The Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau, under the direction of Assistant Chief Tameji Berry, includes the Inspection & Life Safety Education Division and the Arson Investigation and Explosive Ordnance Division.
Inspection and Life Safety Education Division
The Inspection and Life Safety Education Division, under the direction of the Fire Marshal, Deputy Chief Christopher Martinez, is responsible for code enforcement, inspections, and education. The Inspection and Life Safety Education Division also focuses on protecting citizens from injury. Fire Prevention Officers prevent fire through fire prevention and code enforcement activities. Emphasis is given to education during the code enforcement process so that the owner or manager is made aware of the necessity for fire prevention measures. Enforcement of the fire code allows for the identification of unsafe properties such as open, vacant structures which are a danger to the community and firefighters. This division also provides injury prevention education programs tailored to specific audiences that address their safety concerns. After each preventable fire death, Fire Prevention Officers, with the assistance of various volunteer groups, respond to citizens' needs by installing smoke alarms in the residences of people who lack this protection. Fire Prevention Officers speak with neighbors door-door about the importance of fire safety. This offers an opportunity to install smoke alarms or provide fresh batteries. Those tragedies that occur close to home can often be used to make people more aware of the dangers in their own homes and give them an opportunity to prevent such an occurrence.
Fire Investigation and Explosive Ordnance Division
The Fire Investigation and Explosive Ordnance Division, under the direction of Deputy Chief Eric Beal, is responsible for determining the origin, cause, and circumstances of fires that occur in the City of Dallas and protecting the population from explosive devices. The division consists of arson investigators who are sworn peace officers that enforce the laws of the State of Texas pertaining to arson and malicious false alarms. They are specially trained in the discovery, preservation, and presentation of evidence in proving the crime of arson. The Fire Investigators of Dallas Fire-Rescue investigate hundreds of fires each year that are determined to be intentionally set or incendiary in origin. Incendiary blazes are responsible for a large percentage of the annual fire loss within the City of Dallas and result in several fire fatalities each year. These malicious and criminal acts affect everyone in our communities. Burned structures blight our neighborhoods, lower property values, and cause an increase in insurance rates.
CALL (214) 670-4312 TO REPORT AN ARSONIST
FIRE CODE INFORMATION SHEETS
