PARIS — Fire Chief Brad Frost plans to begin inspecting apartments in town for safety violations.

He said the inspections of Section 8 housing last year prompted him to think further about the conditions of local rental units.

“If everyone’s happy about Section 8 being cleaned up,” Frost said, “then why shouldn’t we clean up some of the apartments we have in our own town? Everyone deserves a safe place to live.”

Frost, along with the Advertiser-Democrat, has been cited as instrumental in launching state and federal investigations into the condition of apartments receiving Section 8 funding in the area. An investigation by the Housing and Urban Development Inspector General found that 87 percent of units inspected had the potential to put residents at risk.

At Monday’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen, which Frost couldn’t attend, the board voted to give Frost a letter thanking him for his service to the community.

But Frost isn’t done. He plans to inspect rental properties annually, a power Maine law already grants him. State law says municipal fire chiefs can act as fire inspectors, and have the authority to enter buildings to check for fire safety violations, and fine the owners at least $5 per day that the problems aren’t remedied.

Safety violations can include not having smoke detectors, lack of an emergency exit and dangerous electrical wiring.

Frost said Wednesday he’s still waiting for a response from Code Enforcement Officer Gerald Samson, but he expects to inspect about three apartments per week.

Frost said he wants to speak to selectmen about the plan before proceeding. “I want to make sure the town’s behind me, and I believe they are.”

He said anyone who has carried out a child who has succumbed to smoke inhalation understands the need for strict safety standards in rental apartments.

At Monday’s meeting of the selectmen, Norway Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman of Paris told the board she’s interested in seeing the plan go forward. “Whatever the chief recommends, I’d like to be able to help him in any way I can,” she said.

Selectman Gerald Kilgore expressed doubts, concerned that some people couldn’t afford to upgrade their properties. Board Vice Chairman Robert Kirchherr said Frost’s authority extended only to properties with at least three units. “This is not for individual homeowners,” he said.

“One thing leads to another, though,” Kilgore said.

Frost said Wednesday that he’d like to join Norway in inspecting apartments, since both towns have many of the same landlords. Now, he’s contacting fire chiefs in other communities to see how they’re handling inspections and safety violations.

He said he plans to speak to selectmen at a future meeting, and said a time in implementing a plan depends on whether the town lets him proceed with inspections or creates an ordinance, which would have to be approved next June.

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