Fire Prevention Commission outlines staffing, equipment and background‑check costs, cites unfunded items

The Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission and Delaware State Fire School presented a FY2026 budget request to the Joint Finance Committee that included multiple personnel additions, new equipment and recurring operating requests — many of which the governor’s budget did not recommend.

The commission’s chairman, Ron Marble, told the committee the supplemental requests reflect items the joint sunset review identified and a previous law that “did not get funded adequately” during the enactment process. He introduced State Fire Marshal John Rudd and Fire School Director Tucker Dempsey as agency witnesses.

The agency detailed personnel requests for the State Fire Marshal’s office that would add or reclassify positions to expand inspections, investigations and supervisory capacity. John Rudd told the committee the marshal’s legal duties are codified in “title 16 chapter 66,” and described plan‑review and inspection workloads that have risen with development. The packet presented to lawmakers listed requests including: one new supervisory fire protection specialist ($102,100, not recommended),…