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Office of State Fire Marshal

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kinds of plans are reviewed by your office?

  • Building Plans: SCRR 71-8300.5 outlines the buildings within our scope, however, not all of these buildings are reviewed by our office. Group Homes licensed by Department of Social Services and DDSN facilities are required to be submitted to our office for review. Other occupancies within our scope are generally handled by a local official. We will review these plans with written request of the local official,
  • Flammable and Combustible Liquid Storage: Above ground tank installations are required to be submitted to our office for review when not reviewed locally. There are exemptions to this submittal for certain types of liquids stored in a particular fashion at service stations. Check the Above Ground Tank Law §39-41-260 for these exceptions. We will review these plans with written request of the local official.
2. That are the requirements for a sprinkler system submittal?
  • The following documents (one copy of each) are required to be submitted for a sprinkler system review:
  • Shop drawings signed by a licensed sprinkler contractor in the state of South Carolina or drawings sealed by a Professional Engineer (PE) licensed in the state of South Carolina,
  • The Fire Sprinkler System Specification Sheet (FSSSS) completed per §40-10-250(B),
  • A Certificate of Compliance (COC) completed by a PE (this document is optional if drawings are sealed by a PE),
  • Calculations per NFPA 13 (i.e. hydraulic, seismic)
  • Manufacturer's Specification Sheets for special applications (i.e. special application sprinkler heads, fire pumps, backflow preventers)

The forms are available for download from our Web site at http://www.llr.state.sc.us/FMARSHAL/index.asp?file=forms.htm. We suggest you review the Guide for Water-Based Fire Extinguishing Systems on this same page for guidance on our laws, policies, and aid in completing the forms listed above.

3. When are hydraulic calculations required for a sprinkler system?
  • SFM Policy Memo #3-010 provides specific guidelines.
  • How many copies of plans are required to be submitted to the Office of State Fire Marshal?
  • One. For multiple reasons (including limited storage capacity), our office only retains one copy of each document submitted.
  • Do you have a list of recommended designers or contractors we can use?
  • The SFM does not provide a list of approved professionals. We suggest you select your designers or contractors by asking for references and examples of past projects they have done. Be an informed consumer!
4. Did the Office of State Fire Marshal receive my plans and who is reviewing them?
  • Contact the Engineering Administrative Assistant at (803) 896-9814 to determine the receipt status and which member of the engineering team has been assigned that project for review. Re-submittals are typically handled by the same member of the engineering team who reviewed the first submittal
5. Does the State Fire Marshal return approved plans with an approval stamp?
  • No, we do not return submitted plans. We do provide a review letter for the project to the person submitting the plans, local code officials, and any involved design professional.
6. Does the Office of State Fire Marshal issue building permits and Certificates of Occupancy?
  • No. That is typically the function of the local building departments
7. I have a complaint concerning questionable fire and life safety practices done at a particular establishment, how do I report this?
  • You can report a complaint to our office by calling Libby Hardwick at our office number 803-896-9800. She will forward the complaint to the appropriate party for investigation. Please be prepared to give specifics on the possible violation and the establishment's name and address. You may also be asked for your name and a phone number in order to contact you for any further information that may be needed.

The S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is pleased to provide various publications in portable document format (PDF). You will need Adobe Reader to view and print these publications.