Short answer
In Colorado, qualified fire departments inspect public schools each year to the state’s adopted fire code and report to the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and every school is expected to hold a total evacuation fire drill each month, with drill records open to inspection. Denver Fire’s checklist adds school-relevant items such as an approved fire safety plan kept on site, trained staff, current drill records and carbon monoxide detection. The state’s page speaks to public school districts and boards and does not address private schools, which should confirm their arrangement with the local fire authority.
Who inspects a school
For public schools, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) requires qualified fire departments to conduct school maintenance inspections each year to the DFPC-adopted edition of the International Fire Code and to document them on the state’s School Maintenance Inspection Report. If a local fire department is not qualified or is unwilling to do the inspections, the school board notifies DFPC, which performs them and invoices the board based on enrollment.
| Number of students | Fee |
|---|---|
| 0 to 150 | $150 |
| 151 to 300 | $300 |
| 301 to 450 | $450 |
| 451 or more | $600 |
The state sets fees by address and counts total enrollment for consolidated schools at one address. Fire departments keep school inspection records for at least two years. Denver’s own fee schedule, dated July 23, 2026, lists a school inspection fee by enrollment as well: $245 for up to 100 students, $325 for 101 to 500 and $815 for more. The two schedules come from different agencies and the state page does not say how they relate, so confirm which applies with the fire department that inspects your school.
Fire drills and the records behind them
The DFPC page says all schools shall conduct a total evacuation fire drill each month and that school fire drill records are an inspectable item during maintenance inspections. It encourages administrators to log monthly evacuation drills and all-hazard drills on its fire drill records form, and it provides a drill evaluation form so schools and fire departments can judge how well a drill worked. Denver Fire’s checklist lists failure to conduct emergency evacuation drills, and records that are missing or out of date, among the items inspectors note.
What Denver’s checklist asks of institutions
Denver Fire’s inspection checklist has a section for institutions with several items aimed squarely at schools. The checklist is undated, and the items below are examples, not the full list.
| Area | Examples from the checklist |
|---|---|
| Plans and drills | An approved fire safety plan on site, staff trained on it, evacuation drills conducted and drill records current |
| Exits and corridors | No combustible materials stored in exits, storage in corridors and lobbies reduced, nothing placed to block access to or sight of an exit |
| Classrooms and decor | Artwork reduced in corridors and classrooms, fabric hangings not exceeding 10 percent of the wall or ceiling area they hang from, cut trees removed |
| Building finish | Interior finish and fire-retardant coatings meet code and are maintained, temporary wiring removed after 90 days including holiday lighting, nothing hung from ceilings |
| Detection | Carbon monoxide detection required |
The same checklist also calls for four sets of Knox Box keys at schools and high-rise buildings, and the state page links carbon monoxide detection guidance for public schools.
The systems an inspector expects to see maintained
Alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers and emergency lighting are checked at a school the way they are at any commercial building. Denver Fire’s checklist lists fire alarm and sprinkler systems inspected annually, the previous three years of alarm reports and the panel logbook on site, current extinguisher tags, and emergency lights and exit signs that work on battery or generator power. The frequency guide sets out each interval, and the failed inspection guide covers what follows a finding.
Getting school systems serviced
Call (970) 591-1310 with the school address, the systems involved, the last inspection report and any deadline in a notice. Denver Fire Safety coordinates a qualified provider, who is named to you, with scope, timing and price, before you authorize work. Work can be scheduled around the school calendar when that is part of the request.
Sources and limits
Written from the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control’s school maintenance inspection page and Denver Fire Department’s checklist and fee schedule as reviewed on October 27, 2026. The state page concerns public schools and school boards. Requirements for private and charter schools can differ, so confirm them with the local fire authority.
Colorado DFPC: school maintenance inspections
The state’s rules for annual public school fire inspections, enrollment-based fees, monthly fire drills and drill records.
Denver Fire Department inspection checklist
The undated form inspectors use, listing what is checked for alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, kitchens, exits and more.
Denver Fire Department inspection fee schedule, July 23, 2026
Annual inspection fees by building size and occupancy, and the non-compliance reinspection fees.
Denver Fire Department: Fire Safety Inspections
The city’s page on annual commercial inspections, inspection reports, invoices, fees and contacts.
Who publishes this guide
Denver Fire Safety is an independent commercial service coordinator for Denver-area properties. It is not affiliated with the City and County of Denver or the Denver Fire Department, and it does not hold the licenses described above. A qualified provider, named to you before you authorize work, performs and documents the regulated work. Call (970) 591-1310 to start a request. If there is an active fire, smoke or immediate danger, call 911.