Each member of the Fire Marshal’s Office has previously served as a firefighter assigned on a fire apparatus somewhere in the state and they each bring that knowledge and skill set here to this office.
Though our role here is not a direct part of suppression, that of the fire departments, each member is prepared and outfitted to assist the command staff of each fire department during firefighting operations. Many times this is as a safety officer or accountability officer so as to free up members of the responding fire department’s officer staff from these roles so they can lead the firefighter’s attack on the fire since manpower is always at a premium in the fire service.
The Fire Marshal’s Office also has marshals that are trained fire service instructors that can help out with training and educating newer firefighters. The marshals look for opportunities to partner and share the knowledge they have gathered throughout their careers with new firefighters often with visits to the fire departments on their training nights and closely working with the fire chiefs and the Rockingham Community College Fire and Rescue Education Program.