Maryland State Fire Marshal
News Release
Martin O’Malley Governor
Joseph C. Flanagan Acting State Fire Marshal
NEW FIRE INVESTIGATION SUPPORT UNIT PLACED IN SERVICE PIKESVILLE, MD (August 29, 2013) -- The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has placed in service the first regional fire investigation support unit to provide additional equipment at fire scenes. This support unit is the first of six planned to be located at each location of the State Fire Marshal's Regional Offices. This unit has been placed in the Northeast Region in Harford County. As this is the first investigation support unit placed in service, a plan has been implemented to make it available statewide. In December 2012, the OSFM began converting an existing panel van into an investigation support unit. The financial support to properly equip the unit was obtained through a State grant. Working with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the OSFM garnered $35,000 through a State Homeland Security Grant program. These funds allowed for the purchase of the needed equipment. The Regional Fire Investigation Support Unit is a Chevrolet Express 2500 series van with a tow behind 5’ x 8’ Wells Cargo trailer. The unit is equipped with the necessary tools and equipment to perform extensive and accurate fire investigations. This equipment includes items such as: hand tools, power tools, computers, networking equipment, closed circuit television system, and many different types of evidence collection kits. The cargo trailer is equipped with larger and much needed items such as: a wheelbarrow, chain saw, portable wash sink and 10’ x 10’ quick shelters. “Advancements in science and technology in the field of fire investigations dictate the need for newer and better equipment to more accurately process evidence collection during an active investigation. This fire investigation support unit is the first of its kind in our agency and will provide investigators the ability to more accurately process large scale incidents by quickly providing additional resources on a fire scene”, stated Acting State Fire Marshal Joseph C. Flanagan. Page 1 of 2
The OSFM would also like to thank the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company for their assistance in outfitting and storage of the support unit.
###
The Office of the State Fire Marshal is an agency of the Department of State Police dedicated to helping protect citizens from fire and explosion through a comprehensive program of education, inspection, investigation and fire protection engineering. For more information on fire safety call 1-800-525-3124, log onto our website at: www.mdsp.org/firemarshal and/or http://facebook.com/MarylandStateFireMarshal.
Media contact: Bruce D. Bouch, Deputy State Fire Marshal; 443-324-6876
Page 2 of 2