A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include fire code enforcement or investigating fires for origin and cause. Fire marshals may be sworn law enforcement officers and are often experienced firefighters. In larger cities with substantially developed fire departments, the local fire departments are sometimes delegated some of the duties of the fire marshal.
A fire marshal's duties vary by location. Fire marshals may carry a weapon, wear a badge, wear a uniform or plain clothes, can drive marked or unmarked cars, and make arrests pertaining to arson and related offenses, or, in other localities, may have duties entirely separate from law enforcement, including building- and fire-code-related inspections. In many areas, the fire marshal is responsible for enforcing laws concerning flammable materials.
Canada
Ontario Fire Marshal In Ontario, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), part of the Ministry of the Solicitor General (Ontario), provides support to municipal fire departments, sets training requirements for firefighters, and advises the government on legislation. The Fire Marshal is responsible for investigating the origins of fires.
The office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) in Ontario is responsible for providing leadership in fire safety and reducing the impact of fire and related hazards on people, property, and the environment. The office administers key legislation, including the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and the Fire Code, along with regulations related to firefighter certification, inspections, fire drills, and community risk assessments. It also supports enforcement of these laws, conducts fire investigations, maintains fire data, and provides training and certification for fire service personnel.
The Fire Marshal, along with Deputy Fire Marshals, is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and serves as the primary advisor to the government of fire protection and public safety issues. The Fire Marshal has authority to monitor and evaluate municipal fire protection services, provide recommendations to improve their effectiveness, and issue guidance or directives related to fire protection practices. The role also includes advising government agencies, supporting coordination between organizations, and promoting consistent fire safety practices across the province.
In addition to advisory and oversight responsibilities, the Fire Marshal is tasked with investigating the origin and cause of fires and explosions, developing and delivering training programs, and maintaining comprehensive fire statistics and records. The office also operates a central fire college and conducts research related to fire protection services. Public education is another key function, with information shared through various methods to promote fire safety awareness. Fire chiefs and other designated officials act as assistants to the Fire Marshal and are required to report fire related information, ensuring coordination and communication across Ontario's fire protection system.
United States
Arizona fire marshals
In Arizona, fire marshals are employed at the municipal, county, and state levels of government, and possess law enforcement powers where they relate to arson investigation. At the state level, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM) is led by the State Fire Marshal and employs paid deputy fire marshals and unpaid assistant fire inspectors. Deputy Fire Marshals are full time employees of the SFM, while assistant fire inspectors are appointed from local Fire chiefs or those recommended by them. Both deputies and inspectors attend fire inspector training, have fire prevention and fire protection and possess law enforcement powers where they relate to their duties. Duties of fire marshals in Arizona include:
Assisting in the enforcement of state, county, and local fire laws Investigating the causes, origins, and circumstances of fires, including those suspected of arson Collecting evidence Operating a fire safety inspection program for public buildings and schools Inspecting residential complexes Maintaining and propagating fire-related laws Operating an arson detection reward fund Providing and coordinating firefighting and fire protection trainingArizona Revised Statutes Title 37 Chapter 9 Article 4
California fire marshals
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 (CAL FIRE).California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 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.California Fire marshals The person heading this office is officially designated as the State Fire Marshal.California Office of the State Fire Marshal
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.
Florida Fire Marshal
The Florida Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) is located within the Department of Financial Services, where the Chief Financial Officer of Florida (CFO) also serves as Florida's State Fire Marshal.
The SFM office serves local fire departments who request assistance with conducting fire investigations and provides fire training colleges throughout the state. It is headquartered in Tallahassee, with numerous field offices located across the state.
The investigators working for the SFM office are sworn law enforcement officers, with powers to make arrests, conduct searches and seizures, serve summonses, and carry firearms. These law enforcement officers conduct complex investigations and have the ability to make arrests statewide. Investigators conduct thousands of fire-related investigations each year, with approximately 45% being determined to be arson in 2009. Florida SFM investigators make arrest in 18% of the arson fires investigated, which is above the national average of 16%. Fire investigations are complex and potentially dangerous.Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations
The Florida SFM Forensic Laboratory receives and examines over 10,000 evidence submissions every year. These submissions come from fire departments, police departments, Sheriff's offices and SFM investigators. The crime laboratory offers a wide variety of services to include examination of fire debris, explosives analysis, image reproduction and forensic video analysis. The forensic experts in the laboratory conduct consultations with investigators, prosecutors, and other attorneys on analyses and general aspects of forensic science. These consultations are often in preparation for expert witness testimony in criminal court.Bureau of Forensic Fire and Explosive Analysis
The Florida SFM office issues over 3,000 basic firefighter certifications every year. There are thirty-five certified training centers located across the state and the Florida State Fire College. The State Fire College trains over six thousand students per year in a wide variety of certification and professional development programs to include Pump Operator, Fire Officer, Fire Investigator, HAZMAT, etc.Bureau of Fire Standards and Training
The Florida SFM is responsible for inspecting over 14,000 state-owned buildings every year. SFM code enforcement and inspection activities also reach over 16,000 public and private buildings; to include prisons, universities, public schools, thousands of fuel-fired boiler systems, hundreds of construction mining sites and explosive storage locations each year.Bureau of Fire Prevention
The Florida Fire Incident Reporting Section collects over 1,800,000 fire and emergency reports per year. These local fire department and fire service reports are combined with the other states reports in the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for use by the fire services in analysis and trends. The Florida reports are also used to form the basis for the SFM Annual Report "Florida Fires".Fire and Emergency Incident Reporting Section
The SFM has authority to implement rules that conform to the standards of fire safety and the need to protect Floridians from fire hazards. Additionally, the SFM shall adopt and administer rules prescribing standards for the safety and health of occupants of educational and ancillary facilities pursuant to ss. 633.022, 1013.12, 1013.37, and 1013.371.
In any county that does not employ or appoint a local fire official, the State Fire Marshal shall assume the duties of the local fire official with respect to fire safety inspections of educational property required under s. 1013.12(2)(b), and the State Fire Marshal may take necessary corrective action as authorized under s. 1013.12(5).
New York City Fire Marshals
New York City's Bureau of Fire Investigation, a division of the FDNY, currently employs about 140 Fire Marshals, 30 Supervising Fire Marshals (equal in rank to Captain) as well as several Commanders (equal in rank to Deputy Chief), an Assistant Chief Fire Marshal and a Chief Fire Marshal. 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 City fire marshals are armed police officers with full powers of arrest who generally work in pairs and investigate serious fires with the New York City Police Department. New York City Fire Marshals undergo comprehensive police training to include annual weapons qualification at Camp Smith. Investigations are conducted in cooperation with the New York City Police Department, with whom they have a close relationship. In a typical year they are assigned about 4,000 fires within the five boroughs of the city. New York Fire Marshals often receive special training at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia, as well as attending investigative classes conducted by the NYPD and explosives training classes sponsored by the federal government in Socorro, New Mexico. 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. Lowery 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 fire 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 Center, require multiple agencies' skills.