Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Audit finds inconsistent inspections and poorly supported citations by Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office
Summary
A legislative post audit found KSFM inspectors used different inspection methods, sometimes failed to cite violations, and cited many violations with inadequate references; KSFM officials said they accept the recommendations and are updating training, reports and the inspection software.
A legislative post audit presented to the Legislative Post Audit Committee found inspectors in the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office (KSFM) performed residential and childcare inspections inconsistently and sometimes cited violations without adequate legal or code references.
Josh Luthai of the Office of Legislative Post Audit said auditors reviewed 26 inspections (10 observed, 16 document reviews) from January 2024 through January 2026 and identified three consistency issues: inspectors used different approaches to checking alarms (some activated systems, others only visually inspected), some inspectors failed to cite violations that auditors judged applicable, and problems were missed in earlier inspections only to appear in later ones. "We found KSFM didn't always do consistent inspections or adequately support the violations they cited," Luthai said.
Why it matters: inconsistent inspections and unclear citations can confuse facility operators, create unexpected expenses, and undermine confidence in the inspection process. The audit team reviewed 53 past violations and reported roughly 29 (about 55%) were not adequately supported by the references included in inspection reports; five cited inapplicable authorities and others used inaccurate or unclear references.
The audit traced causes to the volume and complexity of adopted standards (KSFM has inventory tied to KR 22-1-3 and uses more than 20 national standards) and internal control weaknesses. "There are thousands of pages of guidance and requirements to track," Luthai said, and auditors concluded KSFM lacked sufficient processes to ensure consistent, well-documented inspections.
KSFM response and next steps: Fire Marshal Ingham acknowledged the problems and said the office "owns this 100%" and has overhauled training and is rolling out a modern inspection system that allows inspectors to attach photos and fuller notes to reports. Ingham told the committee KSFM has licensed the new inspection software so local departments can use it cost-free and said the agency has conducted 12 public hearings on the code update.
Legislative context: the auditor noted House Bill 2739 (passed in the past session) is intended to help KSFM move to the 2024 International Fire Code by easing some regulatory steps (for example, modifying economic impact statement requirements and setting an attorney general review timeline).
Recommendations: auditors made four recommendations to improve inspection consistency, documentation and code updates; KSFM agreed to implement all four. Committee members pressed KSFM on whether it will establish baseline metrics and stronger procedures so improvements can be measured after new checklists, software, and training are put in place.
The committee accepted the audit presentation and had follow-up questions about data sharing between KSFM and local fire departments, implementation timelines for the 2024 code, and whether KSFM will report progress on consistent citation practices.
