By Doug Nelson, State Fire Marshal
I want to open this month’s blog with great news: the National Fire Academy is supposed to re-open in August. After being closed for approximately six months, it is scheduled to re-open. We have not heard if there are any permanent changes to the curriculum or processes of the fire academy, but we are happy that our deputies and your firefighters can start attending classes again!
In August, the National Association of State Fire Marshals (in partnership with the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association and the International Fire Marshals Association) will host their annual symposium. This year, NASFM will be in Biloxi, MS, and the theme is “All Hours, All Hazards, Disaster Never Sleeps”. The North Dakota State Fire Marshal’s Office will be represented, and we hope to see others from North Dakota. For more information, please visit the NASFM website. NASFM also recently presented a train-the-trainer event in the State for pipeline emergency response. This was brought into the State by the ND Pipeline Association, and it was a great opportunity to learn more about pipeline hazards with industry partners. If you have questions about the class or want further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out, as I was able to attend.
As many of you are already aware. We are working to fill vacant Deputy Fire Marshal positions in Devils Lake and the northwest area of the state. Please let us know if you or anyone you know is interested and qualified to apply. We are happy to speak to anyone with an interest and discuss the qualifications further.
This month, we will kick off our 2026 State Fire Code Adoption Process (of the 2024 Edition of the International Fire Code). If you have an interest in having input or being a part of the process, please let me know, and we can add you to the list of attendees. We look forward to updating our code, taking a fresh look at amendments, and seeing what safety changes are being made as we keep our codes modern. Our goal is to adopt a new Fire Code of North Dakota on July 1st, 2026, through the Administrative Rules process.
In August, we are working to start discussions on modernizing our fireworks century code in North Dakota. We are working with industry partners, federal agencies, international representatives, and local regulators to identify what positive improvements can be made to increase the public safety of fireworks in our state. Again, we are looking for local engagement with this, so if you are interested in helping or being part of the discussion, please reach out and let us know.
The fire service had a successful legislative session last winter/spring, but now some of the harder work begins. Specifically, the interim committee assigned to multiple fire service studies will be starting up soon. This is yet another area that we are looking to ensure the fire service as a whole is represented to come up with the best answers. We will try to keep everyone updated, but if you want to be on our email list, please let us know.
For all of these moving parts, we will try to keep our online calendar of events updated so you can always know what is going on at the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Please visit our calendar here to keep an eye on events and meetings coming up. Other events that are coming up to watch out for include the California Battery Seminar and some important topics from our lunch and learn series. Happy Independence Day, and we hope to work with you soon!