Founded in 1948, the Pasadena Fire Marshal’s Office is committed to excellence both in professional development of its members and protecting its citizens from the effects of fire. This commitment to fire safety was recognized by Insurance Service Organization (ISO) in 2005 when the city was awarded an ISO rating of “Class 2”. ISO ratings are used to help establish fair premiums for fire insurance — generally speaking the better the class rating, the lower the insurance premiums paid by our citizens. Pasadena’s ISO “Class 2” rating puts the city in the top 1% of the 43,245 communities in the United States evaluated by ISO.
The Fire Marshal is the city’s chief fire prevention officer whose duties and responsibilities are given to him by the Mayor of the City of Pasadena, the Charter and Ordinances of the City of Pasadena and by the Laws of the State of Texas. The duties of the Fire Marshal include:
•maintaining records of fires within the city
•coordinating fire prevention and public education programs
•investigating origin and cause of every fire occurring within the city and pursue the arrest and prosecution of arsonist
•inspecting all businesses and state certified institutions annually for fire and life safety hazards
•building plans review
•investigating enviromental crimes
•fire alarm permits and compliance
•issuing burn permits (for ceremonial burns)
The office has three divisions: Fire Prevention, Investigations and Administrative Support.