Florida fire marshal office: Food truck events are fun, but are they truly safe?
On May 14, a food truck exploded in Vero Beach, seriously injuring the occupant, who had to be airlifted to a trauma center.
Incidents such as this occur too often not just in Florida, but everywhere. Can these incidents be prevented? Of course, but they need a commitment from organizers and local officials to consistently make this happen.
While most people enjoy the variety of a food truck festival (I am no exception), the general public has an expectation that these mobile cooking units are safe and the venue they are attending will keep attendees and vendors safe.
An outdoor venue is treated much like entering a public building inspected on a frequency to assure your exit paths are not blocked and built-in fire protection features, such as fire alarms and fire sprinklers, are properly maintained.
A very wise man once proclaimed: "If you paid to get in, you paid to get out!" That means safely.
Mobile cooking units (food trucks) are just that — mobile. They are portable and move about to a different location, sometimes daily. The cooking equipment in these units is usually fueled by liquefied petroleum gas tanks mounted, secured and attached to the appropriate fuel lines to support the cooking operation.
A gas-powered generator is typically part of this unit to provide electrical power. In transit, fittings and connections may loosen and must be checked prior to each use. If not properly maintained and checked/inspected before each use, these units may literally become a bomb just waiting for an ignition source.
Local fire officials should be performing spot checks prior to each event on each unit to assure all safeguards are in place.
Picture this: You just purchased a new RV and it has gas appliances. There are liquefied petroleum gas tanks mounted on, or inside, a compartment of your new home on wheels. The dealer will do a thorough walk through with you to identify all safety features, including the location and purpose of a carbon monoxide alarm.
We are all safety-conscious individuals who want to protect our family, so we will assure our fittings are tight and no leaks are detected prior to using our cooking and refrigeration units every time we go on a trip. Mobile cooking units should be treated with the same type of respect and diligent attention to protect the public they are serving, and for the safety of the operator.
While most of these food trucks are manufactured by professional companies specializing in the construction specifications necessary and with knowledge of expectations to meet certain safety features, there is no requirement in Florida to perform a pre-built plan review and subsequent inspection to assure compliance with built-in fire safety criteria.
There are criteria for sanitation and basic safety features as part of a plan review by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, but no regulatory requirement for the fire protection features upon newly constructed units.
Built-in, code-required fire-protection assurance must be an integral part of the initial plan review required by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation prior to allowing a food truck into operation. If the department is unable to perform the necessary inspection/plan review, they should seek guidance from the Division of State Fire Marshal to assist in this endeavor. They may also seek a third-party inspection provider to perform this critical function
If we can assure these units are safe prior to placing them in service, we may have a better chance of keeping them safe for the enjoyment of public gatherings through local site inspections and educating the operators on the public benefit of self-policing and safeguarding their investment.
We (the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association) are ready and available to assist in the implementation of a program to require fire protection certifications in new and reoccurring inspection criteria in existing food truck units, but we need support and buy-in from the food truck industry and from those currently responsible for regulating these units.
Our main goal is to assure the safety of our citizens, our vendors and our responding emergency services workers. If properly implemented and managed, we believe everyone will be able to enjoy a great, safe food truck event near you this summer and beyond.
Jon W. Pasqualone, of Hobe Sound, is executive director of the Florida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Jon W. Pasqualone: Florida food truck events fun, but really safe?
