County tables fire code adoption request

SANDPOINT - Bonner County commissioners passed on another formal request to adopt the International Fire Code on Tuesday, ruling that the proposal needs more study and input from the public.

The board tabled the Bonner County Fire Chiefs Association's request to implement the code and said it plans to convene a working group to analyze its administration, enforcement and financial impacts.

"For us to shoot from the hip would be a big mistake," said Commissioner Todd Crossett, who wants to sidestep pitfalls which might not be immediately apparent.

The proposed working group would include representatives from local fire districts, wildland fire-fighting agencies, and Bonner County planning and legal personnel.

Commissioners past and present have considered, but not acted, on the fire chiefs' request for a number of years. The fire code has not been officially observed at the county since the Building Department was dismantled a decade ago, although it has informed the county's recently revised private road standards.

Commissioner Joe Young said prior attempts to adopt the code were thwarted by disagreement between fire districts as to how much or how little of the code should be adopted.

"We need consistency across the county if we do this," said Young, who added that funding is currently too tight to add personnel to administer the fire code.

 The code implementation effort was re-energized by a recent opinion released by the Idaho Attorney General's office. The opinion holds that fire districts are empowered to enforce the code on behalf of the state fire marshal. In areas outside a fire district, the code becomes the jurisdiction of sheriffs.

Commissioner Lewie Rich, who also serves as a Northside Fire District commissioner, said the fire code is one of the more unambiguous and user-friendly pieces of legislation, but it's tied to the International Building Code, which is another can of political worms.

Not entirely, according to Clark Fork Chief George Cordingly. The portion of the code dealing with wildland fire threat, which he considers to be a growing cause for alarm in Bonner County, does not involve structures.

"That is not related to the Building Department nor is it related to structures," he said, urging commissioners to adopt that portion of the code and then take up the other parts at a later date.

Commissioners declined the suggestion, however.

Commissioners disagreed on how to engage the public on the issue, with Young preferring to put it through a public hearing process and Rich suggesting an advisory vote.

"This is going to have countywide ramifications," Rich said.