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State Fire Marshal's Office

Mark Lockerman, Acting State Fire Marshal
State Fire Marshal's Office
333 Guadalupe - Austin, Texas 78701
P.O. Box 149221 - 78714-9221
Telephone: (512) 305-7900, 1-800-578-4677
Fire.Marshal@tdi.state.tx.us

To receive news and updates from the SFMO concerning SFMO activities, initiatives, and training opportunities, sign up for the SFMO eNews Updates.

Since 1997 the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) has been part of the Texas Department of Insurance as directed by SB 371, 75th Legislature. In addition to the staff located at the Austin headquarters, SFMO employees are strategically located across the state to respond quickly to requests.

Mission: To reduce loss of life and property due to fire and related hazards.

Vision: Through the efforts of four divisions, Prevention and Outreach, Fire Safety Inspections, Licensing and Enforcement, and Fire Investigations, and in collaboration with private sector entities, the regulated fire service industry, the Texas fire service, local and state agencies, and the public, we seek to create communities well prepared to protect themselves against fire.

Strategy: We believe that Prevention is the most effective means of fire protection. We incorporate the principles of Engineering, Enforcement and Education into innovative fire protection. Fire personnel working in the areas of Engineering learn why fires are occurring and distill their findings into accurate, relevant fire protection information. Enforcement reinforces Engineering by ensuring that the public adheres to fire safety codes and statutes. Through Education, we design and deliver vital fire prevention services and information to the audiences and communities most in need of it. At our core, we understand that fire is largely preventable. We believe that through fire and life safety engineering, enforcement and education, we can help create safer communities and reduce the impact of fire.

News

• Texas Youth Fire Prevention & Intervention Conference, June 20-22

  This event offers a wide range of fire safety prevention and intervention topics, featuring national and regional experts. Sessions are tailored for both beginners and seasoned interventionists and educators. Co-sponsored by the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Texas Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators, and the Texas Engineering Extension Service. Follow this link for more information about the conference.
• State Fire Marshal Announces Changes to Registration/License Numbers (UPDATED 12/15/2011). This notice provides a synopsis of upcoming changes to Company Certificates of Registration and Individual License numbers.  These changes are part of the State Fire Marshal Office’s conversion to the State Insurance Regulators Connection (SIRCON) licensing computer software program and are required in order for companies and individuals to utilize the on-line licensing features of SIRCON.

• Wildland Fires in Texas

  If you have insurance questions related to the wildland fires in Texas, you can call TDI's Consumer Help Line toll-free at 1-800-252-3439. Operators are available from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday to answer questions, provide assistance, and take complaints. TDI also provides useful information on its Wildfire Resource Page

  The Texas Forest Service offers timely Texas Wildfire Situation updates.

  The Texas Division of Emergency Management also has wildland fire information on its website: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/index.htm

• Visit the web site of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) for newly available, read-only access to the NFPA codes and standards referenced in our state's statutes and/or regulations.  

• Preparing For Wildfires Is Everyone's Responsibility

  Wildfire continues to threaten people and property across Texas. Major wildfires have been wreaking havoc once again in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. Rapid population growth into Wildland Urban Interface areas and an increasing frequency of elevated fire weather conditions represent major concerns moving forward into the future.

  Over the last two years, 85 percent of the wildfires in Texas have occurred within two miles of a community – so it’s obvious that wildland fires are not just a problem for rural homeowners.

   Heightened awareness of wildfire risk, prevention and mitigation are becoming increasingly important to ensure safety. The newly deployed Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) provides access to information that describes wildfire risk statewide.

  TxWRAP is the primary mechanism for the Texas Forest Service to deploy risk information and create awareness about wildfire issues across the state. TxWRAP is comprised of a suite of applications tailored to support specific workflow and information requirements for the public, local community groups, government officials, professional hazard-mitigation planners, and wildland fire managers. Collectively these applications will provide the baseline information needed to support mitigation and prevention efforts across the state.

  As a homeowner, you are not powerless in your defense against wildfires. By taking a proactive approach to wildfire prevention and home defense, you can significantly increase your safety and your home's likelihood of survival during a catastrophic wildfire. Unfortunately, these measures cannot guarantee your safety in the face of catastrophic fires. Therefore, it's of paramount importance to "Have an Exit Strategy."

  "Have an Exit Strategy" where you live, work, play, and when you're on the road. As the drought continues to intensify, you and all Texans face extreme danger of wildfire this year, so be certain to have an escape plan. Fire propelled by strong winds can move as fast as 60 miles per hour. When told to evacuate, leave the area immediately. Choose a route that leads away from the fire. Stay alert to changes in the speed and direction of fire and smoke.

