Fire Prevention Division
To schedule an inspection with the Fire Prevention Division, please call Fire Prevention at 617-466-4620. Below you will find our four different units and its contact person in the Fire Prevention Division.
| Units: | Key Contacts: |
| Division Commander | Deputy Chief Stephen Purcell |
| Fire Investigation | Captain Joseph Conlon |
| Code Enforcement | Lt. Omar Frometa |
| Records/Inspector | Firefighter Dylan Beck |
Fire Safety Tips
View all the safety tips and community updates on this page.
Safety Tips:
Safety Tips:
- Cooking Fire & Burn Tips / Cooking Fire & Burn Safety Tips (Spanish)
- Cannabis Fire Safety
- December Fire Tips
- Smoke Alarms Save Lives
- Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips / Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips (Español)
- Porch Fire Safety Month
- Summer Safety Tips
- Winter Home Heating System / Winter Home Heating System (Español)
- Space Heater Fire Safety / Space Heater Fire Safety (Español)
Back to Community & Home Safety Tips
Here are the fire safety tips for the month of July. See flyer in English or Spanish.
Matches and Lighters are Tools…Not Toys!
Each year, children and youth start many fires. Between 2014 and 2018, there were 428 juvenile-set fires in Massachusetts that caused 4 civilian deaths, 20 civilian and 9 firefighter injuries and an estimated loss of $5.7 million dollars. Fifty-one percent (51%) of these fires were started by children using matches and lighters. The reasons children set fires vary; they may be curious about fire, crying for help, or engaging in delinquent behavior.
Never Allow Children to Play with Lighters or Matches
Children as young as two years old have been able to operate lighters and start fires with them.
Matches and Lighters in a Child's Hands Can Be as Deadly as a Loaded Gun
Keep all matches and lighters out of the reach of children. Store in a high cabinet, preferably a locked one.
Do Not Leave Young Children Unattended
It only takes a few seconds for a fire to start and quickly burn out of control. Other injuries can happen when children are left unsupervised. Children under 12 should not be left alone and should not be left in charge of younger children.
Teach Young Children to Tell a Grown-Up When They See Matches or Lighters
Remind children not to pick up matches or lighters. Praise children when they tell you they see matches and lighters. Tell them to ask an adult to move matches and lighters to a safe place, out of reach of youngsters.
Keep Your Home Safe from Fire
Maintain your smoke alarms. Don't leave candles burning unattended. Plan a home fire escape route and hold a practice drill at least twice a year.
If You or a Family Member Smokes
Be sure that matches and smoking materials are fully extinguished. Wet them under a faucet before disposing of them. Use a child-resistant lighter. Since 1994 all lighters made or brought into this country must be child resistant. Do not disable this feature! Doing so makes the lighter a major fire risk.
Teaching Your Children About Safe Use of Fire Such as Cooking, Heating, and Birthday Candles
Explain that fire is dangerous and only for grown-ups to use carefully. Set a good example by using matches, lighters, flammable liquids and fire safely. Tell children that you will teach them to use matches safely when they are old enough. When your child is old enough, teach them the correct way to light a match. Do this when you are using fire for a reason. For example, let your child light the birthday candles on someone else’s birthday cake.
If Your Child Is Overly Interested in Fire, Has Started a Fire, or Has Played with Matches and Lighters
Your child’s natural curiosity about fire needs to be addressed. Children don’t understand how dangerous fire is or how quickly it can grow and get out of control. All fires start out small and the potential for a deadly fire is very real. If your child is overly interested in fire, has started a fire, or has played with matches and lighters, call your local fire department and ask if they have a juvenile firesetters intervention program.
Here are the fire safety tips for the month of July. See flyer in English or Spanish.
Matches and Lighters are Tools…Not Toys!
Each year, children and youth start many fires. Between 2014 and 2018, there were 428 juvenile-set fires in Massachusetts that caused 4 civilian deaths, 20 civilian and 9 firefighter injuries and an estimated loss of $5.7 million dollars. Fifty-one percent (51%) of these fires were started by children using matches and lighters. The reasons children set fires vary; they may be curious about fire, crying for help, or engaging in delinquent behavior.
Never Allow Children to Play with Lighters or Matches
Children as young as two years old have been able to operate lighters and start fires with them.
Matches and Lighters in a Child's Hands Can Be as Deadly as a Loaded Gun
Keep all matches and lighters out of the reach of children. Store in a high cabinet, preferably a locked one.
