Goals & Objectives

Protect the lives and property of the public, reduce the risk of fires, and keep safe our county's firefighters.

Goals

• Providing quick, efficient, and high quality emergency response services to the citizens, and the fire service of the county.
• Inspecting buildings for fire hazards to reduce the risk of fire incidents through quality inspections.
• Inspecting emergency lighting / generator systems to ensure they provide light within a building in the event of power failure so as to safely evacuate the building.
• Ensuring that exits are kept open and clear and that the occupancy limits are not exceeded in public assembly occupancies.
• Inspecting mercantile occupancies especially during the high volume shopping months of October through December.
• Provide technical assistance to Nassau's 71 fire departments; protect the citizens throughout the county by investigating undetermined, suspicious, and incendiary fires; and bringing to justice those responsible for the crime of arson.
• Providing high quality basic and advanced emergency medical training services to the 71 volunteer fire departments, various ambulance corporations, and citizens of Nassau County.
• Provide and participate in community outreach. Help to educate the public in fire safety, and fire and burn injury prevention.
• Help in promoting economic development in Nassau County by assisting business owners, engineers, architects, and design professionals in meeting the requirements for fire and life safety systems in a quick and efficient manner, insuring projects remain on track, and completion dates are met.

Objectives

• Per state law, the Office of the Fire Marshal will conduct annual fire inspections in various commercial and multi-dwelling residences throughout Nassau County.
• Review fire safety systems in new and existing construction plans. Witness system tests to ensure that all phases comply with the requirements of this office and other applicable fire safety codes.
• Investigate the origin and cause of fires when requested by the local fire departments or other agencies. In cases of suspected arson, investigations are conducted jointly with the Nassau County Police Arson / Bomb Squad to apprehend those individuals responsible for the crime.
• Respond to hazardous material incidents, mitigate those situations, and render the location safe.
• The Nassau County Fire Communications Center will provide emergency service dispatching for the various fire departments and ambulance corps located throughout the county.
• The Fire / Police Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Academy trains and educates fire, police, and EMS providers within Nassau County. The academy offers educational services by conducting various EMS training classes, which it also offers to the general public – the academy charges the public a fee for these lessons.
• The Public Affairs Unit, working with our safety education partners and local media, will design and present campaigns and programs aimed at safety awareness, disaster preparedness, preventing fires, and reducing the risk of fire and burn related injuries and deaths.
• As mandated by local laws, the Fire Commission will collect the appropriate fees for certain services they provide to the public.

The Reason 

A Fire Department responds to a fire every 24 seconds in the United States. Fires cause property damage, loss of production, countless injuries, and deaths. In addition, over 100 firefighters (both career and volunteer) die each year responding to and fighting fires. Effective fire inspections, aggressive enforcement of fire and building codes, and educating the public about the dangers of fire are our best line of defense in keeping all of us safe.