Contact Information
Fire Station 17
5314 23rd Avenue South, Gulfport, Florida 33707
Phone: (727) 893-1062
Fax: 727-893-1060
The mission of the Gulfport Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) is to protect life and property through the development and application of fire prevention engineering, education and enforcement.
The Fire Marshal is responsible for administering fire safety education, fire cause determination, inspection of business and multi-family occupancies. In addition to the FMO staff, all personnel assigned to the Operations Division carry a great deal of responsibility for assisting in the fire prevention mission of the department. Deputy Chief Lundh currently holds the position of Fire Marshal for the City of Gulfport.
Inspections & Enforcement
In 1995, the Gulfport FMO began charging fees for inspections of businesses. We provide online information for businesses regarding this program. The FMO enforces the 2007 Florida Fire Code (FFC) and referenced NFPA Standards along with local amendments incorporated into the Gulfport Municipal Code (MC).
Special Events
Inspections will be conducted before the event begins, and compliance is mandatory for participation.
All vendors cooking at the event must complete and submit the permit application to the Gulfport Fire Department at least 10 days prior to the event.
The application and full guidelines are available online at:
👉 https://mygulfport.us/fire-marshalls-office/temporary-use-application/
New Construction Inspections and Plans Review
The FMO is responsible for providing fire code plan review and inspection services. These services include pre-construction site plan reviews, construction final inspections, existing commercial building inspections, plan review and testing of fire protection systems, and reviewing storage plans for high-piled combustible and hazardous materials.
Presently, one part-time Fire Inspector is assigned to this task. The Fire Department offices are next door to the City Building Department to allow a seamless plan review process with other city inspection departments and officers.
Existing Buildings and Businesses Inspections
Existing commercial businesses may be accustomed to seeing Gulfport firefighters arrive at their business to do a walk-through or occupancy familiarization. These walk-through inspections should not be confused with fire-safety inspections conducted by the Fire Inspector. There is no fee associated with firefighters performing a walk-through or familiarization tour. Those visits are strictly for planning purposes in the event a fire should occur so that fire department staff becomes familiar with the layout of the facility.
Fire Inspectors conduct inspections to verify that local businesses maintain facilities and operations in a fire-safe condition. Fees are charged for these inspections. Call (727) 893-1064 for fee information. Businesses are encouraged to check out the most common violations page to prepare for inspections. We also offer a Frequently Asked Questions page.
Fire Investigations
Fire Inspectors also serve as the primary origin and cause investigators when fire cause is not readily apparent; there is a high dollar loss, explosion or an injury/death.
The objective of a fire investigation is to determine the origin and cause of the fire. Interviews must be conducted, evidence collected, and comprehensive reports of all findings prepared. To complete these tasks, the fire investigator follows rules governing proper crime scene techniques, interviewing strategies, and technical aspects of fire science.
If during the initial stages of inquiry, evidence of criminal activity is uncovered, the Fire Investigator must shift to his secondary role of identifying and moving against those responsible. In these cases, Investigators work in partnership with the City of Gulfport Police Department, as well as several other agencies like the Florida Fire Marshalls office, and FDLE, as well as Pinellas County Sheriff’s office and other local agencies to investigate. Together they develop the case, which may include filing criminal charges and serving as witnesses for the prosecution.
“In an effort to thwart counterfeit UL labels coming out on products, United Listings has improved and replaced their label identifier. Please take note of this new mark when purchasing appliances and household items for your safety” United Listing Certification Mark Information.
Public Education
The Gulfport Fire Department offers a small variety of community education programs. These programs are designed to prevent injury and property loss through increased education and public safety awareness. Helpful information is on this website. (coming soon). Call the FMO at 727-893-1064 to inquire about some of the educational programs offered.