Fire prevention follow-up: 9 of 12 audit recommendations implemented, records work continues

Madison Rorschau presented the Fire Prevention follow-up review and said the department has implemented nine of twelve recommendations from the 2023 audit, with three recommendations still in progress. “We found that 9 of the 12 originally issued recommendations are now implemented with the 3 in progress,” Rorschau said.

Rorschau described changes including written guidance and checklists for routine inspections, use of a Building Hazard Risk Assessment to schedule inspections, and the creation of a Community Risk Reduction Officer who issues monthly newsletters and Denton-specific education materials. The review found that of 14 high-risk occupancies reviewed, annual inspections were not documented for all properties in 2024 and 2025; staff said one property was county-owned and another had multiple but unclear inspection records.

The review also noted the departmental contract for Fire Protection System Compliance reporting was renewed in 2025 and that a reconciliation SOP has been created, although documentation of completed reconciliations was not available for review. The Fire Prevention Division is relocating investigation case files to CJIS-compliant digital storage and has moved physical evidence to a new secure location.

Why it matters: improved inspection documentation and targeted education could reduce fire risks and improve cost recovery for repeat inspections. Council asked whether public-education efforts have produced measurable reductions in fire incidents; Rorschau said that analysis had not been performed and could be a separate audit topic.

What’s next: staff will continue implementing remaining procedures, document reconciliations, and report back as part of an informal follow-up in FY27.