Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the fire must be contained in an outdoor fireplace, barbeque, or noncombustible fire ring and you need to follow the appropriate requirements for open burning.

Open fire pits or rings are limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height. They shall be located at least 100 feet from all structures and no more than 150 feet from a street or alley with a minimum width of 20 feet to allow for fire apparatus access.

Commercially manufactured fireplaces or fire rings may be used if they are equipped with a spark arresting screen that is in place during burning. They must be located at least 20 feet from an occupied structure and 10 feet from an unoccupied structure.

Only clean dry lumber and trees may be burnt. No painted, varnished or treated lumber or wood may be burnt. No litter, trash, garbage, leaves, paper, etc may be burnt. Burning these items is a violation of State law and City ordinance

How to Apply for Fire Extinguisher Public License, Certificates and Extinguishing System Certificates?

STEP 1: Plans conditionally approved by the State of Minnesota or a fire alarm plan reviewer approved by the City of Winona Fire Department are accepted. The Winona Fire Department will conditionally approve plans on the local level except those requiring State approval. The Winona Fire Department has the right not to approve plans at the local level.

All plans must include:

• Scope of work.
• All property information (ie. Business Name, Address, Installer Contact and Phone Number).
• Graphical Information (ie. Scale, Points of Compass, Location within Building).
• Floor Plan.
• All initiating and annunciating devices, CP and their respective location(s).
• All standards that the system was designed to.
• Manufacture Installation Certification per NFPA 2001.
• Make and Model of control panel installed.
• Make and model of detectors installed.

In addition to the requirements listed above, the following items that pertain to the design of the system per NFPA 2001 shall be indicated on the plans and or other system documentation specifications sheet.

• Location and construction of protected enclosure walls and partitions.
• Enclosure cross section, full height or schematic diagram, including location and construction of building floor/ceiling assemblies above and below, raised access floor and suspended ceiling.
• Agent being used.
• Design extinguishing or inserting concentration.
• Description of exposures surrounding the enclosure.
• Description of the agent storage containers used including internal volume, storage pressure, and nominal capacity expressed in units of agent mass or volume at standard conditions of temperature and pressure.
• Description of nozzle(s) used including size, orifice port configuration, and equivalent orifice area.
• Description of pipe and fittings used including material specifications, grade, and pressure rating.
• Description of the method of detector mounting.
• Equipment schedule or bill of materials for each piece of equipment or device showing device name, manufacturer, model or part number, quantity, and description.
• Plan review of protected area showing enclosure partitions (full and partial height); agent distribution system including agent storage containers, piping, and nozzles; type of pipe hangers and rigid pipe supports; detection, alarm, and control system including all devices and schematic of wiring interconnection between them; end-of-line device locations; location of controlled devices such as dampers and shutters; and location of instructional signage.
• Scale drawing showing the layout of the annunciator panel graphics.
• Complete step-by-step description of the system sequences of operations, including functioning of abort and maintenance switches, delay timers, and emergency power shutdown.
• Point-to-point wiring schematic diagrams showing all circuit connections to the system control panel and graphic annunciator panel.
• Complete calculations to determine enclosure volume, quantity of clean agent, and size of
• indicating devices, and number and location of detectors.
• System Monitoring.

The detail on the system shall include information and calculations on the amount of agent; container storage pressure; internal volume of the container; the location, type, and flow rate of each nozzle including equivalent orifice area; the location, size, and equivalent lengths of pipe, fittings, and hose; and the location and size of the storage facility. Pipe size reduction and orientation of tees shall be clearly indicated. Information shall be submitted pertaining to the location and function of the detection devices, operating devices, auxiliary equipment, and electrical circuitry, if used. Apparatus and devices used shall be identified. Any special features shall be adequately explained.

STEP 2: Complete the required application.

STEP 3: Permit /Acceptance Test Fee: $200.00

STEP 4: Send or drop off the completed application, two sets of plans, one set of electronic plans (PDF) format and Permit/Acceptance Test Fee of $200.00 to:

Fire Prevention Bureau 

Winona Fire Department 

451 East 3^rd Street 

Winona, MN 55987

STEP 5: Installation of clean agent systems may begin after issuance of permit. Verbal notification for starting installation by the Fire Prevention Bureau may be granted before the permit is processed. Installation of clean agent systems prior to issuance of a permit or verbal authorization will result in Double Fees. Work shall be completed by certified personnel.

