Fire Prevention Bureau

The Lake Villa Fire Protection District’s Fire Prevention Bureau is led by Lieutenant Justin Biggs.  The goal of the Fire Prevention Bureau is to educate the public to take precautions to prevent potentially harmful fires and be educated about surviving them.  It is a proactive method of reducing emergencies and the damage caused by them.

The Fire Prevention Bureau’s responsibilities include:

• Reviewing building plans for new construction and remodeling.

• Conducting periodic building inspections to make sure they are compliant with Fire and Life Safety Codes.

• Investigation of suspicious & accidental fires

• Public Education and Community Events

The Fire Prevention Bureau is a critical component of the Lake Villa Fire Protection District’s effort to protect the citizens of our communities against the loss of life and property through its enforcement of the District’s Fire Codes.  Our Fire Prevention Officer, Justin Biggs, conducts general inspections of businesses, schools, public places of assembly, etc. within the District’s geographic boundaries.  Inspections are done periodically to ensure that each entity complies with all required fire codes.

Code enforcement and inspection programs are vital to maintain a high level of fire safety within the community. The goals of these programs are to reduce the likelihood of fire emergencies, prevent the loss of property and personal injury, contribute to the safety of citizens, and to control the cost of fire suppression and other emergency responses.

Our Fire Investigators, led by Lieutenant Justin Biggs, are trained and certified through the Office of the State Fire Marshal.  It is the goal of the fire investigation team to determine the origin and cause of each fire.  After a fire is out, the fire investigator’s job is to determine the cause of the fire. Much like a coroner determines the cause of death for people, he or she determines what started a fire. He must locate the origin of a fire and determine whether the fire was accidental or intentional by examining the scene. Due to the destructive nature of fire, it is sometimes not possible to determine the cause of a fire.

Fire Prevention Officer