Nominee outlines staffing, prevention focus in Nebraska State Fire Marshal confirmation hearing

Douglas Hobein, the governor’s nominee for Nebraska State Fire Marshal, told the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on the opening day of the session that he would prioritize restoring fire-prevention work and strengthening training if confirmed.

Hobein said the State Fire Marshal Agency employs "75 full time, employee positions as well as approximately 75 part time employees," and described seven divisions including investigations, inspections, plans, training, mechanical safety, administration and a fuels unit that oversees pipeline safety and underground fuel-tank inspection. "I want to kind of bring a focus back to that [fire prevention]," he said, citing outreach to children and older residents as targets for renewed prevention efforts.

The nominee thanked Governor Pillen for the appointment and summarized his more-than-40-year career in Nebraska fire service, including roles as plans-division chief in 1994, assistant state fire marshal in 2018 and three prior stints as interim state fire marshal. He said he is "looking forward to the opportunity to direct the agency" and intends to rely on staff expertise.

Committee members pressed Hobein on operational detail. Senator Bob Anderson asked whether Hobein had specific ideas to implement his stated focus on "customer service and find creative solutions." Hobein replied the agency is "running very lean" after budget cuts and that a recent increase in fees passed last year has been implemented to shift some functions from general-fund support to fee-based funding: "We have implemented that, and it's, underway ... we are collecting those fees." He said that will help the agency accomplish statutory duties.

On training, Hobein expressed support for a proposed first-responder training center in Sarbanes County and for allowing other providers such as Metro Community College to deliver training with agency oversight. He described the healthcare inspections function as a subunit of the inspections division that works with the Department of Health and Human Services for Medicare and Medicaid certification of assisted-living and clinical facilities.

Chair Senator Rita Sanders closed the hearing on the appointment after committee discussion; the transcript records no committee vote. The committee reported one in-person proponent and no opponents or neutral commenters for the nominee during the recorded hearing.