Fire Division

The City conducts annual fire inspections to assess and mitigate potential fire- and life-safety hazards in buildings. Commercial structures and buildings in the City are searched for fire hazards and to ensure that federal, state, and local fire codes are met.

The Fire Inspector also conducts investigations/inspections for businesses obtaining/renewing liquor licenses and responds to public/private complaints of fire hazards.

PLEASE BE AWARE: Fire inspections for commercial businesses and buildings within the city limits are conducted by the City of Cortez Fire Inspector. All inspections in Montezuma County, outside the city limits are handled by the Cortez Fire Protection District.

Many people are unsure of what to expect during a fire inspection, but the inspections benefit the building/business owners, as well as those who use the building, by offering

• A safer working/living environment for employees/residents.
• Increased safety for Fire and EMS personnel responding to your premises, so they can do their job faster and more efficiently.
  
• A safer building for unfamiliar occupants (visitors, shoppers, clients, etc.).
• Business and job security. Up to 80 percent of all small businesses that experience a large fire never reopen; this not only affects the building/business owner, but also results in the loss of jobs. Of the businesses that do reopen, many lose much of their customer base due to prolonged absence of production or service.
• A better-maintained building for improved resale value. It is commonplace for buyers to hire a company to inspect the building prior to purchase to identify potential hidden costs related to fire and life safety.
• A possible reduction in insurance premiums. Some items may be required by both the fire department and your insurance carrier, such as annual fire-sprinkler and fire-alarm inspections verifying proper system maintenance. Many insurance carriers give businesses premium reductions for properly installed and maintained fire-protection systems.