Do Not Leave Young Children Unattended
It only takes a few seconds for a fire to start and quickly burn out of control. Other injuries can happen when children are left unsupervised. Children under 12 should not be left alone and should not be left in charge of younger children.
Teach Young Children to Tell a Grown-Up When They See Matches or Lighters
Remind children not to pick up matches or lighters. Praise children when they tell you they see matches and lighters. Tell them to ask an adult to move matches and lighters to a safe place, out of reach of youngsters.
Keep Your Home Safe from Fire
Maintain your smoke alarms. Don't leave candles burning unattended. Plan a home fire escape route and hold a practice drill at least twice a year.
If You or a Family Member Smokes
Be sure that matches and smoking materials are fully extinguished. Wet them under a faucet before disposing of them. Use a child-resistant lighter. Since 1994 all lighters made or brought into this country must be child resistant. Do not disable this feature! Doing so makes the lighter a major fire risk.
Teaching Your Children About Safe Use of Fire Such as Cooking, Heating, and Birthday Candles
Explain that fire is dangerous and only for grown-ups to use carefully. Set a good example by using matches, lighters, flammable liquids and fire safely. Tell children that you will teach them to use matches safely when they are old enough. When your child is old enough, teach them the correct way to light a match. Do this when you are using fire for a reason. For example, let your child light the birthday candles on someone else’s birthday cake.
If Your Child Is Overly Interested in Fire, Has Started a Fire, or Has Played with Matches and Lighters
Your child’s natural curiosity about fire needs to be addressed. Children don’t understand how dangerous fire is or how quickly it can grow and get out of control. All fires start out small and the potential for a deadly fire is very real. If your child is overly interested in fire, has started a fire, or has played with matches and lighters, call your local fire department and ask if they have a juvenile firesetters intervention program.
Forms & Guides
To schedule an inspection, please contact the Fire Prevention Division at 617-466-4620.
Forms & Guides
Forms & Guides
- Los Líquidos Calientes Queman Como Fuego
- Home Safety Tips: Hot Fluids Can Burn
- Fire Safety Education: January Fire Risk
- Ice and Cold Water Safety (Spanish)
- Ice and Cold Water Safety
- Smoke Detector Guide for Certificate of Compliance (PDF)
- Requirements for Crowd Managers (View on Mass.gov)
- Welding and Cutting (View on Mass.gov)
- Public Record Request Form
- Permit Application & Fee Schedule
Any person engaged in the cleaning and inspection of commercial cooking operations as of January 1, 2010, must hold a Certificate of Competency issued by the State Fire Marshal.
The following schedule of inspection is required:
Labels are to be fixed to commercial cooking equipment in accordance with NFPA 96.
The fire departmentshall issue a stop and desist order at any facility that has not complied with this inspection requirement in the past 12 months.
The following schedule of inspection is required:
| TYPE OF COOKING OPERATION | INSPECTION REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|
| Systems serving soild fuel cooking operations | Monthly |
| Systems serving high volume cooking operations | Quarterly |
| Systems serving moderate volume cooking operations | Semi-Annually |
| Systems serving low volume cooking operations | Annually |
Labels are to be fixed to commercial cooking equipment in accordance with NFPA 96.
The fire departmentshall issue a stop and desist order at any facility that has not complied with this inspection requirement in the past 12 months.
Effective: June 1, 2010
In accordance with 527 CMR Section 10.15, this new regulation applies to all occupancies undergoing floor finishing work while using flammable liquids.
A permit shall be required by the head of the fire department prior to engaging in floor finishing when flammable liquids are going to be used (No subsequent inspection required).
Certain precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of fire or explosion, including but not limited to, the removal of ignition sources and posting warning signs.
A permit is not required in residential building containing 3 units or less as long as a written notification id forwarded to the fire department at least 48 hours in advance of commencing work.
In accordance with 527 CMR Section 10.15, this new regulation applies to all occupancies undergoing floor finishing work while using flammable liquids.
A permit shall be required by the head of the fire department prior to engaging in floor finishing when flammable liquids are going to be used (No subsequent inspection required).
Certain precautions should be taken to reduce the risk of fire or explosion, including but not limited to, the removal of ignition sources and posting warning signs.
A permit is not required in residential building containing 3 units or less as long as a written notification id forwarded to the fire department at least 48 hours in advance of commencing work.