Business Pre-Plans

Why pre-plans matter

Our department conducts comprehensive pre-incident surveys that give us critical, actionable insight into your building and operations before an emergency occurs. Having a pre-plan means our firefighters arrive with knowledge about your site — building layout, hazards, and life-safety systems — so we can respond faster and reduce risk to people, property, and first responders

What We Do

What we document during a pre-plan

During a pre-incident survey, we collect and record important information, including:

Building construction & layout: square footage, number of floors, access/egress points, stairwells, roof access, and occupancy areas.
Hazardous materials & storage: on-site chemicals, quantities, storage locations, handling procedures, and applicable Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Fire protection systems: fire alarm types and locations, sprinkler and suppression systems, standpipe connections, hydrant locations, and water supply details.
Special hazards & occupancies: commercial kitchens, manufacturing machinery, welding, compressed gas, high-piled storage, and areas with vulnerable populations.
Utility shutoffs & controls: electrical, gas, fuel oil, HVAC, and emergency power locations and isolation procedures.

The Benefits

Benefits to your business

Faster, safer emergency response — pre-plans cut down time needed for scene assessment so firefighters can act immediately.
Reduced property damage — quicker, targeted action helps limit the spread of fire and secondary damage.
Improved firefighter safety — knowing hazards and building features ahead of time reduces risk to responders.
Regulatory & insurance advantages — pre-plans demonstrate proactive risk reduction and may support insurance or compliance efforts.

The Process

How it works — the pre-plan process

Request a survey — use our contact form to schedule a pre-incident survey. Surveys are coordinated to minimize disruption to your business.
On-site visit — a trained member of our team will visit your facility to gather data, take photos, and confirm key details with your representative.
Draft pre-plan created — we create a concise pre-plan file that includes maps, photos, contact information, and critical hazard notes.
Review & finalize — we'll review the draft with your designated contact to ensure accuracy and make updates as needed.
Maintain & update — pre-plans are living documents; we encourage updates whenever you make changes to your building, process, or storage.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is there a cost for a pre-plan survey?
A: Pre-plan surveys are provided by the department at no cost to local businesses.

Q: How long does a survey take?
A: Typical surveys range from 30 minutes for small retail spaces to an hour for larger or more complex sites. We work with your schedule.

Q: Who should be present during the visit?
A: A knowledgeable facility representative — such as a manager, safety officer, or maintenance lead — should be available to answer questions and show access points.

Q: Will sensitive information be published?
A: Pre-plans are stored securely and used only for emergency response and departmental planning. We do not publish sensitive operational details to the public.