City renews contract for fire inspections of homes and shops.

You might not expect to see such warm smiles and handshakes between the inspector and the inspected.

But Tom Clune has learned that Fire Inspector Cindy Klugiewcz is here to help rather than harass.

“She’s a nice lady,” said Clune, the owner of B.I.Cycle, as Klugiewicz arranged her inspection forms. “She uses the ‘honey vs. vinegar’ approach.”

Klugiewicz laughed, repeating how another business owner characterized her approach: “He said I had an iron fist in a silk glove.”

So far, honey and silk have never had to make way for vinegar and iron. In the six years she’s inspected thousands of Bainbridge homes, businesses and industrial sites, Klugiewicz has never had to issue a fine for violating city fire code.

“That speaks well of the island,” she said. “Everyone has voluntarily complied. That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Klugiewicz was hired as the Bainbridge Island Fire Department’s full-time fire inspector last year. Since 2006, she has conducted 1,200 inspections in about 700 buildings. She checks sprinkler systems, alarms, smoke detectors, hand-held extinguishers and searches for general hazards, such as blocked exists or improper wiring.

After prescribing an easy fix to a leaky extinguisher, Klugiewicz gave Clune a clean sheet.

“The numbers of violations my first year on the job were huge,” she said. “People didn’t know what to expect and were probably uneasy when they saw me coming in.”

Common problems in Winslow businesses included merchandise or equipment stacked in front of sprinklers, or holes in shared walls that can spread fires between neighboring stores.

Now, typical violations include burned-out exit lights or too many electrical cords sharing a single outlet.

The island didn’t always pay such close attention to fire hazards – until the Kona Apartments fire of 1997. The three-alarm blaze at a Bremerton complex killed four elderly residents, left 150 people homeless and caused nearly $8 million in property damage.

It also sparked change in the way many jurisdictions take precautions to prevent fires.

A county-wide assessment of fire dangers led the City of Bainbridge Island to pass an ordinance requiring stronger fire warning systems and inspections of all multi-unit residences.

Klugiewicz, a firefighter in Seattle for 12 years, was brought in to assist the department with inspections on a contract basis in 2001. But her role grew each year, with commercial properties added to her rounds in 2004.

The city, which is tasked with the responsibility of enforcing fire code, began chipping in to pay for half of the $70,000 position last year. The City Council this week voted to renew the city’s contract with the fire department, providing 50 percent of Klugiewicz pay for 2007.

The department had asked the city to fully fund the position this year, but the council declined, citing no change in services provided by the inspector.

Fire Marshal Jared Moravec was disappointed the city decided not to cover the full price of enforcing its own fire code, but added that it’s also in his department’s interest to prevent fires through regular inspections.

Avoiding fires keeps residents, property and, ultimately, firefighters safer, Moravec said. Having an inspector on-duty also boosts the island’s fire district insurance rating, which means lower premiums for island homeowners.

Fighting fires long before they happen is especially important on Bainbridge, said Klugiewicz.

“I was really spoiled when I worked in Seattle because there were hydrants everywhere,” she said. “But here, almost half the island has no hydrants. It’s different on Bainbridge than it is in the city.

“We have to look out for ourselves and each other.”

Klugiewicz sees her role in the fire department as the “proactive part” of a largely reactive service.

“It makes more sense to prevent fires in the first place,” she said. “And inspections are the best way to do that.”