Committee advances bill to move fire marshal duties to Emergency Management and consolidate fire boards

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee approved House Bill 1766, a bipartisan measure that moves state fire marshal duties out of the Arkansas State Police and into the Department of Emergency Management and consolidates two existing boards that oversee fire safety and fire protection services.

Representative Lee Johnson, a sponsor, told the committee the bill consolidates the Fire Safety Board (then under State Police) and the Fire Protection Services Board (under the Department of Emergency Management), directs the boards to establish firefighter certification authority and to create a registry of certified firefighters, and transfers funding and personnel associated with fire marshal duties from State Police to Emergency Management. "This is a bill that does a lot of good things," Johnson said, adding the change would allow a more robust, full-time fire marshal service.

Johnson said HB 1766 would place previously unclaimed funds from Act 833 (the fire funding act enacted in 1991) into a grant fund administered by the Fire Protection Services Board and direct half of the annual growth in Act 833 funding—growth that Johnson said averages about 3% per year—toward fire marshal services. The bill also creates the authority and funding to hire a full-time state fire marshal, rather than the current shared-duty arrangement within State Police.

Marcus Devine of the Division of Emergency Management, Brad Harton (state chiefs; fire protection services board) and Brad Moore (legislative chair, state fire association; fire protection services board) appeared in support. A committee member voiced support for the bill's goals but raised concern about the late timing and the short window for House bills to be considered on the Senate floor; sponsors said companion measures had been worked on previously and described the result as a negotiated, unified approach.

The committee moved and approved HB 1766 by voice vote. The bill will proceed according to Senate rules for House bills, and sponsors indicated efforts to accommodate further scheduling and floor consideration.