State Fire Marshal Division
State Fire Marshal
Building Code Bureau

The Fire Marshal Division is the oldest of the five divisions within the Department of Public Safety. It was established in 1911. Through promotion and enforcement of fire safety regulations, training, building code provisions, and arson investigations, this division helps reduce the loss of life and property by fire.

Although headquartered in Des Moines, the Fire Marshal Division has field offices located throughout the state. The division is comprised of four (4) bureaus:

Presently the division has 24 sworn officers and 16 civilian employees.

Jim Kenkel, Director
State Fire Marshal Division

Jim Kenkel was sworn in as State Fire Marshal December 20, 2002. Jim is the 12th person to serve as the State Fire Marshal since the office was created in 1911. Jim is a graduate of Harlan High School and Iowa Western Community College. He has been a member of the Department of Public Safety since July 1987 when he was hired as Fire Inspector stationed in the Cedar Rapids area. Following his promotion to Special Agent in May of 1989, Kenkel became a Fire/Arson Investigator, first in Osceola and later in Denison. In October 2000, Jim was selected to serve as the Assistant State Fire Marshal.

During the past 24 years, Jim has been a member of five volunteer fire departments. He is currently a member of the Waukee Volunteer Fire Department.

 
Fire Inspection Bureau

Jeff Quigle
Fire Prevention Supervisor

The State Fire Marshal's Office is proud to introduce Jeffrey Quigle as the newly-appointed Fire Prevention Supervisor for Iowa.

Quigle is a graduate of La Harpe High School, La Harpe, Illinios, and Western Illinois University. He joined the Department of Public Safety in November of 1990, serving as a Capitol Police Officer in Des Moines. Jeff transferred to the Iowa State Patrol in December 1992, serving as a State Trooper in Vinton and Swisher in Patrol District 11. While he was a member of the Iowa State Patrol, he served as a Technical Accident Investigator from 1994 through much of 1998.

In November 1998, Jeff transferred to the State Fire Marshal's Office, serving as a Fire Prevention Inspector for South Central Iowa. He was assigned to Norwalk.

Quigle has also served as the Acting Deputy State Building Code Commissioner and the Manufactured Housing Coordinator for the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Fire safety code inspections are conducted in a variety of facilities ensuring compliance with both federal and state laws and rules. Those facilities inspected by our fire inspectors include:
  • Nursing Homes
  • Child Care Facilities
  • Jails & Prisons
  • State Owned Buildings
  • Schools, Colleges, and State Institutions
  • Assisted Living Facilities
  • Intermediate Care Facilities
  • Hospitals
  • Any other building where the public would congregate

In the past 10 years, elementary students in grades three through six have submitted fire prevention posters. Together with funds provided by Employer's Mutual Insurance Company, the Iowa Firemen's Association, Iowa Farm Safety Council, and Grinnell Mutual Insurance Company, the Fire Marshal Division incorporates the posters that seem to best deliver a fire prevention message into a calendar. The calendars are then distributed throughout to elementary schools, day care centers, nursing homes, as well as senior citizen centers statewide. An essential element in fire prevention is that of fire safety education.

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Fire Deaths

In the calendar year 2002, there were 24 deaths recorded. Of those 24 deaths only five (5) had smoke detectors. However, four (4) of those did not have batteries or were not in use.

Arson & Explosive Bureau

Arson Investigation Bureau special agents are responsible for determining the cause of fires statewide. These agents investigate suspected arson fires along with bombings and other explosive-related incidents. Several agents in the division are also members of the Clandestine Lab Emergency Response Team and are volunteer members of their local fire departments.

Six hundred and eighty-two (682) investigations were conducted during calendar year 2002. This included 445 fires which were investigated. Of those fires, 162 were determined to be the result of arson, 169 were accidental and the cause of 114 could not be determined. The remaining investigations represented bombing incidents, bomb threats, explosive disposals, and clandestine labs. Investigations by the Fire Marshal Division resulted in 64 arrests and 126 charges filed. The estimated dollar loss for calendar year 2002 was $37,029,080.00

An Arson Hotline is maintained 24 hours a day for citizens to provide information helpful in resolving suspected arson cases (1-800-532-1459). In addition to providing training to local fire and law enforcement officials regarding fire investigations and issues relating to arson, classes are offered throughout the year to allow local officials opportunity to see first hand various types of explosives. This gives them guidance for safe and proper response to such incidents.

Building Code Bureau

The responsibility of the Building Code Bureau is to review final drawings and specifications and preliminary proposals of various building types and occupancies to ensure compliance with Chapter 16 (Iowa State Building Code), Chapter 18 and Chapter 5 of Iowa Administrative Code 661 and NFPA various codes and standards, including Life Safety Code. Reviews include areas such as means of egress, handicapped accessibility, structural and safety issues, occupancy and construction criteria, arrangements of occupied spaces, fire suppression systems and other code required features.

Provisions of the State Building Code are mandatory for manufacture and installation of factory built structures, buildings owned by the State or agency of the state, and in governmental subdivisions which adopted the state building code as their local building code. Division VII (Handicapped Rules and Regulations) and Division VIII (Thermal and Lighting Efficiency Standards) are mandatory throughout the state.

In much of rural Iowa, building codes have not been adopted and therefore the State Building Code provisions are not enforceable. However, the designers and builders are strongly advised to comply with the standards.
Fire Service Training Bureau

The Fire Service Training Bureau, orginally known as the Fire Service Institute, Iowa State University, was made part of the State Fire Marshal Division in July of 2000. The Training Bureau is located in Ames. Its mission is to provide quality training and education for Iowa's fire and emergency services.


Services are provided in Field Programs, Certification Programs, Business and Industrial Programs, Conference, and Research and Development. 627 classes were conducted with 11,168 students attending. There are 126 certification exam sites. 2,099 exams were taken with 1,795 individuals being certified.

The Fire Service Training Bureau is committed to meeting the needs of Iowa's Fire Service by emphasizing accredited training, partnerships with community colleges, as well as in-house training opportunities.

 

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Created 08-05-2003 (JLR)
Last Updated: 11-13-2003 (JLR)
State Fire Marshal Building Code Inspections Bureau Arson Investigations Fire Service Training Bureau