Responsibilities

Inspections

The Chief Fire Marshal serves as the Fire Official and Fire Sub-Code Official for the City of Camden. With the help of the Fire Prevention Specialists, the Chief Fire Marshal is responsible for inspecting all commercial facilities and multi-family occupancies to ensure they are in accordance with regulations outlined in the Uniform Fire Safety Act of New Jersey, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and local ordinance. The Chief Fire Marshal is also responsible for all construction fire plan reviews and inspections for all new construction and rehabilitated occupancies to ensure compliance of the NJ Uniform Construction Code.

The Fire Prevention Specialists serve as the Department’s representatives within the business and residential community, and, while seeking compliance with the fire code, also educate property owners in fire prevention methods.

Education

The Office of the Fire Marshal oversees the Community Education Division, including Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness. From Fire Prevention Specialists to the Firefighters in the field, the Camden Fire Department takes responsibility in educating the public through various residential and commercial programs.

Fire Investigations

Any fire and or explosion occurring within the City of Camden which results in significant damage to property, death, or serious injury is investigated by the Office of the Fire Marshal; interacting with local and federal law enforcement and other investigating agencies to ensure a thorough investigation. The term “Fire Investigation” describes a broad range of activities that deal with post incident data gathering and analysis to document origin, cause, and development of a fire or explosion. Fire investigations are conducted to determine what can be learned from a particular fire incident in hopes of preventing a similar incident from occurring. If a fire is deemed to be intentionally set, the Office of the Fire Marshal will work closely with local law enforcement during the criminal aspect of the investigation.