The Fire Marshal=s office reviews plans for all new commercial and industrial buildings located within the City of McAlester.  Requirements are established utilizing the International Fire Code, Life Safety Code 101, Local Municipal Codes and Nationally recognized standards. The Fire Department performs plan reviews to insure that a high degree of life safety and property protection is met.  Common requirements include the installation of Fire Hydrants, Automatic Fire Sprinklers Systems, and Early Warning Fire Detection Systems.  All plans are submitted to the City of McAlester=s Code Department and routed to the Fire Marshal=s Office for review. 

The McAlester Fire Department performs Fire Safety Inspections to help minimize the risk of life and property loss from fire. The Fire Safety Inspection process can make strides toward accomplishing this goal by observing, making recommendations, controlling or eliminating hazardous conditions.  Inspections may be performed on all commercial, industrial, public assembly, healthcare, school and multi-residential occupancies with the City of McAlester.  Fire Safety Inspections are performed and managed by the Fire Marshal.  Our Fire Department also has twelve firefighters who are heavily involved with this inspection process.  These men have received specialized training for conducting Fire Inspections.  An inspection performed by the Fire Department has a two-fold benefit.  We not only eliminate hazardous conditions, we also use this as a time to prepare a Pre-Fire Plan of action for our Firefighters. This Pre-Fire Plan can be used if an emergency situation ever did occur at a particular facility.  A typical Fire Inspection would include fire suppression systems, such as sprinkler and/or standpipe systems, fire alarm systems, as well as ensuring adequate exit access, occupant capacity loads and general life safety.  We use this time to educate business owners and occupants on the importance of fire safety.  We strive to maintain a positive working relationship with all local business owners.  These inspections raise the awareness level and help to provide a safe place for employees as well as customers.

The McAlester Fire Department conducts Cause and Origin Investigations on all fires within the McAlester city limits.  Our Fire Department has trained personnel on each shift who can conduct these preliminary investigations.  A fire can be classified in four ways:

1) Natural, 2)  Accidental, 3) Undetermined, or 4) Incendiary.  The information obtained from a  fire that has   Natural or Accidental causes may be very helpful in preventing  these type of fires in the future.  Should fire personnel determine a fire to be of an Incendiary nature or if evidence shows suspicion, the Fire Marshal may be called to conduct a more in-depth investigation of the scene.  The Fire Marshal and the Assistant Fire Chief are both certified by C.L.E.E.T. and the State of Oklahoma as Peace Officers.  Both are bonded by the McAlester Police Department and have full arrest powers. This enables them to take an investigation from Origin and Cause all the way to the courthouse if necessary.  The McAlester Fire Department has been very successful in the pursuit of Arsonist.  We have several Arson arrests and convictions.  These include Arson / Murder I with a Life Sentence and  numerous other Arson I & Arson II cases.  The McAlester Fire Department will use any and all resources to combat Incendiary Fires.