Office of the Fire Marshal
Fire Planning & Development services assists existing business owners and developers by providing fire code engineering interpretation and application, fire plan review, and new construction inspections to ensure a streamlined achievement of a certificate of occupancy in cooperation with the City of Black Hawk Community Planning & Development Department.
The City of Black Hawk has adopted the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code with referenced standards, as ammended.
Fire Systems Construction Permits and Plan Reviews are arranged through the online platform, CommunityCore. To create a Community Core account or with any questions, please contact Black Hawk Fire Department Headquarters at 303-582-2248.
Upon request, Black Hawk Fire Department personnel will meet with the applicant or designer/contractor before, during, and after the plan review to clarify and assist in bringing the plans into compliance.
Black Hawk Fire Department will then review all aspects of the project for conformance with the current adopted Fire Code, as amended by the City of Black Hawk. During the project, Black Hawk Fire Department will also review plan revisions and can conduct reviews of deferred submittals.
Plan Submittal & Approval Sequence
The sequence contained in this document illustrates the order in which plans need to be submitted to and approved by the Black Hawk Fire Department for new construction and tenant finish.
Application
Please submit complete Plan Review and Permit Application and documents electronically through CommunityCore for review. System design plans, reports, and cut sheets shall accompany permit application.
Through the CommunityCore portal, you can:
- Obtain all permits
- Request inspections
- View inspection results
- Track all historical permits
Minor projects have a 15 business day review time. Major projects have a 30 business day review time. Please note, the Fire Department’s architectural plan review begins after CP&D approval. Permits will expire 180 days after issuance. Applicants can request a permit extension in writing, demonstrating a justifiable cause for the request.
Plan review fees will be included in the permit fee. Fees will be assessed based on the City's Fee Schedule.
Certification Requirements for Designers and Installers
Please note, there are certification requirements for designers and installers of fire protection and life safety systems
Fire Sprinkler Systems:
Designers shall be registered as a NICET Level II in Water Based Layout. Installers shall provide proof of current registration with the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) as part of the plan review submittal documents.
Fire Alarm Systems:
The design of any new system or alteration of an existing fire alarm system using the prescriptive requirements of NFPA 72 shall be performed by a person who is a licensed professional engineer or qualified by NICET at a level III or level IV in fire protection engineering technologies - fire alarm systems, or another nationally recognized organization approved by the Division.
The installation of a fire alarm system shall be performed by or supervised by a person who is currently qualified at a minimum of NICET level II in Fire Protection Engineering Technologies – Fire Alarm Systems, or another nationally recognized organization approved by the Division. Installers shall provide proof of current registration with the Colorado Department of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) as part of the plan review submittal documents.
Alternative Materials and Methods:
The design of any new system or alteration of an existing fire alarm system using performance-based design methods as described by NFPA 72 or NFPA 13 and the alternative materials and methods as described by the adopted Fire Code shall be performed by a person who is currently a professional engineer specializing in fire protection.
Construction Inspections
Construction inspections conducted by the Fire Department include sprinkler and alarm inspections as well as those required with new construction and remodels. Fees will be assessed based on the City's Fee Schedule.
- Inspections must be requested online through CommunityCore.
- Fire inspections shall be requested a minimum of 72 hours in advance. Requests received after 5:00 p.m. will be processed on the next business day.
- Inspections are available Mondays-Thursdays.
- Please reference Planning & Development Guideline 23-1: Fire Protection System Inspection Requirements for further information.
If you have further questions, please contact the Fire Marshal at 303-582-2255.