The City of Walla Walla Fire Department Prevention Office provides inspection and plan review services for approval of new building construction, tenant improvements in existing commercial buildings, and development of residential subdivisions. 

The International Fire Code and associated standards are utilized to determine compliance with a wide range of fire and life safety concerns such as: means of egress, fire department access, water supply, high-piled combustible storage, and installation or modification of fire protection systems. 

These reviews provide for public and occupant safety as well as meeting the needs of emergency responders. 

Construction plans, supporting documents, and shop drawings for fire protection systems shall be submitted to the City of Walla Walla Development Services Department. Construction documents shall be drawn to scale and be of such clarity to indicate the location, nature and extent of the work proposed, and shown in detail that it will conform to the International Fire Code/ Building Code and relevant NFPA standards. All documents and shop drawings shall be approved prior to the start of construction.

All construction permits for fire department review shall be submitted to:

Development Services
55 E. Moore St
Walla Walla, WA 99362
509.524.4710
permits@wallawallawa.gov

Street Dimensions and Turn-Arounds

• Emergency apparatus access roads shall be a minimum of 20’ in width with a vertical clearance of 13’6”.
• Streets that are 36’ or greater in width can accommodate parking on both sides.
• Streets that are 28’ or less in width limit parking to one side of the street only.  The no parking side of the street shall be signed as “No Parking”.
• Fire lanes shall be signed as “No Parking- Fire Lane”.
• Dead end roads longer than 150’ require approved turn-arounds for fire apparatus, such as cul-de-sacs or hammerheads.  See this detailed sheet for more information.

Addressing

The International Fire Code specifies that addressing shall be a minimum of 4” in height and ½” in width.  The address should be clearly visible from the street and be a color that is offset from the body of the building.  Occasionally, due to the size of the structure or distance from street, larger address numbers may be required to ensure an efficient and timely emergency response.  The rear entrances or access doors of all strip malls, commercial center buildings, and other areas with multi-tenant spaces must be posted with the unit/suite numbers.

Fire Department Access and Lock Boxes

The City of Walla Walla Fire Department requires the Knox Box 3200 series on all new and remodeled commercial buildings.  Please see the Knox Box page for ordering information and specific requirements.

Fire Sprinkler Installation Information

View sprinkler ordinances, installation requirements, and certification requirements on this page.

Fire Alarm System Certification Requirements

Certification requirements for fire alarm system designers and installers are available here.