Fire Marshal

The primary duty of the Fire Marshal's Office is to conduct origin-and-cause investigations into any type of fire or explosion occurring throughout the 130 municipalities within Allegheny County.

An investigation is initiated when a request is made by a municipal fire or police official in charge of the incident. Once an investigator arrives on scene of an incident, a systematic approach to each investigation is taken to make a detailed and accurate determination as it pertains to the origin and cause of the event.

During the investigation, interviews of occupants, witnesses, and responding units are conducted. This is followed by a thorough scene examination including photographs, debris layering, dimensional drawings, and potential evidence location and collection.

Investigators write a detailed narrative report of findings and prepare for expert witness testimony for criminal cases and/or civil litigation.

The Fire Marshal's Office has several other duties:

• Plan review for the storage of flammable and combustible liquids in all underground and aboveground storage tanks within the county (except the city of Pittsburgh).
• Conduct training and education seminars to local public service agencies on fire-related topics.
• Conduct a wide range of research and testing, including live-fire exercises to recreate incidents and document time frames, failure modes, fire progression, and effects of fire suppression.

PA Emergency Services Law(PDF, 102KB)

It is a common misconception that the deputy fire marshals perform inspections and code enforcements. We do not.

Our deputies:

• Do not have the authority to make an arrest.
• Do not inspect residential or commercial buildings.
• Do not issue occupancy permits.
• Do not enforce building codes.
• Do not grant variances or zoning changes.
• Do not issue or enforce open burn permits.

In 1864, Act 403(PDF, 3MB) created the position of the Allegheny County Fire Marshal, appointed by the Court of Common Pleas. Act 230 of 1953 expanded and defined the Fire Marshal's duties.  In 1996, Act 39(PDF, 141KB) provided the Fire Marshal with assistance by authorizing the appointment of Deputy Fire Marshals. 

The current Fire Marshal, Matthew Brown, is aided in his duties by key staff personnel led by Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Don Brucker. Over the years, many other dedicated men have held these positions and, as information is unearthed, our history is updated(PDF, 191KB). 

The county has a population of 1.3 million residents and covers 730 square miles. The county serves as a major industrial, technological, cultural, and transportation center. In the county today there are approximately 200 volunteer municipal fire departments, excluding the City of Pittsburgh, that work in conjunction with the Fire Marshal's Office to protect residents. 

The Fire Marshal's Office is vigilant on investigating and prosecuting anyone who would use fire to intimidate, cover up other crimes, recover fraudulent insurance monies, and cause injuries or death. 

Mission