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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81472</law_id><section_number>9.1-206</section_number><catch_line>State Fire Marshal; qualifications; powers and duties; power to arrest, to procure and serve warrants, and to issue summonses; limitation on authority</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>27-95</reference><reference>9.1-211</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="2">Department of Fire Programs</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The Executive Director of Fire Programs shall employ a State Fire Marshal and other personnel necessary to carry out the provisions of the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/27-94/">27-94</a> et seq.). The State Fire Marshal and other personnel employed pursuant to this section shall be selected upon the basis of education or experience in administering <span class="dictionary">laws</span> and regulations designed to prevent and eliminate hazards to life and property arising from fire.
		The State Fire Marshal shall have the powers and duties prescribed by the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title" href="/27-94/">27-94</a> et seq.), by &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="When Department or fire chief may remedy inflammable or unsafe conditions" href="/27-61/">27-61</a>, by Board regulation, and by the Director. The State Fire Marshal and those persons duly authorized to enforce the Statewide Fire Prevention Code shall have the authority to <span class="dictionary">arrest</span>, to procure and serve warrants of <span class="dictionary">arrests</span>, and to <span class="dictionary">issue</span> summonses in the manner authorized by general <span class="dictionary">law</span> for violation of the Statewide Fire Prevention Code. The authority granted in this section shall not be construed to authorize the State Fire Marshal to wear or carry firearms. All personnel employed pursuant to this section shall meet the training requirements set forth for local fire marshals in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Power to arrest, to procure and serve warrants and to issue summons; limitation on authority" href="/27-34.2/">27-34.2</a>. The State Fire Marshal, or his designee, shall be the authority having <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> over state-owned buildings, property, or structures for purposes of fire safety and fire prevention in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.</p></section></text><history>2007, cc. 647, 741; 2023, c. 470.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
