Maine funds four inspectors to review fire sprinkler plans

The law sets aside $709,600 for Maine’s Office of the State Fire Marshal. The inspectors review fire sprinkler system plans. The money comes from Other Special Revenue Funds, a designated state funding source. It includes $483,000 for four Public Safety Inspector II positions and related costs, plus $226,600 in one-time funding for four vehicles. The allocation is for fiscal year 2026–27, with no money allocated for fiscal year 2025–26.

The Public Safety commissioner may adopt rules for municipal permit reviews and make agreements with municipalities. The rules cover municipal registration, suspension or loss of registration, notices, technical help, and appeals. Registration requires qualified staff, code enforcement resources, and procedures for public notice, hearings, and appeals. Municipalities must enforce the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code and comply with the commissioner’s rules. The Department of Public Safety must publish a list of registered municipalities on its public website.

Fire sprinkler contractors must obtain a permit from the Public Safety commissioner or a registered municipality before covered work begins. This covers construction of systems governed by National Fire Protection Association Standard 13 and additions involving more than 20 new sprinkler heads. The permit issuer must review the plan and charge a reasonable fee. Plans submitted to the Department of Public Safety must be reviewed, approved, and signed by the contractor’s certified managing supervisor.

The Public Safety commissioner must set construction plan review fees at 0.2% of the construction cost of the portion subject to State Fire Marshal review. The fee schedule covers new construction, reconstruction, repairs, and renovations. For municipally reviewed projects with occupied spaces, fees are 1 cent per square foot to the Department of Public Safety and 4 cents per square foot to the municipality. Except for projects reviewed by registered municipalities, review fees go into a dedicated account to cover review expenses. Unused state review fees carry forward into later fiscal years for the same purpose.