If the note says the building inspector is on the staff in your town or city, you should try to contact him/her there for further guidance. Otherwise, I would hire a chimney sweep who has expertise in fireplaces and, when he comes over to clean your chimney, ask him to explain what needs to be done.

I you haver just moved into this house, it's a good idea to have the chimney cleaned before using it, so you won't be spending money needlessly.

Another issue concerns whether the fireplace is a prefab or custom built. If a prefab, the manufacturer's name and model # should be visible somewhere. With that info in hand, phone the customer service 800 # and ask for guidance.

Good luck.