Fire Protection Inspectorate continues extraordinary inspections of nightclubs, casinos, discotheques...

(Patria) - The Fire Protection Inspectorate of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton conducted 715 inspections last year, including 48 facilities engaged in catering and sports halls. These activities continued in 2025, and inspectors are carrying out targeted extraordinary inspections of fire protection measures in public buildings (discotheques, nightclubs, bars, halls, theatres, and similar) with the aim of prevention and timely elimination of any irregularities that could result in undesirable events.

According to the Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, Admir Katica, such regular and extraordinary inspections are carried out continuously, and the results of the Inspectorate's work were presented last month at the annual press conference. It is particularly significant that, in addition to all other tasks, this Inspectorate last year also conducted extraordinary checks of 76 gas stations to detect any gas leaks and to check for any deficiencies in underground and above-ground tanks.

"The Fire Protection Inspectorate carries out very intensive controls throughout the year in the Sarajevo Canton area, and this is a continuation of those activities. The tragedy that struck North Macedonia should further encourage all owners or managers of facilities where public gatherings are organized to additionally check their installations and align their operations with the current legal regulations in this area. Our goal is not to punish and issue misdemeanor orders, but to act preventively; however, facility owners must be aware of the responsibility they bear and comply with legal regulations," stated Minister Katica.

The Chief Cantonal Inspector, Sabina Bukva, explained the most common irregularities identified during inspections.

"During inspections, the most frequently identified irregularities relate to the failure to implement fire protection measures through the adoption of normative acts, the lack of installation of active fire protection systems, irregular maintenance of installations and equipment according to technical norms and standards, failure to divide the facility into fire sectors, lack of a fire escape staircase and a sufficient number of exits from the facility, as well as failure to organize training and knowledge checks for workers in the field of fire protection," explained Chief Inspector Bukva.

The Law on Fire Protection and Firefighting prescribes fines ranging from 3,000 to 15,000 BAM for failure to implement fire protection measures, and fines ranging from 600 to 2,500 BAM for responsible persons. During 2024, the fire protection inspection issued 68 misdemeanor orders for committed violations.

Fire protection inspectors of the Inspectorate for Fire Protection, Security Agencies and Internal Security Services, Registers and Civil Registry of the MUP of Sarajevo Canton carry out controls of public facilities in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Fire Protection and Firefighting, the Rulebook on Fire Protection of Buildings for Public Use, and the Rulebook on Fire Protection of High-rise Buildings.