Welcome to the Fire Prevention Division of Manchaca Fire Rescue / TCESD 5. Our goal is to assist you as best as we are able. On our website, you will find all the information you may need in regards to our District Fire Code, Required Permits, Plans Review, Inspections, Outdoor Burning and Knox Boxes. Our Prevention Division will help guide you through the sometimes difficult process of submitting plans for permitting, and preparing for inspections. Our ultimate goal is education and compliance, ensuring that the process is as easy as possible.
Fire Prevention
The Adopted Fire Code of Travis County ESD 5 / Manchaca Fire Rescue
The Travis County ESD 5 (TCESD5) Board of Commissioners has adopted the Fire Code of Travis County Emergency Services District 5 / Manchaca Fire Rescue, as published by the International Code Council, and based on the 2021 International Fire Code.
With the exception of outdoor burning and Knox‑keyed products, the permitting process does not apply to single, two, or three family residences within the District.
- Click here for the ordinance adopting the fire code.
- Click here for the ordinance adopting a fee schedule.
- Click here for the ordinance adopting fees for false fire alarms.
- Click here to view the Fire Code of Travis County Emergency Services District 5 / Manchaca Fire Rescue as published by the International Code Council.
- Click here to search your address to see if your property is in our District
Travis County also has an adopted fire code which is enforced through the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office. Properties within our District are subject to both the requirements of Travis County ESD 5 and the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office (TCFMO). Please contact the Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office at www.tcfmo.com for their requirements.
Plan Review and Submittals for Permits
All projects, with the exception of single, two, or three family dwellings, must submit plans for review and obtain permits prior to starting any new construction, remodeling, or tenant finish outs. Submittals for other construction and operational permits listed in Chapter 1 of the adopted fire code are also required.
Review IB 001 – Plan Submittal Requirements / Third Party Review to familiarize yourself with submittal requirements and the Third Party Review process. Then visit www.tcesd5permits.com to register and/or log in and submit your plans. If you have a login for the Travis County Fire Marshal’s submittal website, that same login works on our submittal website. We only accept PDF plans as per the instructions in IB 001. Plan review can take up to twenty business days but is typically done sooner.
All projects are required to comply with the State of Texas Architectural Barriers Act. Any project over \$50,000 in total cost must submit their plans to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and obtain a Project number prior to submitting plans to the Travis County ESD 5 (the actual cost or the cost calculated using the ICC published building valuation calculator will be used to determine project cost and whichever amount is greater will be the cost for this requirement). For information and the submittal process to TDLR, please visit https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ab/abfaq.htm#g5.
Inspections
All inspection requests shall be submitted at www.tcesd5permits.com. For the most part, all inspections are different. If you have a particular question concerning any type of inspection, please email our Prevention Division at crr@tcesd5.org and someone will get back with you shortly.
Important Information Bulletins
- IB 001 – Plan Submittal Requirements – Third Party Review
- IB 002 – 20 fire sprinkler heads or less
- IB 003 – Outdoor Burning Permit Process and Rules
- IB 004 – Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles and Sites
- IB 005 – Knox Keyed Products
To order any approved Knox product, please first review IB 005 – Knox Keyed Products, then, after obtaining the required Operational Permit pursuant to the instructions in the Information Bulletin, visit https://www.knoxbox.com/Products. Please select “Texas”, then in the box below type the words “Travis Co ESD #5 – Manchaca Fire/Rescue”. You will see the department populate; then select “Travis Co ESD #5 – Manchaca Fire/Rescue”.
Prior to ordering any Knox product, please contact the fire code official of the District by emailing crr@tcesd5.org to ensure it will meet the requirement specifications. It is a violation to order any Knox products using any other method other than the one described here.
Outdoor Burning
Please review IB 003 – Outdoor Burning Permit Process and Texas Rules for Outdoor Burning before applying for your permit and conducting your outdoor burn.
Outdoor burn permits are processed during normal business hours, Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are not processed on weekends or holidays. Please apply for your permit at least two business days in advance of when you plan to burn, as a site inspection is required prior to issuance of the one‑year permit. All outdoor burning in Texas is regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Violations are criminal offenses under the Texas Clean Air Act and Texas Water Code. Any fire larger than 3’ L × 2’ W × 2’ H is required to have a valid and approved burn permit issued by Travis County ESD 5 prior to burning. Effective October 1, 2025, burn permits will be valid for one year from the date of issuance, but a site inspection is required to obtain the permit.
Click here to obtain your FREE outdoor burn permit by registering and logging in at www.tcesd5permits.com or by scanning this QR code from your mobile device.
Outdoor burning permits must be activated each day before the burn commences. During a burn ban or on Red Flag days, the permit will automatically be placed on hold and you will not be able to activate your permit to conduct outdoor burning during that time. Outdoor burning may only occur between sunrise and sunset. Piles must be fully extinguished prior to sunset on the day of the burn. Outdoor burning must be constantly supervised by a competent person, age 17 or older, and a method to extinguish the fire must be readily available near the burn pile.
