Portland City Code Title 31 authorizes and requires PF&R to inspect all properties except one and two family dwellings. A major responsibility of PF&R’s operations is fire prevention. One method employed to reduce the number of fires is to enforce the fire regulations. This can best be achieved through a fire and life safety inspection program. A fire prevention inspection program has been established for all businesses except home-based businesses. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and the amount of property loss from fire, thus enhancing the public health, safety, and welfare. PF&R inspects approximately 38,000 occupancies throughout the city.

Personnel from the local firehouse inspect smaller properties, such as low-rise apartment buildings and some smaller businesses. These are referred to as “Company Fire Inspection Program” inspections. Larger and more complex occupancies, such as high-rise building “cores” (fire suppression and detection systems, and egress components common to the entire building), factories, hospitals, schools, theaters, etc., require inspections by personnel from the Prevention Division (Fire Marshal’s Office Code Enforcement and Investigation Sections). These inspections require specialized training for fire and smoke detection systems, alarms and much more.