Office of the State Fire Marshal celebrates 100 Years of legacy and vision
One hundred years ago on May 23, 1923, the state legislature passed “An Act to Create the Office of the State Fire Marshal.”
The original act stated that the fire marshal should “safeguard life and property from fire and see that all laws and ordinances relating to tires and tire protection are enforced and that he should attend, it possible, all tires other than forest, brush or grain, which occur outside of incorporated cities and take charge and protect all property imperiled.”
“We are proud to celebrate 100 years of service to the people who live, work and play in California,” said Acting State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant. “We are honored to continue our vital role in protecting our communities for centuries to come.”
On June 5, 1995, the State of California Little Hoover Commission sent letters to Governor Pete Wilson, Senator Bill Lockyer/ President Pro Tempore, and Assemblyman Willie L. Brown/ Speaker of the Assembly, supporting the ‘Governor’s Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1995, which merged the Office of the California State Fire Marshal with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Today, the Office of the State Fire Marshal is responsible for the development of the building and fire code, developing, prioritizing and implementing strategies and projects that create wildfire prepared communities, providing plan review and fire and life safety inspections in state-owned buildings, specified state-occupied buildings and state institutions and administering licensing programs and performing engineering functions affecting consumer services and product evaluation, approval, and listing.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal also regulates the safety of intrastate hazardous liquid pipeline in California and is also responsible for establishing, developing, and delivering standardized training and education for the California fire service.
In its mission to protect life and property through the development and application of fire prevention engineering, education and enforcement, the Office of the State Fire Marshal provides support through a wide variety of fire safety responsibilities.