The Office of the State Fire Marshal employs skilled and dedicated law enforcement officers titled Deputy Fire Marshals. The deputy fire marshal is required to attend and successful complete a Delaware Police Academy as a condition of his/her hire. Once the deputy fire marshal completes the Police Academy, he/she is then required to attend the National Fire Academy for specialized training in determining the origin and cause of fires and explosions. The training period continues with a three-month long field-training requirement. The deputy fire marshal is teamed with an experienced field-training officer and the team initiates and completes official investigations, conducts arrests, testifies in court, and brings fire code violations into compliance. At the end of the successful three-month field training, the deputy fire marshal is certified to conduct investigations and code enforcement activities. The newly hired deputy fire marshal trains for over 1 year to achieve the knowledge, skills, and experience to represent the State Fire Marshal. Continuing education is constantly required as new technologies are discovered.

Deputy fire marshals are certified police officers by the Council on Police Training (COPT) making them police officers AND firefighters. The deputy fire marshal in Delaware is one of the very few occupations that are cross-trained in two disciplines: law enforcement and firefighting. Lastly, the deputy fire marshal is trained and certified in C.P.R. and carry semi-automatic defibulators to respond to the aid of persons in need. First aid is also covered by classes attended by the deputy fire marshal to perform in the field when needed.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal demands a professional and dedicated staff. Organized in 1954, the State Fire Marshal and deputy fire marshals have met and exceeded that demand.

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Deputy Fire Marshal I-V Job Description