Fire Marshals are New York State peace officers charged with the enforcement of national, state and local fire prevention laws. Law enforcement training is provided through the Nassau and/or Suffolk County police and sheriff’s academies. The Fire Marshals are certified arson investigators by the state and national fire academies and also registered by the state as fire code enforcement officials. Fire Marshals maintain other required certifications in disciplines such as hazardous materials response and handling, safety officer, incident command and emergency management.
Fire Marshals conduct code compliance and safety inspections of commercial and municipal sites. Reports are provided to administrators and owners which list items in need of corrective action. Determinations are made if businesses are required to obtain any operating permits issued by the division. Fire Marshals respond to fire scenes to perform the investigation necessary to determine the nature of the origin and cause. While performing investigations, Fire Marshals work with the police arson squad, department of health and social service officials and other various agencies. They also respond to life safety incidents involving Town properties and personnel for documentation, mitigation and corrective action. Because the Town is host to one of the largest industrial parks in the country, there is concern also for hazardous material incidents. Daily, Fire Marshals gather information relative to the handling and use of such materials.
Through fire-safety education programs to a variety of audiences, we have found another vital tool for the prevention of fire, and to train people how to handle emergency situations. Audiences include health care workers, children, senior citizens, civic groups and persons who are physically challenged. Training sessions are also provided to Town employees in a variety of topics, including but not limited to; fire prevention, CPR, workplace hazard recognition, etc.
