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Tampa Fire Officials To Check Repairs At Without Walls Church

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By BAIRD HELGESON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 17, 2008

TAMPA - Tampa fire inspectors plan to visit Without Walls International Church this afternoon to ensure fire alarms and sprinklers work properly in its sanctuary and administrative building, said Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade.

The city's code enforcement board gave the church until today to inspect the sprinklers and alarms and make roughly 20 repairs to the two buildings.

If the church has not completed required work, the city's code enforcement board will begin to levy daily fines of $100 per building until the repairs are made.

Fire officials didn't find violations severe enough to close the buildings.

Church staff declined repeated requests for comment.

Fire officials inspected the buildings in February and found several items that needed repair or replacement, including emergency lighting, exit signs and fire extinguishers. Fire officials also required the church to get the alarms and sprinklers inspected to ensure they work properly.

The 56,000-square-foot administration building was built in 1974. The sanctuary was built nine years earlier.

The findings were the latest setback to the embattled ministry, once recognized as one of the nation's fastest-growing churches.

In the past two years, founders Randy and Paula White announced they were getting a divorce, a U.S. Senate committee launched an inquiry into church spending, and the Evangelical Christian Credit Union began foreclosure proceedings against the church and its Lakeland branch.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668.

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