WASHINGTON CO. COMMISSIONERS TO VOTE ON CREATING JOB DESCRIPTION FOR COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL

  

Washington County Commissioners will meet Tuesday to consider the creation of a job description for a county fire marshal.

According to the proposed description, the fire marshal would operate and supervise the fire marshal’s office and would be responsible for “coordination of the delivery of fire suppression throughout the county, investigation of fires within the county, inspection of all county and other buildings for fire code safety, administration and enforcement of the fire code, providing recommendations regarding burn bans and fireworks, rescue operations, hazardous material response, emergency management planning, and public fire education programs.”

County Judge John Durrenberger called the position “a real need”, saying the county currently does not have anyone qualified to inspect the growing number of subdivisions and new commercial construction and make sure they meet proper code.  He said other counties of Washington County’s size have fire marshals, and that this official would work in tandem with the City of Brenham fire marshal, assisting the city when needed.

Durrenberger also said the fire marshal would assist in ensuring volunteer firefighters are trained, which dictates how much funding the county’s volunteer fire departments receive annually.  He said, “There’s no way that this position removes anything from the volunteer fire departments.”

Some volunteer fire department officials, however, have privately shared concerns with KWHI about the level of impact the fire marshal could potentially have on volunteer fire department operations.

Among the desired knowledge, skills and abilities listed for the position are:

  • Knowledge of the management and oversight of a municipal/county fire department;
  • Knowledge of budget development, management and justification practices and procedures;
  • Knowledge of the purchase, operation, maintenance and uses of firefighting apparatus and equipment;
  • Knowledge of and capability to coordinate the grant writing process for Texas Forest Service, FEMA, cooperatives, and philanthropic organizations;
  • Ability to plan, prioritize, assign and direct the work of fire department personnel;
  • Capability to effectively work in an interdisciplinary role with Sheriff, EMS and Volunteer Fire Department Chiefs;
  • Skill in responding to and managing emergencies and incidents.

The proposed job description lists a pay range of $79,843 - $119,764 annually, which would come from the general fund.  Durrenberger said the funding for this position is already included in the current adopted budget. 

When asked about the timing of the court’s consideration of the job description in relation to the upcoming emergency services district election for the Chappell Hill and Meyersville VFDs, Durrenberger stated that this position was discussed years before the ESD proposal and has no connection to it. 

In other business, commissioners will:

  • Act on a right-of-way permit application for the 2025 Blue Bell Fun Run in Washington County.
  • Potentially authorize the county judge to sign a renewed Microsoft volume licensing enterprise agreement for Washington County’s Microsoft Office 365 licenses.
  • Receive a presentation of the Washington County Human Resources quarterly report.
  • Act on a subdivision variance request for a land division fronting FM 390 East, consisting of 243.52 acres in Precinct 1.
  • Consider an order of public interest and a plat revision for the Nicholson Lake subdivision in Precinct 2.

Commissioners will meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Courthouse.

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10 Comments

  1. So, commissioners can you please help me understand the why this position is even being considered? The county doesn’t have the funding to provide each of the VFDs with working-unexpired safety equipment but they have money for this? And since the position doesn’t require TCOLE credentials the County Fire Marshal can’t even write citations? Therefore no monetary offset. And since the existing VFD County Chiefs are not involved how was the job description written? They should have been the first to know about this and have input! Between them all there are probably hundreds of years of firefighting experience and training! They aren’t trying to be County Commissioners. Why are you pretending you have the knowledge to even begin to have their and the county citizens best interest at heart?

  2. Sounds like another half baked plan that no one discussed with the people in the counties who actually run successful VFDs and have routinely trained their own personnel and done more for the growth and development of the departments they run for FREE!

    You can’t come in with a plan that is all wrong expect anyone to agree with you. Not to mention anyone who has all of the certificates necessary to do the job is going to want a heck of a lot more money to do it.

    Maybe the person who typed up this description and brought it to the table needs to go to other places and see what they really need and what really works because I already see that a majority of the well respected VFDs in our area are opposed to this. Many of these folks have been in the fire service for years around here and are extremely knowledgeable. Maybe ask THEM!!

  3. Sooo. The county can afford to hire a fire chief for a fire department that doesn’t exist yet? Doesn’t look like they are hiring a fire marshal, but a fire investor, with a heavy work load, all this to try and get around trying to support all the local volunteer dept’s that have been covering this county for free for over 50 yrs, all the county dept’s need help and it sounds like the county is trying to start their own Washington county fire dept and do away with all the volunteer departments… sounds like a well thought out plan..

  4. If you think this is a good idea, then shouldn’t the fire marshal make the same salary as the county EMS director, who should make what the county sheriff makes? And if not who is making too much for them to be equal? If it’s that important, raise the salary so they all match. Would Brenham be under the jurisdiction of 2 fire marshals? Why do city taxpayers pay twice for fire marshal services?

  5. It’s really odd how Don can get on here and say that the county could help the county volunteer departments with “a lot more funds then they do”, now that he is out of office. This is why people have issues trusting politicians.

    1. I don’t find it odd at all. I hope he continues to enteract with the city and citizens. He was a wise man. He did the best he could for citizens.

  6. Well in my opinion a county this size does not need an air bus ambulance Helicopter but the taxpayers were not asked either. The costs of this money pit is tremendous to where you have paramedics making more money than anyone! So now we are getting another grand idea from the the court we did not ask for either! When is enough enough? What we need is a Department of County Efficiency!

  7. I don’t agree on some of the things the fire marshals has to do in the county. Like for 1 grant, writing should be up to to the local departments, training coordinators and local departments, not a fire Marshal. A fire Marshall is to investigate fires and conduct investigations and city codes and county codes. Nothing to deal with county fire departments, I don’t agree with it. It shouldn’t be in the ballot. It shouldn’t be in the job row. A fire Marshal is not A county grant writer or overseen maintenance on the volunteer fire departments equipment.

  8. “Inspection of all county and OTHER buildings” tells us we will have him poking around our rural barns, workshops and other outbuildings. Is this desirable?

    1. Just like coaches, superintendent, etc…The person chosen will have to agree to the BIB. This position will open the door for someone eyeing a building to find a way to say it’s not up to code. This is only the beginning of future projects. Be careful who you vote for.

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