Page 26 - InCommand Volume 31
P. 26

  State Fire Marshal’s Office:
A Message From
Interim Marshal Spurgeon
  Bill Spurgeon, OFE, OFC
Interim State Fire Marshal
Editor's Note: As of June 22, 2020, Kevin S. Reardon has been appointed by Governor Mike DeWine as the 39th State Fire Marshal.
Greetings,
It is my sincere hope this
letter finds you, your families, your departments, and your communities well. As we continue to confront
this unprecedented challenge
together, I’d like to share some of the measures taken to ensure your state fire marshal’s office will continue to provide core services to you – our customer. With steadfast commitment, I am confident we will come out of this better than before.
If you’re like me, I’d bet the magnitude of our current circumstance took a bit of time to set in. Changing one’s own way of thinking is tough, more so for an entire agency. However, I’m pleased to report we have been able to quickly adapt; we are here for you.
When first made aware of our statewide strategy to stop the community spread of COVID-19,
we quickly assembled our leadership team to determine mission-critical services. Although very proud of all of our offerings, I was convinced that we have to investigate fires, analyze debris, issue licenses, and conduct inspections to those facilities which provide for critical needs. The question arose; how do we do this while participating in our civic duty to stop the spread?
The first challenge faced during implementation was teleworking; we are committed to the safeguards in place. With help from our partnering agencies and commitment by our internal customers, we’ve now become very familiar with this new arena. We’ve adapted our model to embrace the digital environment and are well positioned to meet your needs.
To be fully transparent, there are services I determined to not be mission critical; those requiring a great deal of personal contact. I do recognize the effects of putting some offers on hold are most unpleasant, but I promise we are using this time to better leverage technology, so your experience is improved, and our government operates more efficiently.
I am excited for the work being done at your Ohio Fire Academy and Fire Prevention Bureau. We have
a vision which is less impactful to your time, as learners will be able to consume a host of offerings in the comfort of their own home or station.
As always, I offer my sincerest thanks for your patience and your trust as we navigate these uncharted waters. All of us here at your state fire marshal's office very much look forward to continuing our service to you and the communities you serve.
Thank you,
Bill Spurgeon, Interim State Fire Marshal
  26 InCommand JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org
    












































































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