What is the Fire Marshal's role on an incident?

• A. Investigate origin and cause, enforce fire code compliance, and coordinate safety investigations
• B. Direct fire suppression operations
• C. Provide EMS
• D. Maintain equipment

Answer: (A)

On an incident, the Fire Marshal’s role centers on determining where and how the fire started, enforcing fire-code compliance, and coordinating safety investigations. This means examining the scene to identify the origin and cause, collecting evidence, and communicating findings to help prevent recurrence and to determine if codes or safety standards were violated. They may work with other agencies as needed to tie the investigation together and address safety concerns at the scene. This is different from firefighting operations, which are led by the incident commander and suppression teams; providing EMS is a medical response function; and maintaining equipment falls under maintenance or logistics.