Fire Prevention got its start in 1871 shortly after the legendary Great Chicago Fire that killed more than 250 people, and burned 17,400 structures. The fire burned most actively on October 9^th, after allegedly being started by cow that had kicked over a lamp. This was the first occasion in the United Stated where it became obvious that fires can be easily prevented, and started the countries reactive approach to fire prevention. Why is it reactive you ask? Every NFPA code stemmed from an incident that resulted in a high loss of life or a large financial burden. Just a few local examples…. The Coconut Grove Nightclub in Boston, Killing 492 people. Among other issues, Exit accessibility and Overcrowding played a huge role in the high casualties. Next time you leave a building and the door opens out- you can thank Coconut Grove for codes in place that require out swinging doors. The Station Nightclub in West Warwick Rhode Island in 2003 killed 100. Overcrowding and Pyrotechnics caused the high casualties that night and within a week, codes changed for more restrictive occupant loads and sprinklers in places of assembly.

Bennington Fire Rescue conducts fire and life safety inspections to meet the requirements of NFPA 1 (Fire Code) and NFPA 101 (Life Safety code). We currently conduct inspections of 13 public and commercial buildings as well as multiple private homes in Bennington.  If you would like to learn more about our inspection process, or would like literature on current codes and standards, feel free to contact us.