It's a long road down the 'approval' path, but my experience is to get to know your fire marshal REALLY well FIRST!
Do your home work first, then request a meeting with him and walk the walk and talk the talk with him.
Our Fire department is really supportive because I put 'Life-safety' issues first on the priority list, and I regularly consult with them on related issues. Of course our state requires sprinklers, so that does squash a LOT of apprehension right out of the box.





