For the same job role in the UK, see Fire Safety InspectorIn the United Kingdom a Fire Safety Inspector is a public Law Enforcement Officer employed by a Local Authority Fire Service responsible for enforcing fire safety legislation within Commercial Premises, and most dwellings such as Residential Care Homes, Houses in Multiple Occupation, Hostels,...
.
A
fire marshal, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include
fire codeFire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
enforcement and/or investigating fires for origin and cause. Fire marshals may be sworn law-enforcement officers and are often experienced
firefighterFirefighters, or firemen, are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s.
A fire marshal's duties vary by location.
For the same job role in the UK, see Fire Safety InspectorIn the United Kingdom a Fire Safety Inspector is a public Law Enforcement Officer employed by a Local Authority Fire Service responsible for enforcing fire safety legislation within Commercial Premises, and most dwellings such as Residential Care Homes, Houses in Multiple Occupation, Hostels,...
.
A
fire marshal, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include
fire codeFire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
enforcement and/or investigating fires for origin and cause. Fire marshals may be sworn law-enforcement officers and are often experienced
firefighterFirefighters, or firemen, are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car accidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s.
A fire marshal's duties vary by location. Fire marshals may carry a
weaponA firearm is a device which projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined burning of a propellant. This process of rapid burning is technically known as deflagration...
, wear a
badgeA badge is a device, patch, or accoutrement which is presented or displayed to indicate some feat of service, a special accomplishment, a symbol of authority granted by taking an oath , a sign of legitimate employment or student status, or as a simple means of identification...
, and make arrests pertaining to
arsonArson is the crime of deliberately and maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires caused by lightning for example. The study of the causes is the subject of fire investigation...
and related offenses, or, in other localities, may have duties entirely separate from law enforcement, including building- and fire-code-related inspections. In many states and provinces, the fire marshal is responsible for enforcing laws concerning flammable materials.
Ontario
Ontario Fire Marshals provide advisory services to local fire departments and assist in code writing and enforcement.
California Fire Marshal
Like most states, Californian Fire marshals are typically associated with a city or region's local fire department. Yet, California has two additional authorities that hold the official designations of Fire Marshal. One is the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). It is tasked with the building code enforcement of all structures and occupancies within the state. They have the authority to issue building permits, conduct building inspections and investigate code violations. California Fire marshals are designated peace officers.
The second authority designated as Fire Marshals is the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) who is the state building official for all California Hospitals. They are tasked with the structural, electrical and fire/life safety reliability of all hospital construction in the state. This responsibility is paramount in California, due to the frequency and intensity of earthquake seismic activity it experiences.
New York City Fire Marshals
New York City's Bureau of Fire Investigation, a division of the
FDNYThe New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response to...
, currently deploys about 100 fire marshals and 40 supervising fire marshals. The position of fire marshal is a promotional civil service title and all officers have served several years as active firefighters. Unlike many other jurisdictions, the New York marshals are armed police officers with full powers of arrest who generally work in pairs and investigate serious fires. Marshals undergo comprehensive police training to include annual weapons qualification at Camp Smith for all officers with all firearms available to the NYPD, including shotguns and sub machine guns. Often, investigations are conducted in cooperation with the New York Police Department, with whom they have a close relationship. Many fire marshals are former NYPD officers. In a typical year they are assigned about 4,000 fires within the five
boroughNew York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is segmented into five boroughs. A borough is a unique form of government that administers the five fundamental constituent parts of the consolidated city...
s of the city. New York Fire Marshals often receive special training at the FBI academy in
Quantico, VirginiaQuantico, Virginia is a town in Prince William County, located in Washington Metropolitan Area. It is totally surrounded by Marine Corps Base Quantico on three sides and the Potomac River on the fourth. Quantico is located south of the mouth of Quantico Creek on the Potomac. As of the 2000 census,...
, as well as attending investigative classes conducted by the NYPD. Marshals also are now attending federal explosives training classes sponsored by the federal government in
Socorro, New MexicoSocorro is a city in Socorro County in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It stands in the Rio Grande Valley, at an elevation of 4579 feet . The population was 8,879 at the 2000 census...
. Under New York State Consolidated Laws Article 35.00 section 35.20 "deadly physical force may be used in order to terminate or prevent commission of arson."
The city's first fire marshal, George H. Sheldon, was appointed in 1873, eight years after the reorganization of the fire department into a career department in 1865.