STEP 6: The installer of the clean agent system shall provide a minimum of two business days’ notice to the Fire Prevention Bureau prior to the performance of any inspection or test to the system.

STEP 7: The Fire Prevention Bureau will conduct an acceptance test of the system according to

NFPA 2001 standards.

Responsibilities of Clean Agent Extinguishing System Owners after system acceptance: Portions of buildings containing Clean Agent Extinguishing Systems whether required by this code or not, shall be maintained in good working order and tested by a qualified company as required by NFPA 2001. Records of this testing shall be located by the system control panel and be made available to the Fire Department upon request. The occupant or owner of a building shall notify the Fire Chief or Fire Department immediately when the building’s Clean Agent Extinguishing System is rendered out of service for any reason.

NOTE

The installer of the Clean Agent Extinguishing System shall provide a minimum of two business days’ notice to the Fire Prevention Bureau prior to the performance of any inspection or test to the system. System monitoring shall be live at final inspection. 

Commercial cooking fire protection systems are required in accordance with the current regulations adopted by the State of Minnesota found in the Minnesota Code.

Have a qualified contractor design and prepare a fire protection system plan for your kitchen. A qualified contractor can determine if the fire protection system complies with the applicable NFPA 17A and NFPA 96 codes on fire protection systems for commercial kitchens. Contact the Fire Prevention Bureau with any questions during the planning process.

Plan Submittal

·     Scope of work.

·     All property information (ie. Business Name, Address, Installer Contact and Phone Number).

·     Graphical Information (ie. Scale, Points of Compass, Location within Building).

·     Floor Plan.

·     Show appliances under the hood and location of the protection nozzles (include information on type of appliance and its fuel supply).

·     Location of Fusible Links and their respective Temperature.

·     Class “K” Fire Extinguisher location.

·     Location of Fuel Supply shut-off (ie. Gas Valve &/or Circuit Breaker).

·     Location of Manual Pull Station.

STEP 1: Complete the required application.

STEP 2: Send or drop off the completed application, a hard copy of the plans, one set of electronic plans (PDF) format and Permit/Acceptance Test Fee of $150.00 to:

Fire Prevention Bureau

Winona  Fire Department

451 East 3^rd Street

Winona, MN 55987

Applications must be received 10 business days prior to the installation of a commercial kitchen fire protection system. Installation of systems shall be performed only by persons properly trained and qualified to install the specific system being provided. Copies of this information shall be provided upon request.

STEP 3: The fire department shall witness a system trip testing prior to final acceptance by the Fire Department. The installer of the commercial cooking fire protection system shall provide a minimum of 2 business days’ notice to the Fire Prevention Bureau prior to the performance of any inspection or test to the system.

STEP 4: Installation of the commercial kitchen fire protection system may begin after issuance of permit. Verbal notification for starting installation by the Fire Prevention Bureau may be granted before the permit is processed.

STEP 5: Remember that all commercial cooking fire protection systems shall be periodically inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 1.

·     Commercial Kitchen Fire Protection Systems must be inspected and serviced per the requirements found in NFPA 1 (Uniform Fire Code).

·     Fusible links shall be replaced at least semi-annually or more frequently if necessary where required by the manufacturer. Fusible links must be tagged and show the date and installer initials.

·     Exhaust systems must be cleaned by a properly qualified, trained and certified individual or company according to the table below:

NFPA 1, Table Schedule of Inspection for Grease Buildup

Type or Volume of Cooking Frequency                                                                                                                                                            Frequency

Systems serving solid fuel cooking operations                                                                                                                                                       Monthly                   

Systems serving high-volume cooking operations such as 24-hour cooking, charbroiling, or wok cooking                                        Quarterly                          

Systems serving moderate volume cooking operations                                                                                                                                       Semi-annually

Systems serving low-volume cooking operations, such as churches, day camps, seasonal businesses, or senior centers              Annually                          

NOTE

The installer of the commercial cooking fire protection system shall provide a minimum of two business days’ notice to the Fire Prevention Bureau prior to the performance of any inspection or test to the system. The final inspection and testing shall be completed as outlined in NFPA 96. TRIP TESTING is required at the final inspection. 

Kitchen Fire Suppression System Permit Form