Kingsport fire marshal talks food truck safety, inspections

KINGSPORT — The start of warm weather also means the season of festivals and outdoor events is around the corner. Food trucks around the region are shaping up for part of their busiest time of year — which also means fire marshals are doing annual inspections to ensure the safety of these businesses. Kingsport Fire Marshal Chris Vandagriff said his office usually looks at 40 to 50 food trucks a year. He also said legislation within the past year has allowed food trucks to get inspected and permitted at a state level. Vandagriff said a fatal food truck explosion in Philadelphia on July 1, 2014, really shifted how food truck safety and inspections are handled. "I mean, if you look at them, they're pretty much a commercial kitchen on wheels, he said. "So anything to do with safety as far as your gas lines, the cooking appliances, to the suppression systems. There's a lot of fire safety crammed into a 30 by 6 box." He said propane is probably one of the biggest concerns when evaluating a food truck because the lines are constantly vibrating while the truck or trailer is traveling from one place to the next. The lines can loosen and create leaks. "The workers are inside and their senses are saturated with the cooking of the oils and the food, so they might not smell that leaking propane or leaking gas," Vandagriff added. Completing inspections According to Vandagriff, the gas lines have to be inspected by a third-party licensed contractor, but the Kingsport Fire Marshal's Office inspector looks at elements such as the suppression system, gas detector and fire extinguishers. "We require a combustible gas detector," Vandagriff said. "It will detect, if it's working properly, the lower flammability limit, which is what is the lowest point that that gas will ignite." He said the excitement behind food trucks really took off following the COVID-19 pandemic, but activity has plateaued since then. Vandagriff said food truck events still remain popular, with downtown Kingsport often populated with food trucks for routine events or activities. Permit to operate Vandagriff said first-time food trucks have to start by getting an operational permit. In the years following, they just have to renew their permits and get their annual inspection done. He said food trucks from all over will get their permit in Kingsport, with some taking up the temporary operational permit for events like Fun Fest. "Then we do allow a temporary permit, and it was geared more towards Fun Fest, because we've got trucks that come as far as from Texas," Vandagriff said. "So it's not advantageous for them to pay $150 [for a permit], so they can buy a three-day permit for $75." He recommended food truck operators reach out the jurisdiction they primarily operate in to get inspected ahead of the summertime, as well as learn what is necessary for each inspection. Food truck inspection checklists can vary depending on the location. "I would recommend, if they've got an event coming up, I'd reach out a couple of weeks in advance and go ahead and get that," Vandagriff said. "Because if they wait 'till the last minute, I know my inspector over food trucks. He usually inspects every Thursday, that's the day he sets aside for food truck inspections." For more information about the Kingsport Fire Marshal's Office or the food truck inspection program, visit https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/fire-department/fire-marshal/.