Section 3737.22. Fire marshal - powers and duties

(A) The fire marshal shall do all of the following:

(1) Adopt the state fire code under sections 3737.82 to 3737.86 of the Revised Code;

(2) Enforce the state fire code;

(3) Appoint assistant fire marshals who are authorized to enforce the state fire code;

(4) Conduct investigations into the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires and explosions, and assist in the prosecution of persons believed to be guilty of arson or a similar crime;

(5) Compile statistics concerning loss due to fire and explosion as the fire marshal considers necessary, and consider the compatibility of the fire marshal's system of compilation with the systems of other state and federal agencies and fire marshals of other states;

(6) Engage in research on the cause and prevention of losses due to fire and explosion;

(7) Engage in public education and informational activities which will inform the public of fire safety information;

(8) Operate a fire training academy and forensic laboratory;

(9) Conduct other fire safety and fire fighting training activities for the public and groups as will further the cause of fire safety;

(10) Conduct licensing examinations, and issue permits, licenses, and certificates, as authorized by the Revised Code;

(11) Conduct tests of fire protection systems and devices, and fire fighting equipment to determine compliance with the state fire code, unless a building is insured against the hazard of fire, in which case such tests may be performed by the company insuring the building;

(12) Establish and collect fees for conducting licensing examinations and for issuing permits, licenses, and certificates;

(13) Make available for the prosecuting attorney and an assistant prosecuting attorney from each county of this state, in accordance with section 3737.331 of the Revised Code, a seminar program, attendance at which is optional, that is designed to provide current information, data, training, and techniques relative to the prosecution of arson cases;

(14) Administer and enforce Chapter 3743. of the Revised Code;

(15) Develop a uniform standard for the reporting of information required to be filed under division (E)(4) of section 2921.22 of the Revised Code, and accept the reports of the information when they are filed.

(B) The fire marshal shall appoint a chief deputy fire marshal, and shall employ professional and clerical assistants as the fire marshal considers necessary. The chief deputy shall be a competent former or current member of a fire agency and possess five years of recent, progressively more responsible experience in fire inspection, fire code enforcement, and fire code management. The chief deputy, with the approval of the director of commerce, shall temporarily assume the duties of the fire marshal when the fire marshal is absent or temporarily unable to carry out the duties of the office. When there is a vacancy in the office of fire marshal, the chief deputy, with the approval of the director of commerce, shall temporarily assume the duties of the fire marshal until a new fire marshal is appointed under section 3737.21 of the Revised Code.

All employees, other than the fire marshal; the chief deputy fire marshal; the superintendent of the Ohio fire academy; the grants administrator; the fiscal officer; the executive secretary to the fire marshal; legal counsel; the pyrotechnics administrator, the chief of the forensic laboratory; the person appointed by the fire marshal to serve as administrator over functions concerning testing, license examinations, and the issuance of permits and certificates; and the chiefs of the bureaus of fire prevention, of fire and explosion investigation, of code enforcement, and of underground storage tanks shall be in the classified civil service. The fire marshal shall authorize the chief deputy and other employees under the fire marshal's supervision to exercise powers granted to the fire marshal by law as may be necessary to carry out the duties of the fire marshal's office.

(C) The fire marshal shall create, in and as a part of the office of fire marshal, a fire and explosion investigation bureau consisting of a chief of the bureau and additional assistant fire marshals as the fire marshal determines necessary for the efficient administration of the bureau. The chief shall be experienced in the investigation of the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires, and in administration, including the supervision of subordinates. The chief, among other duties delegated to the chief by the fire marshal, shall be responsible, under the direction of the fire marshal, for the investigation of the cause, origin, and circumstances of fires and explosions in the state, and for assistance in the prosecution of persons believed to be guilty of arson or a similar crime.

(D)

(1) The fire marshal shall create, as part of the office of fire marshal, a bureau of code enforcement consisting of a chief of the bureau and additional assistant fire marshals as the fire marshal determines necessary for the efficient administration of the bureau. The chief shall be qualified, by education or experience, in fire inspection, fire code development, fire code enforcement, or any other similar field determined by the fire marshal, and in administration, including the supervision of subordinates. The chief is responsible, under the direction of the fire marshal, for fire inspection, fire code development, fire code enforcement, and any other duties delegated to the chief by the fire marshal.

(2) The fire marshal, the chief deputy fire marshal, the chief of the bureau of code enforcement, or any assistant fire marshal under the direction of the fire marshal, the chief deputy fire marshal, or the chief of the bureau of code enforcement may cause to be conducted the inspection of all buildings, structures, and other places, the condition of which may be dangerous from a fire safety standpoint to life or property, or to property adjacent to the buildings, structures, or other places.

(E) The fire marshal shall create, as a part of the office of fire marshal, a bureau of fire prevention consisting of a chief of the bureau and additional assistant fire marshals as the fire marshal determines necessary for the efficient administration of the bureau. The chief shall be qualified, by education or experience, to promote programs for rural and urban fire prevention and protection. The chief, among other duties delegated to the chief by the fire marshal, is responsible, under the direction of the fire marshal, for the promotion of rural and urban fire prevention and protection through public information and education programs.

(F) The fire marshal shall cooperate with the director of job and family services when the director adopts rules under section 5104.052 of the Revised Code regarding fire prevention and fire safety in licensed type B family day-care homes, as defined in section 5104.01 of the Revised Code, recommend procedures for inspecting type B homes to determine whether they are in compliance with those rules, and provide training and technical assistance to the director and county directors of job and family services on the procedures for determining compliance with those rules.

(G) The fire marshal, upon request of a provider of child care in a type B home that is not licensed by the director of job and family services, as a precondition of approval by the state board of education under section 3313.813 of the Revised Code for receipt of United States department of agriculture child and adult care food program funds established under the "National School Lunch Act," 60 Stat. 230 (1946), 42 U.S.C. 1751, as amended, shall inspect the type B home to determine compliance with rules adopted under section 5104.052 of the Revised Code regarding fire prevention and fire safety in licensed type B homes. In municipal corporations and in townships where there is a certified fire safety inspector, the inspections shall be made by that inspector under the supervision of the fire marshal, according to rules adopted under section 5104.052 of the Revised Code. In townships outside municipal corporations where there is no certified fire safety inspector, inspections shall be made by the fire marshal.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.128, SB 316, §120.01, eff. 1/1/2014.

Effective Date: 03-19-2003; 05-18-2005