(a) It shall be the duty of the Director to inspect, or cause to be inspected by fire service officers or members, all buildings and premises, except the interiors of private dwellings, as often as may be necessary for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or any violations of the provisions or intent of this chapter and of any other law affecting the fire hazard to determine the load occupant factor, and to insure compliance in all places of assembly with all laws, regulations and orders dealing with overcrowding, use of decorative materials, maintenance of exit ways, and maintenance of fire alarm and fire detecting systems and fire extinguishing systems and appliances.
(b) The Director shall inspect or cause to be inspected, as required by subsection (a) of this section, each hotel in the Virgin Islands not less than once each calendar year which inspection shall be conducted within 90 days preceding December 15. The Director shall certify that each hotel is in compliance with this chapter or assess penalties as provided for in section 610 of this title.
(c) The Director shall inspect or cause to be inspected, as required by subsection (a) of this section, each orphanage, home for the elderly, hospital, school, college, living center for the handicapped, penal institution, half-way house, youth center, dance hall, community center, church, office building, and enclosed area for public assembly not less than once in each calendar year. Any such structure not found in compliance with this chapter shall be assessed penalties as provided by section 610 of this title.
(d) The Director shall notify the owner or the lessee of a public building in writing of the building’s occupant load factor, and not later than 90 days after the notification, the owner or the lessee shall post signage at the entrance of the building and in other conspicuous places stating the occupant load capacity of the building. Failure of an owner or lessee to post the occupant load factor signs subjects the owner or lessee to the penalties provided for in section 610 of this title.
(e) As used in sections 603 and 605(c), “public building,” “places of public assembly,” and “enclosed areas for public assembly” mean any portion of any place in which the public is invited or permitted, regardless of whether that place is owned in whole or in part by, rented or leased by private persons, or entities, the Government of the Virgin Islands, agencies or instrumentalities of the Government of the Virgin Islands, regardless of whether a fee is charged for admission, to include, but is not limited to: the enclosed portions of restaurants and eat-in establishments; bars, taverns, clubs, lounges, and cabaret; resorts, guesthouses and inns; laundromats; malls, shopping centers, retail stores and service establishments; financial institutions; healthcare facilities; nursing homes; auditoriums; galleries; museums; arenas; theaters; bowling alleys; skating rinks and other indoor recreational facilities; hospices, and adult and child daycare facilities and other enclosed places of public assembly.
(f) The Director shall inspect or cause to be inspected, as required by subsection (a) of this section, every commercial establishment in the Virgin Islands. No commercial establishment shall receive a business license unless that commercial establishment is in possession of a current certificate of inspection. Any commercial establishment found in violation of this subsection shall also be subject to a fine of not more than $500.
(g) The Director shall impose a fee of $150 for each inspection performed under this section on commercial establishments provided that government facilities, educational facilities, youth centers, community centers, churches, non-profit centers for the handicapped, non-profit medical facilities, and non-profit organizations shall be exempt from the payment of a fee.
(h) All monies collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Fire Service Emergency Fund established pursuant to title 33, chapter 111, section 3032, Virgin Islands Code.