspection please contact the Fire Marshal's Office at 615-907-3600.
The Rutherford County Fire Marshal's Office requires certain construction and operational permits to maintain, store, or handle certain materials, conduct processes that produce conditions hazardous to life or property or to install equipment utilized in connection with such activities, or install or modify any fire protection systems or equipment or any other construction, equipment installation or modification in accordance with the provisions of Rutherford County's Adopted Fire Code.
Effective July 1, 2023 a new fee schedule was implemented for certain fire construction and operational permits.
Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance (ITM) Reporting (IROL Submissions)
The Rutherford County Fire Code requires that Life Safety Systems and Fire Protection Systems shall be inspected, tested, and maintained at regular intervals defined by their respective regulating Codes. This is the prescribed form and format to file records of inspections, tests, or maintenance with the Fire Marshal's Office.
108.3 Record keeping
A record of periodic inspections, tests, servicing and other operations and maintenance shall be maintained on the premises or other approved location for not less than 3 years, or a different period of time where specified in this code or referenced standards. Records shall be made available for inspection by the fire code official, and a copy of the records shall be provided to the fire code official on request.
The fire code official is authorized to prescribe the form and format of such record keeping. The fire code official is authorized to require that certain required records be filed with the fire code official.
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure their selected service contractor files properly.
All reports on the Code required safety systems listed below, shall be filed.
Please review the required submission time frames listed below:
Clear/Compliant: Systems containing NO deficiencies will be submitted within a 30-day time frame of when the inspection took place.
Deficient: Systems containing any deficiencies will be submitted within a 7-10 day time frame of when the inspection took place.
Critical: Upon ANY red tag/CRITICAL impairment, please notify the Fire Marshal’s Office immediately. Once we’re notified, please upload the information through IROL by the end of the next business day.
Clearing any CRITICAL impairment that resulted in the building being placed on Fire Watch, in accordance with Fire Code, shall also be reported through IROL by the end of the next business day. The documentation can be the service ticket indicating the system has been restored to compliant.
Report types to be submitted (exception: one-and-two-family dwellings):
Initial System Commissioning
Annual Sprinkler
Annual Fire Alarm
Annual Fire Pump
Annual and Semi-Annual Hood Suppression
5-year Internal Pipe
Semi-Annual Kitchen Hood Cleaning
Annual Emergency Generator
Annual Smoke Control System
5-year Standpipe
Annual Standpipe
Annual Clean Agent
Annual Fire Door
Annual Emergency Radio
Annual Private Hydrant
Declined Service (No cost)
Service Ticket (to clear a property from Fire Watch)
