Fire Prevention Saves Lives

"The true first responder to fire and other hazards is fire prevention and education."

The Fire Marshal's Office is solely dedicated to protecting its community and citizens. Our team of professionals are highly trained in fire code enforcement and inspection as well as plan review and permitting. This is to ensure all community buildings and special events meet necessary safety requirements. Among our top priorities are arson and complaint investigation. We value public education. We serve the community through our enthusiastic perseverance and unwavering motivation to provide professional and quality services.
Our major functions are broken down below.

Inspection

All division staff (inspectors) are certified Fire Inspectors. This aspect of fire prevention is most important. It has been said that the safest fire is one that never happens. Inspections cover a wide variety of occupancies. They can vary from a store front downtown, to a factory such as General Motors. It also includes extremely hazardous sites (known as EHS sites) within the city. The focus of an inspection is to identify and correct problems that may lead to a fire, delay notification of a fire, and to remove any obstacles that may impede or block egress from a building. Examples of these may include combustibles stored near the furnace or water heater. An alarm system or sprinkler system that has not been maintained or storage in an exit way.

Investigation

Inspectors are trained to investigate fires and to determine its cause and origin. Sometimes this is not possible due to the amount of damage caused by the fire.

Education

The fire prevention division is active in public education. The division offers programs for seniors, local civic groups and any organization that request one. One of our goals is to reach the youth of the city and create a well informed generation. Each year the Fire Prevention Division works with the Fire Suppression crews to ensure that each elementary school in Lansing is provided with a prevention course. Each student meets the firefighters, learns life saving techniques and receives literature to take home.