By Doug Nelson, State Fire Marshal
October was a learning experience for the State Fire Marshals Office. After seeing some of the most devastating wildfires our State has seen in recent memory, it is important to evaluate our level of preparedness. Equally important is to plan for a future that seems to have more challenges coming for the fire service in North Dakota. Between total fire incidents continuing to climb, more extreme and frequent droughts and emerging technologies, there is no question the fire service needs to be gearing up to deal with these challenges.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office did respond to the wildfires within our capacity as fire investigators. Our office was requested to assist with approximately 6 of the wildfires. Our deputies worked with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, as well as the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, to ensure that any fire we were assigned was approached with all resources possible. We have completed two of the fire investigation reports so far and are hoping to have the other reports out shortly.
I was able to travel to the International Code Council Annual General Meeting. It was at these meetings that I learned that a compromise to the single exit stairwell issue was submitted and passed the committee. The second round of committee action hearings for the 2027 Edition of the International Fire Code was heard at this meeting. The next time that this issue will be before the membership will be during the public comment process and for the online governmental consensus vote. The State Fire Marshal’s Office does maintain voting members and plans to vote in the upcoming cycle.
Lastly, I do want to share some updates from our dedicated staff. Our deputy fire marshals and community risk reduction leader work hard to provide the highest quality and most up-to-date information and practices. It is with this in mind that I share our most recent accomplishments. In the last two months, our office added one new Certified Fire Marshal, two Certified Fire Investigators, one Fire Inspector II, two Fire Investigation Technicians, and one certified evidence technician. We continue to work towards our goals and develop ourselves as positive resources for the State.