Community Risk Reduction

Community Risk Reduction / Office of the Fire Marshal

The Community Risk Reduction Division/Office of the Fire Marshal is responsible for fire investigations, fire inspections, and fire code enforcement within the county. This division also investigates citizen complaints regarding fire and life safety hazards and enforces compliance with state and county outdoor burning regulations.

Prevention and Enforcement is responsible for fire code inspections, new construction inspections, compliance inspections, and high-risk occupancies. To schedule your inspection, please follow the instructions listed below in the Prevention and Enforcement section. All inspections should be scheduled using Gwinnett County's ZIP Portal.

Community Education handles all public education, including fire and life safety courses, CPR and first aid, and station tours. This section also coordinates partnerships with communities and businesses to help reduce the risk of fire and injury in the community.

Fire Investigations is responsible for the in-depth analysis of current call volumes and trends. This information drives research-based decisions on operations and intervention strategies. This includes origin and cause investigation, classification of fires, and other emergency situations that endanger life and property. This section works collaboratively with the Fire Operations and Public Education sections to support investigative needs on incident scenes and provide feedback on origin and cause to enhance community risk reduction efforts. Fire Investigations also assists with internal affairs investigations as requested by the Fire Chief and assists the Employee Support and Training Division by conducting pre-employment background investigations of applicants.

Fire Investigations was awarded the State of Georgia Certified Law Enforcement Certification by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police in August of 2018. All fire investigators are certified Fire/Arson Investigators as well as certified Peace Officers.

A reward up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for arson. Contact Fire Investigations at 678.518.4800 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1.800.282.5804 with any information regarding arson.

Visit Gwinnett County's ZIP Portal to submit a Fire Plan and Review or to purchase permits.

Notice Of Fee Schedule

The Community Risk Reduction Division/ Office of the Fire Marshal assesses re-inspection fees for all failed inspections. For more information, please review the following documents.
Notice of Fees
Signed Amendment to Fee Schedule

Gwinnett County Fire Codes

Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services provides citizens, businesses, and visitors, access to our online service that includes requesting a fire inspection or reporting a fire code violation 24 hours-a-day, seven (7) days-a-week with minimum down time for site maintenance. Visit Gwinnett County's ZIP Portal.

The primary fire related Laws, Rules and Regulations, Codes, and Standards used by the Community Risk Reduction Division include: O.C.G.A. Title 25, Chapter 2, OCGA Title 30, Gwinnett County Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance (March 20, 2012), Chapter 120-3-3 Rules and Regulations for the State Minimum Fire Safety Standards (January 1, 2020), Other Rules and Regulations of the Safety Fire Commissioner, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (2018), International Fire Code (2018)(IFC), Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines 2010 (2010 ADAG), and other codes and standards adopted or referenced by those above.

Gwinnett County Fire Prevention and Protection Ordinance (PDF)

Rules and Regulations of the Safety Fire Commissioner

Prevention & Enforcement

Fire Compliance Inspections

Fire Compliance Inspections are inspections of existing buildings and facilities in operation, with a current Certificate of Occupancy, prioritized and scheduled by the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Certain commercial occupancies are inspected at varying intervals by Gwinnett County Community Risk Reduction, Prevention and Enforcement (Fire Marshal’s Office) to verify continued compliance with fire and life safety codes and standards. Maintenance of a fire-safe facility can reduce the probability of a fire and reduce loss of life and property should a fire occur. Occupancies to be inspected are selected based on state mandates, historical data, the potential risk of fire to occupants, and requests by business owners.

To request a Fire Compliance Inspection, visit Gwinnett County's Gwinnett County's ZIP Portal online services page.

Along with printed information, additional educational opportunities can be requested including:

Pre-inspection walk-through (consultation) with facility management and staff. This is very valuable for new managers who have not yet participated in the inspection process.
Classes for groups with similar occupancies. Typically covers the self-inspection checklist and other tips for maintaining a code compliant facility.
Participation in Care-provider courses for facilities such as Day-cares, Residential Board and Cares, and Community Living Arrangements (State Mandated).
Others, customized, as needed.