The Virgin Islands Fire Service (VIFS) has announced that all individuals and entities holding an expired fire safety certificate of its intention to offer an amnesty period to facilitate coming into compliance, according to a press release Government House issued on Friday.
According to the release, while VIFS is not insensitive to the difficult economic times being experienced by some, Virgin Islands law provides that all fire safety inspection shall be renewed on an annual basis. When a licensee does not renew annually, that delinquent licensee is charged a percentage of the license fee as a late fee penalty for each month the certificate is not renewed. However, Virgin Islands law also provides the Director of the Fire Service the authority to use discretion in waiving or reducing penalties.
The inspection fee itself however is mandatory and cannot be waived or reduced.
Therefore, effective immediately, delinquent inspection certificates are given until Monday, August 31, 2015 to come into compliance with respect to renewing any safety certificates that are not current, according to the release. VIFS, in turn, shall provide a reduction on late penalty fees of 26% of the total owed by a delinquent licensee. This offer shall expire at the close of the business day on Monday, August 31, 2015. This amnesty offer is specific to late fee penalties for delinquent certificate renewal and is not applicable to those licensees who have not paid or are contesting the payment of a citation(s) and or fines issued by the VIFS for infractions of the law.
VIFS urged all individuals and/or entities that are operating a business in the territory without the proper fire inspection certificates to come into compliance with the law, which requires all individuals and/or entities doing business in the islands to procure a fire safety inspection certificate from VIFS prior to receiving or renewing a business license.
Failure to do so shall result in legal action being taken against you to the fullest extent of the law, the release stated.
For more information, contact VIFS on St. Thomas/St. John at (340) 774-7610 or on St. Croix at (340) 773-8050.
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