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(L to R) Fire Marshal Ryan White, Senior Fire Marshal Chris Hansen, Fire Marshal Liam Keating, Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin, Fire Marshal Shane Sharkey, Fire Marshal Courtney Idtensohn, and Public Safety Administrator Ryan Murphy herald grant they used to purchase new camera kits for the fire marshals to utilize for documenting inspections and investigations.
Last year was a busy one for the Southampton Town fire marshal’s office.
They investigated 168 different fires townwide, but there’s much more to the job. Town fire marshals are responsible for the inspections of commercial properties, reviewing building plans, sprinkler plans and site plans, just to name a few. They’re charged with reviewing and issuing permits for outdoor dining, public assemblies, certain outdoor fires, and other activities. They conducted 429 reviews of plans and performed 808 separate inspections in 2022.
This week, Public Safety and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy announced a new tool that will enhance their efforts.
The office has received a $4,142 fire prevention grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers. It was used to buy seven high-tech camera kits the office can use to document inspections and investigations.
Replete with the latest features, the Canon USA cameras replace gear Murphy described as “well-used.” With the ability to produce images with refined detail, he said, “Their capabilities are far beyond what we probably even need, but they definitely meet all our needs.”
Each of the town’s fire marshals will get one of the cameras as part of the equipment they are issued.
Murphy who completed a forensic photography certification through the International Association of Arson Investigators, is looking to procure the classes for his marshals, many of whom have been certified in IAAI specialized modalities.
Fire Marshal Liam Keating completed the successful grant application to obtain the new equipment. “These new cameras will allow us to do an even better job of documenting our inspections and investigations with greater detail,” Keating said in a release announcing the grant award.
Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin said, “I’m very happy that we have been provided with the grant funding to obtain this new equipment for our office by FM Global.”
Through its Fire Prevention Grant Program, FM Global awards grants to fire departments — as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide — that demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause, Murphy explained.
Beyond townwide responsibilities, the town fire marshals provide services for the incorporated villages of North Haven, Quogue, Sagaponack, and Westhampton Beach. The Division of Fire Prevention also maintains and coordinates the regional hazardous materials response team.
“The fire marshal’s office is a small office of very dedicated and highly trained public safety professionals,” said the administrator. “Being able to provide them with the best tools to do the job and carry them into the future is a tremendous opportunity.”
