Fire Marshal

Mission

The mission of the Danbury Fire Marshal’s Office is to safeguard the people, property and environment of the City of Danbury from the threat of fire, explosion, hazardous conditions, and non-compliant construction. This mission is accomplished through a comprehensive, multi-phased fire prevention strategy which includes; public education, code compliance, inspections, plan review, and investigation of all fire and explosions within the City of Danbury.  

About Us

The Office of the Fire Marshal is lead by the Fire Marshal and staffed with six state certified Deputy Marshals. The Fire Marshal’s Office maintains its authority through the Danbury City Charter, Code of Ordinances, and Chapter 541 of Connecticut State Statutes. Members of the Fire Marshal’s Office hold many advanced certifications and must meet the annual training and education requirements defined by the state. All personnel are active members of the International Association of Fire Investigators, the Fairfield County, and Connecticut Fire Marshal’s Association. 

The Fire Marshal’s Office works closely with other city, state, and federal agencies to ensure Danbury's life-safety needs are met. Collaboration with these agencies enables the Fire Marshal’s Division to implement a Community Risk Reduction program consisting of education, engineering, enforcement, and economic incentive.

Team members make certain that building construction and maintenance meet the life-safety standards of the Connecticut Fire Safety and Prevention Codes. This is accomplished through a process of plan/permit review and approval, and state mandated inspections of any new, existing, or remodeled structure; including any structure undergoing a change of occupancy or use. Additional permitting responsibilities include hazardous material storage/reporting, commercial blasting, liquor licenses, carnival/fairs, tents, open burning, and the sale or display of fireworks.

Fire prevention measures are promoted through our public education program. The Fire Marshal’s Office provides safety presentations and training to civic, religious, corporate, community, and school based organizations and multimedia outlets are utilized to effectively reinforce safety information. 

Per CT State Statute the Fire Marshal’s Division is required to investigate all incident of fire and explosion, administering any necessary legal action. Utilizing the National Fire Incident Reporting system, and partnering with State of CT, U.S Fire Administration, and National Fire Protection Association, incident data is collected and analyzed to determine the trends, threats, and emergency needs of the community.

Accomplishments

For the fiscal year the Fire Marshal’s Office completed 28 preconstruction reviews, 280 plan reviews/permits and more than 950 state mandated occupancy inspections. Inspections encompassed over 2650 residential units, more than 800 residential healthcare/nursing home units, and 10 hotels exceeding 1080 guest rooms. Inspections also included 150 liquor license inspection/renewals, 25 schools, 15 daycares and over 75 business and medical facilities including Danbury Hospital. Members performed 134 fire investigations, including but not limited to, brush, rubbish, outdoor equipment, vehicle, structure, and cooking fires.  

Moving Forward

The Fire Marshal’s Office will continue to protect the community by expanding fire prevention efforts and by ensuring compliant construction and occupancy standards are met. Members will advance their knowledge, skills and abilities to best meet the life-safety needs of the community. The Division will enhance public safety through new occupancy/inspection software and by increasing efficiency and effectiveness through all available means. We will continue to deliver the highest quality of customer service and will hold steadfast to our commitment to the life-safety needs of the City of Danbury.