• School Fire Exit Drill Report Forms - Download 2011-2012 Fire Drill Form. Download Required fire drill and fire prevention education and information forms. Important Notice: Schools should no longer send copies of their fire drill reports to the State Fire Marshal's Office. Just keep the completed report for three years in your school's records.
• State Fire Marshal's Office Now Responsible for Fire Safety Inspections of State-Leased Buildings: Under the provisions of HB 1951, the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) is required to inspect buildings leased by state agencies. This State Fire Marshal's Notice more fully explains the SFMO's responsibilities and plans for coordination with local authorities in carrying out this mandate.
• Our Have an Exit Strategy initiative now has a Facebook page!

Announcements

• Texas Fire and Life Safety Public Educators Resources is a new service of the State Fire Marshal's Office that serves as the central resource or clearinghouse for information and materials for Texas fire and life safety public educators.  Our objective is to enhance community education programs and initiatives.
• The 2012 Models in Fire Prevention symposium, which was held May 4-6, featured some of the most innovative fire prevention programs being used across the country.Over 150 fire prevention experts gathered in Reston, Virginia, to learn from each other and share their programs. You can access the presentations here. The Institution of Fire Engineers’ Vision 20/20 is working to support activities directed toward a comprehensive national strategy for fire prevention. The goal is to focus activities and energy in an effective and collaborative effort to address the fire problem in the United States. The IFE’s Guide to Fire Prevention Advocacy is intended to help fire departments advocate for increased fire prevention investment.
• The State Fire Marshal's Office offers Educational Resources for Local Fire Marshals that can be used to prepare for public presentations, city council meetings, county commissioners meetings, school board meetings, etc.
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector Safety: HB2118 mandates that the State Fire Marshal's Office, Texas Department of Insurance, provide information on the necessity and use of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• The State Fire Marshal's Office offers sources for information about the life-saving benefits of fire sprinklers. On July 3, 2010, the need for escape planning and smoke alarms, as well as the effectiveness of fire sprinkler systems in limiting damage to homes, were dramatically demonstrated with a live “Side-by-Side" Burn.
• "Itzagascan" - temporary gas cans - are not approved by the State's Fire Marshal Office for public use. Please read this letter for more information.
• Clow Valve Company Safety Notice regarding fire hydrant repair. Some clients have yet to respond to this safety notice. Clow still wants to find every hydrant affected by this issue and replace every affected upper stem.
• The National Fire Protection Association has issued an NFPA Safety Alert Regarding Antifreeze in Residential Sprinklers recommending that residential fire sprinkler systems containing antifreeze be drained and the antifreeze replaced with water. The alert follows a research study and an initial set of fire tests conducted after a fire incident raised concerns about antifreeze solutions in residential sprinkler systems. The incident involved a grease fire in a kitchen where a sprinkler with a high concentration of antifreeze deployed. Ongoing events, research, and additional information regarding antifreeze in residential sprinklers.
• The State Fire Marshal's Office Supports Courage To Be Safe, the Lifesaving Training Program Developed by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation - Texas fire departments can help prevent firefighter line-of-duty deaths with the program.
• Take the Seat Belt Pledge: Five of the 26 firefighter fatalities investigated by the SFMO since September 2001 involved victims who were not using seat belts or similar restraining devices. All but one of these deaths were probably preventable, had a seat belt or restraining device been used. Fastening a seat belt vastly improves survivability in a collision. Every fire department should take the seat belt pledge; to date, more than 40 Texas fire departments have achieved 100 percent compliance. But there are many more to go. Read more about the pledge.
• The United States Fire Administration offers a useful and informative e-mail update service on a variety of topics in a variety of subject areas. Pick and choose the topics that interest you. Subscribing is easy and takes less than a minute! Go to "USFA for Citizens" page, where you can subscribe to e-mail updates. Go to "USFA for the Fire Service" page, where you can subscribe to e-mail updates.
• Texas Forest Service Helping Hands Program accepts and donates surplus fire and emergency equipment to volunteer fire departments.
• On December 10, 1910, the Office of the State Fire Marshal began its first century of fire safety service  to Texas. As we begin our second 100 years of fire safety efforts, we can look back and safely say that Texas is more fire safe than it was in 1910. But as long as there are lives lost and property losses caused by fires, our work is not done and our efforts, in coordination with the rest of the fire service in Texas, will continue, undiminished in scope, as new fire-safety challenges present themselves to all of Texas. Read/download the history of the State Fire Marshal's Office. 

More

• All SFMO publications and brochures
• U.S. Fire Administration
• U.S. Fire Administration Kids Page
• Links to Other Emergency Services and Organization Web Sites

For more information contact:
Last updated: 05/14/2012

Texas Department of Insurance
333 Guadalupe, Austin 78701
P.O. Box 149104, Austin 78714
(512) 463-6169

Consumer Help 1-800-252-3439

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