Robert O. LoweryRobert Oliver Lowery was sworn in as the 21st Fire Commissioner of the City of New York by Mayor John V. Lindsay on January 1, 1966 and served in that position until his resignation on September 29, 1973.Lowery was appointed as a fireman in 1941...
became the first African-American fire marshal in 1946. Lowery would ultimately rise to the top of the department, being appointed the city's fire commissioner in 1965.
Fire marshals have conducted a number of significant investigations, including the
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fireThe Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City on March 25, 1911, was one of the largest industrial disasters in the history of the city of New York, causing the death of 146 garment workers who either died from the fire or jumped to their deaths. It was the worst workplace disaster in New...
of 1911. They investigate insurance fraud involving arson, and more recently, potential terrorism. They also function as expert witnesses in arson cases. At times New York fire marshals work undercover and conduct surveillance operations. They also coordinate with federal, state and local law enforcement because arsonists are frequently involved in other criminal activity as well, and some investigations, like the 1993 bombing of the
World Trade CenterThe World Trade Center was a complex in Lower Manhattan in New York City whose seven buildings were destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 terrorist attacks...
, require multiple agencies' skills.
No fire marshal had ever died in the line of duty until
September 11, 2001The September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners...
when Marshals
Ronald Paul BuccaRonald Paul Bucca is the only Fire Marshal in the history of the New York City Fire Department to ever be killed in the line of duty.Bucca was a 22-year veteran of the department; he was promoted to Fire Marshal in 1992...
and James Devery, disregarding danger, rushed into the
World Trade CenterThe World Trade Center was a complex in Lower Manhattan in New York City whose seven buildings were destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 terrorist attacks...
to assist in the rescue of fire victims. Devery led a wounded woman to safety, but Bucca, badge 317, a decorated Vietnam combat war veteran, died on the 78th floor of the south tower, one floor below the aircraft impact. The pair had worked on the 1993 investigation at the same site.
Professional training outside the state at the
FBI AcademyThe FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training grounds for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres of woodland. It is a relatively small government academy, housing three dormitory buildings and...
at Quantico, Virginia and other locations for New York City Marshals was made possible through federal counter-terror grants, subsequent to 9/11, actively supported by Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
New York State Executive Law, article 6c, sec 159, created an arson control board that mandated every jurisdiction prepare an arson control plan and a strong coordinated arson control program to include certification of investigators in compliance with NFPA 921 and UFPA 1033. A state standard of level I and level II fire investigator certification was developed. New York City Fire Marshal's training exceeds the requirements of level II.
Washington Fire Marshals
The Washington State Fire Marshal's Office is a Bureau within the
Washington State PatrolThe Washington State Patrol is the state police agency for the State of Washington. The first six motorcycle patrolmen of the Highway Patrol were commissioned September 1, 1921. The agency was renamed to Washington State Patrol in June 1933. In 1925 William Cole was appointed as the first...
. The Office of the State Fire Marshal provides services including incident reporting, data collection, code review, construction plan fire safety, fireworks and supervision of sprinkler installation.
United Kingdom
The American definition of a fire marshal should not be confused with that used in the United Kingdom. Fire marshals (sometimes known as "fire wardens") are civilians trained to assist in fire evacuation procedures at businesses and other organizations, usually employees.
There is no direct equivalent to a US fire marshal in the United Kingdom. The enforcement and Investigation role are carried out by two separate professionals known as Fire Investigators and Fire Inspectors.
Fire Investigators are highly trained and experienced firefighters or fire officers, who investigate cases of arson and other fire incidents where the cause of the fire is unclear or disputed. Fire investigations can also be carried out by Police Scenes of Crime Officers. Fire Investigators do not fulfill a direct law enforcement role, but instead act as expert witnesses in any prosecutions brought forward by the Police or Fire Service.
The enforcement of fire safety legislation is undertaken by Fire Safety Inspectors, or
Fire Safety OfficerIn the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service a Fire Safety Officer is a firefighter who has attained the rank of Sub-Officer or above, and transferred from front line operational service into the Fire Safety Department.The term "Fire Officer" may also refer to a Fire Safety Inspector who is of...
s as they are sometimes known.
UK Fire Officers do not have powers of arrests, but can place subjects under caution and prosecute anyone who has failed to comply with fire safety law. They also have the authority to close unsafe premises and investigate any actual perceived fire safety offence. They have substantial powers of entry. Most Fire Inspectors are experienced firefighters / fire officers, but there are also several civilian fire inspectors.