The Bureau of Fire Prevention is managed by Deputy Chief Mike Gerken. As Fire Marshal, Chief Gerken is in charge of the Fire Prevention Bureau which incorporates a multitude of assignments, including enforcement and development of the Fire Code, new development and construction within the City, fire, and sprinkler plan review, as well as fire investigation and public education.
Plans are required for all new buildings and for changes to existing buildings. The Fire Department reviews these plans to help ensure that the applicable codes, ordinances, and standards are being followed, and to prevent unnecessary hazards. The Ontario Fire Department has a goal to turn around all plans submitted within ten (10) working days.
New plans may be submitted to the Fire Department Counter located at 303 East "B" Street, which is now a part of the “one-stop shop” concept that allows our customers to have all their plan check needs to be met at one location. When submitting plans to the Fire Permit counter, please bring three (3) complete sets of drawings and three (3) copies of any other supplemental information. Plan check and permit fees are based on contract valuation and are payable at the time of submittal. Please let the Permit Technician know your timelines for the project. If the projected turnaround time is outside of your timeline, please let our staff know and inquire about our expedited plan check program, or see the link on this page below.
Plans that are submitted directly to the fire permit counter include underground fire protection water mains, fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, pre-engineered fire protection systems, high piled storage, and hazardous materials. All other plans are submitted to the Building Department and are automatically routed to the Fire Department.