International Fire Marshals Association

Last updated

International Fire Marshals Association
AbbreviationIFMA
Established1906;118 years ago (1906)
Type Nonprofit
Legal status Voluntary association
Purpose"To network with other experts responsible for the prevention of fire, the investigation of fires, and/or public fire and life safety education programs" [1]
Region served
  • Canada
  • United States
President
Kenneth E. Tyree
Website Official website
Formerly called
Fire Marshals Association of North America

The International Fire Marshals Association (also called the IFMA or the Fire Marshals Association of North America, being their former name) is an association under the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) made up of 36 chapters spanning across the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to promote and support fire marshals internationally in their goals to promote fire prevention and safety.

Contents

Founded in 1906, the association was notable for organizing the first Fire Prevention Week and its efforts to prohibit the sale of fireworks, in which it found some success. Today, the association under the NFPA works towards adding a fire sprinkler requisite to the International Residential Code (IRC) for all new houses to be built. As for the history of the association itself, it had been led by pioneer fire chiefs such as Sherwood Battle Brockwell, and is currently working towards incorporating Maryland as its 36th chapter.

History

The association was founded in 1906 as the "Fire Marshals Association of North America," with the purpose of promoting fire safety and prevention tactics. [2] On October 9, 1911, the association, alongside the local insurance organization Western Insurance Union, [2] held the first "Fire Prevention Week" to commemorate the memory of the Great Chicago Fire forty years prior. [3] [4] In 1913, the association advocated for teaching fire safety in all schools during their eighth annual convention. [5] From 1914 to 1916 during World War I, the association would take efforts to reduce waste and likewise cost associated with firefighting, [6] [7] which an estimate from 1915 predicted to be around US$1,000,000,000 total. [8] In 1916, the first requisites for becoming a fire marshal were written by NYC Fire Chief William Guerin for the association. [2] In 1920, the association would push for legislation requiring safer garage buildings in all states after the growth of automotive industry in the United States. [9] During the middle of the 1920s, the association would visit cities with poor fire records, where they worked to establish inspectors offices and prohibit the sale of fireworks. [2] [10]

In October 1926, the association unanimously voted to be incorporated into the larger National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) after being invited by its president at the time Dana Pierce. [11] The incorporation would not change any of the governing body or their actions, and would serve to "simply bring these [two] closer together in a common cause" which had previously been "working on the same problem of fire prevention" separately, according to the Fire Marshal of Iowa, J. A. Tracy, who introduced the resolution. [11] The action would take effect in May 1927, [11] and the association would join as the "Fire Marshal Section". [2] [12]

After joining the NFPA, the association would work more towards creating uniform legislation to try to combat arson and firework misuse. In 1929, the association would propose a bill to state legislatures calling for clearer definitions of arson and increased prison time for offenders, [13] and legislation further regulating fireworks in January 1938. [14] In 1989, the organization hosted about 1,300 members. [15]

The IFMA continues to sponsor Operation EDITH (Exit Drills In The Home) as a way to protect oneself in the case of particularly nighttime fires, [16] and oppose the implementation of rescue decals due to their ability to become out of date quickly. [17] They also have continued to advocate for the ban of fireworks for non-organizations, [18] [19] and have worked towards adding fire sprinklers to the International Residential Code (IRC) as a requisite to be placed in all new houses. [2] [20]

Legacy

During the association's push in the middle of the 1920s to prohibit the sale of fireworks: deaths and blindness caused by fireworks in Pennsylvania dropped from 16 and 43 cases respectively, to zero in both the following year. [2] Firework incidents in the state likewise dropped from 1,702 to 40 between the two years as well. [2] In 2006, CEO of the NFPA, Jim Shannon, would call the IFMA a "linchpin of the system," saying he was "pleased" to see their inclusion into their association by his predecessors. [2]

Governing body

The executive board of the association is made up of the positions of President, Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Executive Secretary, and four board members. [1] The current President is Kenneth E. Tyree of West Virginia, who assumed office from the former President Chris Heiner of Rhode Island. [1] Members of the executive board are elected to the position by the NFPA. [12]

While a list of former presidents does not exist, others Presidents include Jon Nisja of Minnesota (2006–2008), [21] Jim Crawford of Washington, [22] John F. Bender (2003), [19] J. Benjamin Roy Jr. of Delaware (1989), [15] Sherwood Battle Brockwell of North Carolina, [23] John G. Gamber of Illinois, [24] Newman T. Miller of Indiana (1923), [10] J. A. May of Iowa (1920), [9] and Ole C. Ree (also possibly spelled as Ole O. Roe) [6] of Iowa (1913–1914). [5]

Layout

The association modern-day is one of eleven Sections of the NFPA, titled the "International Fire Marshals Association Section". [25] Within its section, the association has 36 chapters, made up of regions or states within the United States or Canada. [26] In July 2023, the Maryland Fire Marshals Committee begun the process of becoming a chapter within the association, and were successfully admitted sometime in 2024. [27]

Below is a table of all 36 chapters of the IFMA: listing their number, name/location within the IFMA, and their organizations name. [26]

