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The Holden Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division coordinates inspections, permits, and public education aspects of the department, as well as all investigative functions relative to the cause of fires. The Division is also responsible for all plan reviews. Fire Prevention personnel conduct quarterly inspections of all health care facilities and conducts fire drills in all schools four times per year. Approximately 1,200-1,400 permits are issued per year.
Plans for new construction and renovations are reviewed by the Assistant Chief to ensure that they are in compliance with MGL Chapter 148 and 527 CMR, the fire prevention regulations for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Fire Prevention office is open during normal business hours and you may reach Assistant Chief Alexander J. Belisle, Jr. at 508-829-0266 with any questions.
Selling your home? Please refer to the guidelines below and contact the Holden Fire Department to schedule a Certificate of Compliance (CC) inspection. A Certificate of Compliance is $25.
Smoke, Carbon Monoxide, and Heat Detector Information
Please Note: All homes must have house numbers that are a minimum of 3” and in a contrasting color from the house and visible from the street. Any structure not visible from the street must have house numbers on the home and on the post or mailbox at the street.
SMOKE DETECTORS
- All smoke detectors shall be mounted on the ceiling (with some exceptions).
- All houses will have smoke detectors at the bottom of any staircase and within 10” of any bedroom.
- There should be a detector for every 1,200 square feet of floor area.
- Houses built before 1975 may have battery operated detectors.
- Any house built between 1975 and 1996 must have a hard-wire detector system. There must be at least one detector on each floor.
- Any house built after 1997 must have interconnected detectors with battery backup.
- Any house built after June 1996 must have a detector at the bottom of every stair case; within 10’ of any bedroom; and a detector located in every bedroom or room that may be considered a bedroom (any room that has a closet.)
- Any smoke detector within 15’ of a kitchen must be photoelectric.
- Effective January 1, 2010, all smoke detectors must be photoelectric.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
- A carbon monoxide (CO) detector must be on every floor/level of the home including any finished or unfinished basement.
- There must be a CO detector within 10’ of any bedroom.
- Carbon monoxide detectors may be battery or plug-in type with a battery back-up.
- Carbon monoxide detectors maybe mounted on either the wall or the ceiling.
- As of March 2008, any new construction must have hard wire inter-connected carbon monoxide detectors with battery back-up.
- Combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors must have a voice annunciation for the alarm.
GARAGE HEAT DETECTORS
- As of September 2008, newly constructed homes having an attached garage must have a heat detector. Unattached garages are optional. There must be a separate sounding device in the home. The heat detector does not have to be wired into an alarm system.
This information provides general guidelines of the Massachusetts General Laws. Actual determination can be complicated and individuals are encouraged to contact the Holden Fire Department for a free survey of their home. The laws above are subject to change.
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