Administration

The Fire Department Administration Division provides overall management of the Department. This division is subdivided to include the Fire Marshal's Office and the areas of Fire Operations. Fire Administration is responsible for planning, coordinating, and directing all Fire Suppression and Training activities for the 83 full time (career) uniform firefighters in the Department.

The administrative branch of the department is made up of seven employees and includes the offices of the Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief, and the Fire Marshal.

The Office of the Fire Chief is responsible for overall administration and management of the Department's personnel, programs, property, and budget. This office is key in providing vision and leadership to the members and in providing a healthy environment for employee development and moral. It is the Fire Chief's responsibility to provide direction to the organization and evaluating the capabilities of meeting the specific needs of the community.

The Deputy Fire Chief is responsible for administration of the operational branch of the department. These duties include the planning, organization, implementation, and evaluation of the department's training program. The coordination of training requires an extensive effort in communicating what is required of all fire department personnel to fulfill our mission to the community, by utilizing our present resources as cost effectively as possible. Other duties for this position include the evaluation of firefighting strategies and tactics, fire suppression procedures, and firefighting equipment for effectiveness and efficiency, as well as assuring that all of the Department's buildings, fire apparatus and equipment are properly maintained. In supervising the Department' three Battalion Chiefs, the Deputy is accountable for coordinating the activities of these shift commanders. Along with assisting with the formulation of Departmental operating procedures, the Deputy Chief also participates in the budget preparation process and monitors the expenditures necessary for the for fire suppression, emergency medical services and hazardous materials control. The essential function of the Deputy Fire Chief is training and employee development. The Deputy Chief also assists and advises in technical matters and provides guidance in problem solving and research.

The duties performed by the Fire Marshal's Office include the management of all of the department’s fire prevention activities. Fire prevention includes all fire service activity that decreases the incidence of uncontrolled fire. Fire prevention methods utilized by the Farmington Fire Department focus on inspection, which includes engineering and code enforcement, public fire safety education, and fire investigation. Inspection, including enforcement, is the legal means of discovering and correcting deficiencies that pose a threat to life and property from fire.

Enforcement is implemented when all other methods of voluntary compliance fail. Educational activities inform and instruct the public about the dangers of fire and about fire safe behavior. Fire investigation aids fire prevention efforts by indicating problem areas that may require corrective educational efforts or legislation. Good engineering practices -another fire prevention method - can provide built-in safeguards that help prevent fires from starting and limit the spread of fire should it occur.

During the calendar year 2003 the Fire Marshal's Office reviewed 200 sets of building plans which encompassed 185 commercial building projects. The plans are reviewed to assure compliance with the Uniform Fire and Life Safety Codes. Site visits and final inspections are performed to insure compliance with the submitted blueprints and the adopted codes before a certificate of occupancy is issued by the City's Chief Building Inspector.

Fire Investigations are performed if a fire incident is suspicious or criminal, if there is a serious injury or fatality associated with the fire, if the fire cause is not easily determined, if any type of code violation is noted, if the property loss meets or exceeds the ten thousand dollar mark, or if any problem exists that warrants further investigation.