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Rockwall County debates hiring a fire marshal, funding and enforcement powers
Summary
County staff and commissioners discussed creating a fire marshal position inside a new Development Services organization, whether it should be full- or part-time, how it would interact with the sheriff's office and outside reviewers, and whether fees or an existing fund could offset salary and equipment costs.
Rockwall County officials discussed adding a fire marshal position to a newly forming Development Services office during the county's June 25 budget workshop, touching on duties, enforcement powers, funding sources and whether the role should be full time.
Miss Erica Bridges, who is leading the Development Services reorganization, said the county lacks in-house expertise on the International Fire Code and related plan review and inspection duties. "This is a specialized area of expertise that we're lacking currently in my opinion," Bridges told the court, describing plan review, inspections and consultation work the county has been outsourcing.
Health coordinator Carissa (last name not given in the transcript) said a locally hired fire marshal would add enforcement capacity the county currently lacks. Carissa described the position as a peace officer in some jurisdictions and said that would permit stronger…
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