P.R. Laws tit. 25, § 331h
The Fire Chief or any duly authorized member of the Puerto Rico Firefighters Corps shall carry out inspections and investigations of lots, buildings and structures during regular working hours, or at any other time when the particular situation merits it, to detect violations of the fire safety, protection and prevention laws and regulations, or the existence of any situation or practice which entails the possibility of a fire or explosion or that causes the death or produces physical damage to persons or property, as well as to determine the origin and cause of a fire.
In order to carry out the above-mentioned inspections and investigations, the Fire Chief shall have free access to all places where industrial and commercial activities are conducted, to sports and recreation sites, hospitals, schools, hotels, buildings destined for exhibitions, assemblies or public spectacles, commercial multi-story buildings and common areas of residential multi-story buildings, as well as any other building, structure or lot that is not residential, for the purpose of obtaining information or verifying investigations regarding the safety of persons, and shall monitor for the strict compliance of those rules and regulations established by the Fire Chief, adopted pursuant to this chapter or approved pursuant to the provisions of Act No. 112 of June 30, 1957 as amended, known as the “Rules and Regulations Act of 1958”, or those regulations related to the number of persons that may occupy a site or area, exit capacity, means of departure or other provisions concerning fire safety in the structures, adopted by the Permit Management Office. The Fire Chief is also empowered to monitor for strict compliance with those regulations adopted by the Public Service Commission by virtue of §§ 1001 et seq. of Title 27 with respect to safety requirements and protection against fires in motor vehicles or trailers used for the commercial transportation of flammable liquids.
History —June 21, 1988, No. 43, p. 163, § 10, renumbered as § 11 on Aug. 12, 1995, No. 199, § 3.