Plan Review and Construction Process

• Review all code requirements for construction projects located in Liberty Township, the Town of Clayton, and the State of Indiana
  • Liberty Township and County Ordinances can be found here.
  • State of Indiana adopted building codes can be found here. 
• Submit an application for a building permit and construction design release to Hendricks County and the State of Indiana. (more information can be found here)
• The Fire Department of Liberty Township will be notified of your application automatically and the LFO plan review process will commence (all fees are paid to the FDLT).  
• The architect and owner will receive a plan review notice via email with comments and construction requirements within 30 days of application submittal.
• Review LFO comments and submit changes or addendum’s directly to the Fire Department of Liberty Township via email, postal, or dropoff to Fire Department of Liberty Township Headquarters Attn: Prevention Bureau located at 111 E. Kentucky St. PO Box 160, Clayton, IN 46118.
  • Revised plans or addendums must be submitted prior to the start of construction and must be retained on-site during the entire project.
  • The Prevention Bureau will not inspect projects without released plans on-site and available for review by the LFO inspector.
• Plans will be stamped and returned via email or postal mail to the architect of record.
• A registered construction project placard will be provided and must be displayed along with any required permits in a conspicuous location on-site.

Inspections

Upon receipt of released plans and all applicable permits, construction may begin. The Fire Department of Liberty Township inspects construction projects independently of any other city, state, or federal required inspections. However, inspections are often conducted concurrently with other inspections whenever possible. The Prevention Bureau performs the following inspections:

• Rough-In Above Ceiling
• Pre-final (80% complete)
• Kitchen Hood Test
• Fire Alarm Acceptance Test
• Undergound/Above Ground Fire Protection
• Fire Sprinkler Acceptance Test
• Final Walk Through (100% complete)

When scheduling an inspection, the project manager or their designee should contact Hendricks County Planning & Building to request an inspection first if possible. After scheduling a county inspection, the project manager should then request a LFO inspection here or by calling 317-539-5060 not less than 48 hours prior to the requested inspection date. If the project manager is unable to schedule a county inspection, the county inspector is unavailable, or a county inspection has already been conducted or is not applicable to the project, an inspection request can be placed directly with the Prevention Bureau.

Special Considerations

The Fire Department of Liberty Township requires building owners and design professionals to consult directly with the Prevention Bureau on certain fire safety and fire protection design features. If applicable to the scope of the project, the following items must be discussed with the Prevention Bureau during the design phase:

• Location of fire department connection (FDC)
  • FDC’s must be located remotely from the building. Wall-mounted FDC’s are not permissible without a variance being granted prior to construction.
• FDC Specifications
  • FDC’s shall have a 5″ Storz connection with a locking KNOX FDC cap (more information available here).
• An FDC sign shall be provided when the FDC is not readily visible from the front of the building (more information available here).
• Fire hydrants shall be located within 40 ft. of the FDC. 
• Fire protection and fire alarm system acceptance testing documentation shall be provided to the Fire Department of Liberty Township at the final inspection.
• Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided and dead-end roads greater than 150 ft. shall be provided with a turnaround. 
  • See Appendix D (IFC) – Fire Apparatus Access Roads for more information or contact the Prevention Bureau.
• A KNOX fire department access key box shall be provided for any building equipped with an automatic fire sprinkler or fire alarm system. KNOX access is required by means of a KNOX box or switch located at any vehicle gates on the property. KNOX products can be ordered here. Please be sure Liberty Twp Fire Dept –Clayton, IN is selected as the servicing fire department. 
• A dedicated branch circuit shall be provided for fire alarm systems. The circuit shall be identified as the “Fire Alarm Circuit Control” and must be red in color (see example here).

Variances

The Fire Department of Liberty Township and the State of Indiana both recognize that the currently adopted codes may impose a financial or another hardship on the building owner. An owner wishing to apply for a variance must complete and submit an application with any supporting documents to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Additional information about variances can be found here. Please ensure that you select the proper local fire official (LFO) and local building official (LBO) when completing your application. A list of the LFO and LBO for each department can be found on the variance information page. The Prevention Services Division will receive a copy of your variance application and submit acknowledgment of its receipt to the State of Indiana. Building owners are encouraged to consult with the Prevention Bureau prior to submittal of a variance application. The Fire Department of Liberty Township will provide written comments to the State of Indiana in support or opposition to the variance.