Master Plan Nashua Fire Rescue, NH
Qualifications
Qualifications for the Fire Marshal’s Office are as follows: NFPA 1730: Standard on Organization and
Deployment of Fire Prevention Inspection and Code Enforcement, Plan Review, Investigation, and Public
Education Operations requires that personnel assigned to the Fire Marshal’s Office meet the minimum
requirements of NFPA 1031: Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plans Examiner, NFPA 1035:
Standard on Fire and Life Safety Educator, Public Information Officer, and NFPA 1033: Standard for Professional
Qualifications for Fire Investigator.
Currently, the Nashua Fire Marshal’s Office has three full-time personnel assigned to these functions. All
three personnel meet only certain portions of these qualifications. Under the collective bargaining
agreement that was in place at the time of ESCI’s site visit, members are permitted to take the test for a
position in the Fire Marshal’s Office; however, they do not need to be certified in any areas of fire
prevention/investigation. In addition, all three current members of the office are eligible to retire. This puts
the office in a very precarious position and has the potential to affect the continuity of operations. Fire
prevention and investigation are very specialized areas of the fire service, and it takes years to learn these
positions.
ESCI notes that the recently approved contract for the period of time July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2023,
requires Fire Marshal’s Office candidates to have Inspector 1 and Investigator Certifications in order to be
eligible to test for the position. Eligibility will be determined as of the date the vacancy occurs.
Fire Code Enforcement
The Fire Chief is the Authority Having Jurisdiction under New Hampshire Administrative Rule Saf-C 6000. His
powers are then granted to his designees through the adoption of NFPA 1. The Nashua Fire Marshal’s Office
also works with the City of Nashua Building Safety Department. This department enforces the City’s housing
code, which is the New Hampshire State Building Code. The Building Safety Department is staffed with four
full-time Inspectors and one Plans Examiner. The Building Department is also responsible for all gas piping
and mechanical inspections as required under the New Hampshire State Fire Code in addition to the
inspections required under the New Hampshire State Building Code. Both offices meet weekly to ensure
continuity of operations and proper enforcement.
Plan Reviews
Plan reviews are required for all fire protection systems and new construction as required by the New
Hampshire State Fire Code. Conversely, the Building Safety Department is under the authority of the New
Hampshire State Building Code. In 2019, there were 1,208 plan reviews and/or permits issued within the Fire
Marshal's Office. Currently, the Fire Marshal completes all of the plan reviews.
Nashua Fire Rescue should consider the addition of a civilian plans reviewer to the Fire Marshal’s Office. A
civilian plans reviewer position could bring stability to the Fire Marshal’s Office because that position would
not be expected to promote out of the office. This position could be an economical way redistribute the Fire
Marshal’s workload, thus allowing for the completion of regular inspections of all target hazards in the City.
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