The Hill County Commissioners Court continued discussing the establishment of a county fire marshal’s office during a special meeting Tuesday, June 30.
With Hill County facing increased interest from large-scale industrial developers planning data centers, battery energy storage systems and power generation facilities, the court has been discussing establishing the office to ensure that developers are complying with safety standards.
Hill County Judge Shane Brassell said that a fire marshal would conduct fire investigations, coordinate with local fire departments and emergency responders, review fire protection and safety concerns associated with major developments, assist with emergency planning and serve as a technical advisor to the court.
Commissioners workshopped ways to implement the program, including hiring a dedicated fire marshal or contracting with a municipality or private firm.
Covington Fire Chief Chris Lidster told the court that the simplest way could be adopting fire codes and hiring a private firm, with applicant fees funding the program.
The discussion follows earlier conversations in which commissioners said that they wanted to ensure any fire code adopted by the county would not inadvertently create mandates or high insurance costs that would burden the county’s small, volunteer fire departments.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Holcomb said that Johnson County is in the process of adopting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire codes, which include 500 pages that are inter-related. For instance, Holcomb said that if the county adopted one section that addresses data centers, another section would have to be adopted for enforcement purposes. “(That section) would essentially bankrupt our volunteer firefighters because of insurance requirements,” he said.
Holcomb said that Johnson County has been going through the codes for over a year, and it is an arduous process to get it right. He said that using a private firm or established fire marshal could be a faster way to get the program up and running.
Brassell said that he planned to schedule a meeting with the City of Hillsboro to see if there is a possibility of the county and city working together, although some municipal fire codes would not apply in the county.
Holcomb commented that it might be possible to adopt fire codes specific to the rural part of the county and work that into a relationship with an established fire marshal. He suggested working through what the county’s pay structure would look like if it hired its own fire marshal in the event that another relationship cannot be established.
The court authorized Brassell to meet with the City of Hillsboro to obtain information. In the meantime, the judge asked commissioners to go through the suggested job description for a fire marshal and research a salary range for the position. The issue was expected to be back on an upcoming regular or special meeting agenda.