If you have any questions or need assistance, please email crr@tcesd5.org or call 512‑640‑8273. Our office hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Community Risk Reduction
What is Risk Reduction? Risk Reduction in the fire service, as defined by NFPA 1300, is “A process to identify and prioritize local risks, followed by the integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce their occurence and impact.” Manchaca Fire Rescue / TCESD 5 truly believes that helping prevent or mitigate the loss of life, property loss associated with life safety, fire, and other disasters within our community is PRIORITY 1. We are proud to be at the forefront of providing our constituents the resources to help mitigate and prevent these losses.
Fire Prevention Week
Charge into Fire Safety! This year’s Fire Prevention Week (FPW) campaign, October 5-11th, is Charge into Fire Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home. Our goal is to educate everyone about using these batteries safely. The campaign stresses how important it is to BUY, CHARGE, and RECYCLE safely when it comes to lithium-ion batteries. Visit www.fpw.org to access more information, safety tips, and educational resources for this important topic.
Prepare For and Recover From Disasters
Do you have a plan, and are you prepared for natural disasters such as flooding, wildfires, hail, extreme heat, winter storms, etc.? To empower you to prepare and recover from these types of disasters, visit https://flash.org/
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Install Program
Nearly 4,000 Americans die every year in residential fires. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms can provide your family with crucial early warning time to get out of your residence quickly before toxic fumes and gases accumulate to lethal levels. Working alarms can double your chance of surviving a fire or carbon monoxide leak in your home.
It is our goal that every residence and citizen in our District is protected by at least one smoke alarm and, if necessary, a carbon monoxide alarm. We aim to achieve this goal through our free Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm installation program. We will provide the alarms and installation at no charge to residents who reside in our District. If you are interested, please follow the Public Event Request process outlined below.
Warn Central Texas
The Capital Area Council of Governments and its partners are pleased to offer an emergency notification system to residents of Central Texas. Registering with WarnCentralTexas allows local officials to contact their communities by phone, email and text during times of disasters or public safety events. Every resident should sign up for this! Sign up today…please visit https://warncentraltexas.org/
Firewise Communities
Firewise Communities Firewise USA is a voluntary program that provides a framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community. Please email crr@tcesd5.org to learn more about the program!
Fire Adaptive Communities
The National Wildfire Coordinating Group defines a fire-adapted community as “A human community consisting of informed and prepared citizens collaboratively planning and taking action to coexist with wildland fire safely.” More fully, fire-adapted communities are knowledgeable, engaged communities where actions of residents and agencies in relation to infrastructure, buildings, landscaping and the surrounding ecosystem lessen the need for extensive protection actions and enable the communities to accept fire as part of the surrounding landscape safely. Because every community is unique, the steps and strategies they take to improve their wildfire resilience will vary from place to place. Please email us at crr@tcesd5.org today to learn more about the program!
Public Education
SPARKY the Fire Dog
Sparky the Fire Dog is a Dalmatian who has been the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) since 1951. He was conceived at the 1950 NFPA Annual Meeting in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the association announced that the Advertising Council had approved a national fire-prevention campaign to be launched in 1951, with NFPA as the sponsor. The new initiative needed a symbol, and it was a no-brainer. Inspired by the success of Smokey Bear, the burly bear of the U.S. Forest Service, NFPA decided to create a Dalmatian character, using the dog traditionally associated with the fire service. The rest, as they say, is history, as Sparky has become a national figure and a beloved advocate for fire safety.
Sparky teaches about fire safety, including escape routes and smoke alarms. Sparky features games, coloring pages, and has his own song. You can learn more about him, and kids can access online Sparky activities at www.Sparky.org
Sparky has fun resources for teachers available here at Sparky’s Schoolhouse: https://sparkyschoolhouse.org/
Interested in any of our programs or public training courses? Want Sparky to Visit your School or Event? Are you interested in a FREE residential home inspection or Structure Ignition Zone Evaluation?
To schedule any of these events and more, visit www.tcesd5permits.com and select the ‘Request a Public Education Event’ option. Register for a New Account if you haven’t logged in before/or log in. Select the type of event you are requesting and complete the required information. Our Risk Reduction Division personnel will respond to assist you with scheduling your request.
National Safety Council BLS and First Aid Courses
We teach the National Safety Council BLS and First Aid course, which includes CPR training. This training course is designed for anyone, including those with limited or no medical training. It provides the basics of first aid for common emergencies and teaches you how to recognize, act, and quickly control life-threatening bleeding, as well as perform other life-saving skills, including CPR. If interested, please follow the Public Event Request process listed above.
Fire Station Visits
We always welcome visitors to our fire station. If you would like to schedule a visit, please follow the Public Event Request process listed above.
Fire Extinguisher Training
Manchaca Fire Rescue provides on-site Fire Extinguisher Training for residential and commercial businesses. If interested, please follow the Public Event Request process listed above.
Residential Home Fire Inspections (Free and Voluntary)
Manchaca Fire Rescue provides “free” in-home residential fire inspections. If interested, please request an inspection at www.tcesd5permits.com. Select ‘Request an Initial Inspection,’ choose the ‘General Public’ option, and select the ‘Courtesy Inspection’ type. Please fill in the requested details and submit your request.
Incident Reports / Open Records
You may request a copy of a Fire Incident Report by emailing office@tcesd5.org