Fire Codes

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The City of Bellevue, along with the state, adopted the 2015 International Fire Code effective July 1, 2016. The Bellevue Fire Department has created amendments to the IFC, which have been incorporated into the city's fire code.

As stated in Section 23.11.102 of the city fire code, any code violation or failure to comply with an order by the Fire Department may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or may be treated as a civil violation under Chapter 1.18 of the city code.

The purpose of the fire code is to establish the minimum requirements consistent with nationally recognized good practice for providing a reasonable level of life safety and property protection from the hazards of fire, explosion or dangerous conditions in new and existing buildings, structures and premises and to provide safety to firefighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.

City amendments to earlier editions of the Fire and Building Code are available.

Shelters

The Washington State Building Code Act (RCW 19.27) requires that every jurisdiction enforce the Fire and Building Codes as a minimum standard and allow amendments only when they are equivalent or more stringent. A notable exemption provides less stringent requirements for buildings housing the indigent provided that any code deficiencies do not create any threat to human life, health or safety; the building is owned or operated by a public agency or non-profit corporation and the time period is limited to five years. Working together with the Building Department we have created a Policy and Application to assist both operators and our staff in reviewing the potential use of existing buildings to be used as limited duration shelters.

Fire Code Interpretations

There are areas in our code and standards that have caused confusion for staff or customers. In some cases, particularly with respect to standards, the Bellevue Fire Department has had to establish a policy regarding the applicability of provisions. These interpretations are intended to provide clarity and, where appropriate, applicability.