The Exchange Club invited Assistant State Fire Marshal Scott Pilgreen to speak to them about the State Fire Marshal's Office and to get some fire safety tips.
When Pilgreen asked the crowd if they knew what the Fire Marshal's Office does, few in the group could say for certain.
"That's what I thought," said Pilgreen. "We are a small agency and unless we have a series of church fires like we did about four years ago in west Alabama, nobody even knows we exists."
The Fire Marshal's office is a division of Alabama's Department of Insurance.
"Don't ask me why we are there. It has been explained to me so many times over the years, and I still can't explain it," said Pilgreen.
"But we are not the only state that does that. Georgia and other states have the Fire Marshal's Office in the Department of Insurance as well."
The Fire Marshal's Office is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the state. It was established by the legislature in 1919, Title 36-19 of the Code of Alabama established their power and authority.
"If you ever want to see what it looks like, do a search on the Internet for the Code of Alabama, and you can see it spelled out," said Pilgreen.
The office had many responsibilities. It is part law enforcement — conducting fire and explosion investigations — and part code enforcement — making sure projects are in compliance with adopted building and fire codes.
"We are a hybrid agency. Since our title says Fire Marshal, most people think we are strictly for fire service. I'll tell you right now, I have no desire to put a fire hose in my hand. I came from the law enforcement community; we are a law enforcement agency," Pilgreen said.
According to Pilgreen, when proration is lifted and they can hire extra people, State Fire Marshal Edward Paulk would like to create a team to handle just the code enforcement; making two separate divisions, criminal and non-criminal, in the office.
"I think that will help us as an agency better serve the public as far as what we do on the law enforcement side as well as the public side," said Pilgreen.
The Fire Marshal's Office also regulates fireworks, fire sprinkler, explosives, commercial fire alarm, and reduced cigarette ignition industries. They do not regulate fire service.
"We do not look at every fire," said Pilgreen. The agency looks at fires of suspicious origins, fires that lead to a fatality, explosions from explosive devices, and fires at churches, schools, and government buildings.
Last year the Fire Marshal's office investigated 958 incidents, which Pilgreen said is about average.
Before leaving, Pilgreen gave the Exchangites some fire safety pointers. He warned the club about extension cords. Pilgreen said that people tend to want to hide their extension cords by covering them up. Heat generated from the electricity could cause the covered wires to break down and could lead to a fire.
Pilgreen reminded everyone to store flammable and combustible items outside the house and to get their fire extinguishers regularly serviced.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are not only important to have, but also to maintain and check. According to Pilgreen, the average life of a detector is around 10 years. Pilgreen also said to check the batteries twice a year. Checking the batteries when you change your clocks for daylight savings time is a good habit to get into.
No matter where you are, Pilgreen said that it is important to know at least two ways out of the building or room you are in. Once out, do not go back in a burning building.
For more information on the Fire Marshal's Office call 334-241-4166 or visit their website at www.aldoi.gov.
The Exchange Club also honored two local students for their hard work and dedication. Jacksonville High School's Eleanor Godbey and Pleasant Valley High School's Josh Walker were both honored as Exchange Club's Youth of the Month.
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