By Lisa Carolin
The City of Chelsea, as well as Lima, Lyndon, and Sylvan Townships, are all adopting a new 2027 Fire Code through the Chelsea Area Fire Authority (CAFA).
Although the language in the townships differs (Lyndon is adopting the new code as a resolution and Sylvan as an ordinance, for example), CAFA is the authority that has enforcement jurisdiction across all three townships and the City of Chelsea.
“Our communities are growing, and we need to keep up with fire department access—getting in and out and turning around within developments—to do the job effectively,” said Eric Stanley, Fire Marshal for CAFA.
Stanley, who has risen through the ranks of the Chelsea Fire Department starting as a firefighter with a total of 20 years of service, was promoted in April of this year to the job of fire marshal. He oversees inspections of residential and commercial areas and is an employee of the fire chief.
Stanley said that as the number of multifamily subdivisions, including apartments and townhomes, grows in the area, there is more need to focus on fire hydrant locations and spacing, roadway widths, and entrances and exits within subdivisions.
The 2027 Fire Code is an update of the 2018 Fire Code. Stanley said the changes between the two codes are consistent among the three townships and the City of Chelsea.
“The biggest change from 2018 is dealing with food trucks,” said Stanley. “The number of food trucks has exploded in the last five years, and we’re playing catch up. The fire code is a reactive code, and we need to make it current.”
Stanley said one codebook can be more than 800 pages, and they vary depending on what goes into a food truck, such as what it serves, whether it uses propane, deep fryers, and other differences.
The fire marshals in Washtenaw County honor each other’s food truck inspections, which include checking for proper hoses, hood suppression systems, and fire extinguishers.
For more information on CAFA’s 2027 Fire Code and fire inspections, call 734-475-8755.
“The biggest change from 2018 is dealing with food trucks,” said Stanley. “The number of food trucks has exploded in the last five years, and we’re playing catch-up. The fire code is a reactive code, and we need to make it current.”
Stanley said one codebook can be more than 800 pages and varies depending on what goes into a food truck, such as what it serves, whether it uses propane, deep fryers, and other differences.
The fire marshals in Washtenaw County honor each other’s inspections on food trucks, which include checking for proper hoses, hood suppression systems, and fire extinguishers.
For more information on CAFA’s 2027 Fire Code as well as information on fire inspections, call 734-475-8755.