Map of the coverage of the 36 chapters of the International Fire Marshals Association IFMA chapters coverage map.png
Map of the coverage of the 36 chapters of the International Fire Marshals Association
Chapter identification
NumberName and locationOrganization name
1MichiganMichigan Fire Inspectors Society
2New EnglandNew England Association of Fire Marshals
3FloridaFlorida Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association
4New YorkNew York State Fire Marshals and Inspectors Association
5ArizonaArizona Fire Marshal Association
6DelawareFire Marshals Association of Delaware Valley
7OklahomaFire Marshals Association of Oklahoma
8AlabamaFire Marshals Association of Alabama
9TexasTexas Fire Marshals Association
10AlbertaAlberta Fire Safety Association
11MinnesotaFire Marshals Association of Minnesota
12North CarolinaNorth Carolina Fire Marshals' Association
13West VirginiaFire Marshals Association of West Virginia
14South CarolinaSouth Carolina Fire Marshals Association
15IllinoisIllinois Fire Inspectors Association
16TennesseeTennessee Fire Safety Inspectors Association
17UtahFire Marshal's Association of Utah
18WashingtonWashington State Association of Fire Marshals
19OregonOregon Fire Marshals Association
20ColoradoFire Marshals Association of Colorado
21New JerseyNew Jersey Fire Prevention & Protection Association
22NevadaFire Prevention Association of Nevada
23WisconsinWisconsin State Fire Inspectors Association
24IowaIowa Fire Marshal's Association
25OhioOhio Fire Officials Association
26ArkansasArkansas Fire Marshals Association
27California (southern division)California Fire Chiefs Association (south)
28California (northern division)California Fire Chiefs Association (north)
29VirginiaVirginia Fire Prevention Association
30PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Association of Fire Code Officials
31KentuckyKentucky Fire Inspectors Association
32KansasFire Marshals Association of Kansas
33South DakotaSouth Dakota Fire and Life Safety Committee
34WyomingWyoming Association of Fire Marshal's
35GeorgiaGeorgia Fire Prevention Association
36MarylandUnclear

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "International Fire Marshals Association Member Section". National Fire Protection Association. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Kyle, Susan Nicol (June 7, 2006). "International Fire Marshals Association Marks 100 Years". Firehouse Magazine. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  3. ↑ Glass, Marcus (October 2, 2018). "History of Fire Prevention Week". Dover Air Force Base. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  4. ↑ Bush, Elaine M. (October 1, 2012). "National Fire Protection Association celebrates Fire Prevention Week October 7-13". Michigan State University. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Fire Marshals' Association in Philadelphia Urges Fire Prevention Instruction Be Given in All Schools" . The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. October 13, 1913. p. 4. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "Good Addresses And Helpful Discussion Feature Meeting" . Asheville Citizen-Times . Asheville, North Carolina. September 12, 1914. p. 3. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Compliment to Mr. Mohrbacher" . Marshall County News . Marysville, Kansas. May 12, 1916. p. 6. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Tennessee Per Capita Fire Loss Is Heaviest" . The Commercial Courier . Union City, Tennessee. September 17, 1915. p. 3. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 "Hussey is Elected" . The Topeka Daily Capital . Topeka, Kansas. December 10, 1920. p. 10. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 "How Arson Is Combatted" . The Daily Reporter . Greenfield, Indiana. May 11, 1923. p. 4. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 "Fire Marshals Vote To Join With N.F.P.A" . The Commercial Appeal . Memphis, Tennessee. October 15, 1926. p. 18. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 Bill (September 18, 2020). "NFPA: Nicole Comeau Named Executive Secretary of International Fire Marshals Association". firefighternation.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Smoking Out the Arsonist" . The Enterprise . Ponchatoula, Louisiana. February 15, 1929. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Firemen Plan Fireworks Law" . The Hammond Times . Hammond, Indiana. July 29, 1937. p. 18. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "State fire marshal gets national post" . The News Journal . Wilmington, Delaware. May 28, 1989. p. 2. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "Auburn Firemen Urging Operation EDITH Plans" . The Lewiston Daily Sun . Lewiston, Maine. September 30, 1975. p. 13. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Operation EDITH is designed to help families protect themselves in the event of nighttime fire. The operation is sponsored [...] by the Fire Marshals Association of North America.
  17. ↑ "Largo fire chief criticizes use of decals to mark rooms of children, invalids" . Tampa Bay Times . Tampa Bay, Florida. April 16, 1986. p. 68. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Gagnon, Lisa (July 3, 2003). "Group wants firework ban" . The Daily Advocate . Greenville, Ohio. p. 1. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com. The International Fire Marshals Association [...] [is] calling for a ban on fireworks of any kind sold to individual consumers.
  19. 1 2 "Health, safety advocates urge ban on Fourth of July fireworks" . The Times and Democrat . Orangeburg, South Carolina. July 1, 2003. p. 14. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ "Supporting Organizations". ircfiresprinkler.org. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023. National and regional supporting organizations [...] International Fire Marshals Association
  21. ↑ "2020 Minnesota Fire Marshals Conference" (PDF). Fire Marshals Association of Minnesota. 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023. Jon Nisja [...] is also a past president of the International Fire Marshals Association (2006-2008).
  22. ↑ "Jim Crawford Named 2013 Recipient of Dr. Anne W. Phillips Award for Leadership in Fire Safety Education". firefighternation.com. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Brockwell Turned Hobby Into His Life's Career" . The News & Observer . Raleigh, North Carolina. December 14, 1947. p. 8. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Sherwood [...] once was president of the Fire Marshals' Association of North America
  24. ↑ ""I wish every house had oil heat" says John G. Gamber" . The South Bend Tribune . South Bend, Indiana. October 14, 1930. p. 3. Retrieved November 30, 2023– via Newspapers.com. John G. Gamber: Former President [of the] Fire Marshals Association of North America
  25. ↑ "Members Sections". National Fire Protection Association. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "NFPA IFMA Chapters". National Fire Protection Association. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  27. ↑ "State Fire Prevention Commission Minutes" (PDF). Maryland State Police. July 20, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
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