Fire Marshal’s Office

Responsibilities

Fire marshals are responsible for inspecting new and existing:

• Colleges
• Commercial properties
• Homes for foster care purposes (within the city limits)
• Residential daycare facilities
• Schools

Residential property inspections are available upon request. Forty-seven percent of businesses severely damaged or destroyed by fire go out of business within two years. The inspections process helps to identify and eliminate any potential fire hazards.

Inspection Process

The Fire Marshals Office inspects each commercial building on an annual basis. New facilities requesting inspections for certificate of occupancy must contact the permits department for request and scheduling of fire inspection. Buildings are inspected for standards required by the 2015 International Fire Codes adopted by the City of Marshall for items such as:

• Extinguishers and placements
• Extinguishing systems and sprinkler systems
• Emergency lighting
• Exterior fire hazards
• Proper exits
• Properly posted occupancy load signs
• Smoke detectors where required

Public Education

Our office partners with local stakeholders such as Lowe’s Home Improvement and Aaron’s Sales and Lease Ownership which, along with other businesses help to fund programs such as our smoke detector program and fire prevention material for elementary students during fire prevention week.

Fire/Arson Investigations

The Fire Marshal’s Office is responsible for investigating the origin and cause circumstances of every fire occurring within the city by which property has been destroyed or damaged. It is the responsibility of this office to determine whether a particular fire was accidental or intentional in nature. The fire marshal encourages citizens to report any information of actions that may be considered arson.