City of Athens - Fire Department



After the Fire The mission of the Athens Fire Department is to furnish the best available fire prevention, fire protection, and emergency responses to our citizens and strive to eliminate the loss of life and property in our community. The information contained on this page is to provide the citizens with a brief explanation of what we did at the fire and why we did it and also to help assist with the recovery period after the fire. If you have additional questions please feel free to contact the Fire Department at (423) 744-2762. Athens Fire Department Services Chief's Office (423) 744-2760 Fire Marshal (423) 744-2761 Station 1 (423) 744-2762 Station 2 (423) 744-2765 TO REPORT AN EMERGENCY DIAL 911 City of Athens Departments: Building Inspections & Codes Enforcement (423) 744-2753 Public Works & Sanitation (423) 744-2745 Police (423) 744-2720 Other Assistance Athens Utility Board Water & Gas (Also Business Office) (423) 745-4501 Automated Outage/Trouble for Electricity (423) 745-3131 Volunteer Energy (423) 334-5721 Coordinated Charities (423) 745-9625 American Red Cross Hiwasee Chapter (423) 472-1595 Property Damage After we have extinguished the fire and you've checked the damage to your property you might see things that were not done by smoke, fire, or water during the fire. A couple of good examples are holes cut in the roof or holes cut into the walls. Temperatures of 1200 degrees at the ceiling are not uncommon in a structure fire. Toxic gasses, heat, and smoke are also produced. By nature, a fire burns upward and outward if it is not controlled. The holes in the roof (called ventilation holes) are cut over the fire to help reduce the toxic gasses (which can explode) and smoke and heat so that we can better see and operate to control the fire. This also helps in slowing the rate of fire spread. Holes that you see cut into walls or areas that have not directly burned allow us to check for fire spread. Many times the main seat of the fire can be extinguished but there will be fire extension into a wall or another part of the ceiling that cannot be found without cutting into the wall. When all is said and done our main purpose is to provide safety for our citizens and firefighters and to completely extinguish the fire while maintaining the minimum property damage possible. Insured/Uninsured Property If Your Property is Insured As soon as possible after the fire the first thing you should do is contact your insurance agent. If you rent your property you should also contact the owner. Assistance with immediate minor repairs might be available through your insurance adjustor. General contractors or fire damage restoration firms are available in the Yellow Pages if the need is more urgent than the adjustor can provide. After the investigation is complete and the insurance agent deems the fire not intentional all out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed above the deductible amount. Do not forget to contact the insurance agent prior to having anything else done so that they can authorize the out of pocket expenses. Another important part of the process is getting a copy of the fire report. Fire reports are free and are completed when the Fire Department returns to the station. If you require a copy of the report quickly after the fire it would be beneficial to call the Fire Department at (423) 744-2762 before picking it up to ensure that it is complete. These reports may be picked up at Athens Fire Department Station 1 located at 815 North Jackson. Please remember that if you have any out of pocket expenses to retain all receipts from your fire loss. This provides documentation that your insurance company can verify when filing your claim. Also all damaged goods should not be disposed of until inventoried. This information is necessary for the insurance company to complete the claim. Do not contract any goods or services until you have consulted your insurance agent. If Your Property Is Not Insured Uninsured property or property that is not totally funded by an insurance carrier might be eligible for a tax loss through the Internal Revenue Service under Theft and Casualty Losses. You may contact the Internal Revenue Service or your tax preparer for more information. This loss is only deductible if the fire is ruled not intentional; intentionally set fires do not qualify as a loss. Utilities and Construction In the case of a fire that compromises the safety of the building through damage to electrical components, gas systems, or other related items the Fire Department will require the local utilities to remove services to the structure. The homeowner then needs to be in contact with the Building Inspector. It is important for the Inspector to survey the damage prior to any work being started. The work must be completed by a licensed contractor of which a list is available at Community Development at City Hall. One important factor to know is that if the damage is 60 percent of the worth or more it is required that all work completed is done in accordance with the latest codes. All inspections can be scheduled by calling (423) 744-2753. These appointments should be made at least 24 - 48 hours in advance. It is also important to remember that before any work is begun the appropriate permits should be acquired. The Community Development Department can answer any questions you may have by calling the above number. Once the Building Inspector has completed the inspections and the work satisfies all required codes the City will notify the utilities to reestablish services. During the construction phase there is much debris that needs to be disposed. The City of Athens Department of Public Works will discard some items from your property. They will accept appliances (including refrigerators with compressors removed), household garbage, and personal items. They will not accept food waste, hazardous materials, combustible items, any type of building material, or items fixed to the property, such as kitchen cabinets. For more information Public Works may be contacted at (423) 744-2745. An empty burned building is a danger to people and the area. Small children could wander into the building and injure themselves on loose material or broken glass. Therefore, Athens Municipal Code Title 12 Chapter 5 #12-512(6) states that it is the duty of the owner of any building damaged due to fire to fence or close all openings within 10 days of the fire.