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Fire & Life Safety Compliance Binder
Answer a few questions about your space and download a customized, inspection-ready binder as an editable Word document. Free, no sign-up, and nothing you type is stored.
- Editable .docx
- Not a PDF — fill it in and keep it current
- Nothing stored
- Your answers never touch our database
- Takes 3 minutes
- Every question is skippable
Why we made this
We got inspected. A fire inspector walked into our shop, and we learned in about forty minutes how much we did not know about the code that had always applied to us.
Most of what got raised cost nothing to fix — moving things, clearing space in front of a panel, getting rid of extension cords. The expensive part was the scramble: finding out what the rules actually were, what records we were supposed to have, and which of them we had to ask our landlord for.
So we wrote it all down, built ourselves a binder, and then realized every other small tenant in the building was going to go through exactly the same thing. This is that binder, with our details taken out and yours put in. It is free because it cost us nothing to give away and would have saved us a fortnight.
This is not legal advice. It is a template and an information guide, not an engineering opinion or a code determination. Verify everything with the Baltimore City Fire Department and DHCD before relying on it. Code basis: International Fire Code 2021, as adopted and modified by Part VIII of the Building, Fire, and Related Codes of Baltimore City.
Your space
This goes on the cover page. Anything you leave blank prints as a ruled line you can fill in by hand.
If it differs from your trading name. Inspectors sometimes ask.
Just a business name and address, and you can download a blank binder to fill in by hand.
What inspectors actually flag
The items most commonly cited in small commercial tenant spaces, with the code section behind each. Nearly all of it applies to any commercial unit regardless of what you do in it.
| What gets flagged | The rule | Typical fix | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extension cords used as permanent wiring | IFC 603. Cords may not substitute for permanent wiring, be affixed to structures, run through walls, ceilings or floors, or run under floor covering. One appliance per cord. Power strips must be listed and plug directly into a wall receptacle — never into another strip or cord. | Remove daisy-chains. Add permanent receptacles for anything used daily. | $0, or an electrician |
| Storage within 18 inches of sprinkler heads | IFC 315.3.1. Storage must stay at least 18 inches below sprinkler deflectors so spray is not obstructed. Applies to shelving, stacked material, and anything suspended. | Lower the stack. Clear the tops of offices, cabinets, and shelving. | $0 |
| Blocked electrical panel | NFPA 70 110.26. Working space of 36 inches deep, 30 inches wide, and 78 inches high must stay clear in front of the panel. | Clear it and tape the floor. | $0 |
| Obstructed egress path | IFC Chapter 10. The path to the exit must be unobstructed, minimum 36 inches clear width. A roll-up or overhead door is generally not a legal means of egress. | Clear it and mark it on the floor. | $0 |
| Egress door hardware | IFC 1010. Doors must open from the inside without a key, tool, or special knowledge. Generally only one releasing operation is permitted — a knob plus a separate deadbolt is two. | Replace with a storeroom-function lockset. | $150–400 |
| Missing or untagged fire extinguishers | IFC 906. Minimum 2-A:10-B:C. Maximum 75 ft travel distance for Class A. Mounted, with a current annual service tag and a sign above each. | Mount, sign, and have a licensed servicer tag them. | $60–120 each |
| Exit signs and emergency lighting | IFC 1013 and 1008. Required at the means of egress, with monthly function tests and an annual 90-minute discharge test, logged. | Install if absent. Start a log if present. | $150–400 |
| Uncertified fabric and decorative materials | IFC 805. Curtains, draperies, and fabric hung from walls or ceilings must meet NFPA 701 flame propagation criteria. Flame-resistant is required; fabric is not banned. | Replace with certified material or have it treated, and keep the certificate. | $80–250 |
| Floor covering in exit paths | IFC 804. Interior floor finish in exit access has a critical radiant flux requirement. Consumer foam or carpet tiles almost never carry that documentation. | Remove from egress paths, or buy commercial matting with published ASTM E648 data. | $0–120 |
| Upholstered furniture without a flammability label | IFC 808. Upholstered seating needs a manufacturer flammability statement. | Remove anything unlabeled. Avoid bringing in used residential furniture. | $0 |
| Oily rags in the trash | IFC 304.3.1. Rags with oil finishes go in a listed self-closing metal container. This is a real spontaneous combustion hazard. | Buy the container. Until it arrives, rags leave the building each night. | $70–190 |
| Combustible waste accumulation | IFC 304. Combustible waste may not accumulate in quantities that create a hazard. | Housekeeping. | $0 |
| No Use & Occupancy permit | A valid U&O is required for the use being conducted. Many tenants either never obtained one or hold one for a prior use. | See the Baltimore resources section. | Varies |
Baltimore — who to call
Fire code questions, inspections
BCFD Office of the Fire Marshal — (410) 396-5752
Fire Prevention Bureau, 410 E Lexington Street
Use & Occupancy permits
Baltimore DHCD Permits — (443) 984-1809 — DHCD.Permits@baltimorecity.gov
417 E Fayette Street, Room 100
Plans examining, Fastrack review
(410) 396-3460
Small tenant fit-out review, Tuesdays and Thursdays
Zoning use determinations
Zoning Administration & Enforcement — (410) 396-4126
417 E Fayette Street, 8th floor
Online permits and record search
Use Edge or Chrome. Firefox has issues
Property ownership records
Maryland SDAT Real Property Search
Free. Gives the legal owner and deed reference
Recorded deeds
Free with an account. Needed for some permit filings
Business entity filings
Annual report, good standing certificates
Built and given away by Dynamic Arts Makerspace. If it saved you a day, come take a class sometime.