Fire Marshal Roles

The Fire Marshal's Role in Code Adoption & Enforcement

Code adoption and enforcement has been a traditional role for the Fire Marshal's Office. It provides the path of integration of the lessons learned from a fire investigation experience to the application of prevention measures for the future. Fire investigators uncover fire causes and factors that contribute to fire spread. Armed with this data, the specifics of necessary code revisions that will prevent continual occurrence of similar fire disasters become readily apparent. With code enforcement responsibilities at hand, the pertinent code revisions can be easily applied, providing swift counter measures to head off future occurrences.

The Fire Marshal's Role in Investigation & Fire Cause Determination

Fire cause determination is historically the responsibility of the Fire Marshal's Office. While opportunities to develop wide-ranging expertise are somewhat limited at the local level because of the limited number of incidents in most communities, county fire investigators, providing assistance to local departments, have greater opportunities to develop the wide-ranging skill and expertise necessary to produce accurate assessments, thus benefiting local governments as well as the state. The ability to analyze burn patterns and causal factors, the ability to evaluate factors contributing to fire spread, and knowledge of the science of fire investigation are some of the strengths the Fire Marshal's Office can bring to the assistance of local investigators.

The Fire Marshal's Role in the Insurance Industry

The Fire Marshal's Office serves as, in many ways, the loss prevention function of the insurance industry. An effective Fire Marshal's Office will positively impact fire loss statistics through sound building and fire codes as well as effective enforcement. In addition, thorough fire investigations will reduce the occurrence of intentionally set fires and contribute to the enactment of more effective building and fire codes.

The Fire Marshal's Role in Life Safety Inspections

The Fire Marshal's Office helps prevent fires from occurring by enforcing and educating the public on all laws and ordinances relative to fire safety. This is accomplished through conducting inspections, issuing permits, and communication with citizens relative to fire safety hazards.