(a) The State Fire Marshal shall reside in Delaware after appointment. The State Fire Marshal shall receive such salary as may be set by the State Fire Prevention Commission within the limits set by the annual appropriation to the State Fire Prevention Commission. The State Fire Marshal shall devote their whole time to the duties of the State Fire Marshal’s office. Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of State Fire Marshal for any reason other than the expiration of a term, the vacancy shall be filled by the State Fire Prevention Commission for the balance of the unexpired term. The State Fire Marshal shall be appointed for a term of 4 years and such term shall be renewable in the discretion of the State Fire Prevention Commission.
(b) The State Fire Marshal, with the consent and approval of the State Fire Prevention Commission, shall appoint all authorized personnel pursuant to Merit System rules and regulations and administer the usual oath as required. Salaries of all personnel to include appropriate position classifications, upgrading and promotions shall be in compliance with Chapter 59 of Title 29.
(c) The Fire Marshal of any political subdivision of this State, having such an office duly created by ordinance or resolution before January 1, 1959, shall serve as an Assistant State Fire Marshal. Within the limits of the said political subdivision, the Fire Marshal shall have exclusive jurisdiction exercising the duties and powers of the State Fire Marshal but the Fire Marshal shall serve without compensation.
(d) The State Fire Marshal, with the consent and approval of the State Fire Prevention Commission, shall employ or acquire such office and clerical employees as may be necessary for the orderly administration of Marshal’s office. The State Fire Marshal shall acquire such equipment, furniture, supplies and paraphernalia as may be necessary for the orderly administration of Marshal’s office.
(e) The State Fire Marshal, the State Fire Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, and other members of the State Fire Marshal’s office, in addition to their salaries, shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
(f) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall enforce all laws and ordinances of the State and the several counties, cities and political subdivisions thereof having to do with:
(1) Prevention of fires;
(2) The storage, sale and use of any explosive, combustible or other dangerous article in solid, liquid or gas form;
(3) The installation and maintenance of equipment of all sorts intended for fire control, detection and extinguishment;
(4) The means and adequacy of exit, in case of fire, from buildings and all other places in which numbers of persons work, live or congregate from time to time for any purpose, except buildings used wholly as dwelling houses containing no more than 2 families;
(5) The suppression of arson.
(g) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall assist any chief of any recognized fire company upon request of such chief.
(h) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall enforce the regulations promulgated by the State Fire Prevention Commission as authorized by § 6604 of this title.
(i) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall require the administrative heads of public and private schools and educational institutions to have at least 1 fire drill each month when said schools are in session and to keep all doors and exits unlocked during school hours.
(j) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall inspect all state- and county-owned institutions, all schools, theatres, churches and other places of public assembly as to fire exits and reasonable safety standards and report the Marshal’s findings and recommendations to the proper administrative heads.
(k) The State Fire Marshal, or the Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, may at any time investigate as to the origin or circumstances of any fire or explosion occurring in the State and may at all reasonable hours enter any building or premises within the Marshal’s jurisdiction for the purpose of making an inspection or investigation, which, under this chapter, they may deem necessary to be made.
(l) (1) The State Fire Marshal or the Marshal’s designee shall review all plans and specifications, with the exception of those political subdivisions having exclusive jurisdiction under subsection (c) of this section for conformance to the requirements of subsections (f) and (j) of this section, prior to actual construction for:
a. All new buildings and additions; for any building undergoing a change in occupancy; or any part of a building suffering damage from fire, explosion, or any other cause; with the exception of buildings used wholly as dwelling houses containing no more than 2 families and buildings used wholly for farming purposes.
b. Alarm systems, fire protection systems, flammable and combustible liquid or gas installation or other miscellaneous installations falling under the State Fire Prevention Rules and Regulations.
c. Subdivision plans.
(2) The State Fire Marshal is authorized to establish a schedule of plan review fees to be paid by the submitter of the plans reviewed under paragraph (l)(1) of this section, except that no fees shall be charged for projects financed in excess of 50% by state funds, housing developed by an organization exempt from tax under § 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)), and projects financed under Chapters 40 and 45 of Title 31.
(3) The plan review fees shall be based on actual costs with the initial payment being based on the estimated cost of construction of the building, additions, renovation, alarm system, fire protection systems, or flammable or combustible liquid or gas installations or other miscellaneous installations required to be approved and shall not exceed the following schedule:
a. Seven tenths of 1% on July 1, 2009;
b. Three tenths of 1% over $1,000,000 of cost;
c. With respect to the provisions of paragraphs (l)(3) a. and b. of this section, the minimum fee for any plan review shall be no less than $150.
d. The State Fire Marshal must provide a schedule of reduced fees for low life hazard occupancies such as warehouses.
(4) Subdivision plan review fees shall be set at $150.
(5) The State Fire Marshal, with the approval of the State Fire Prevention Commission, where such regulations or amendments duly promulgated under the authority of the State Fire Prevention Commission require the issuing of a permit, license or certificate, is authorized to issue such permits, licenses or certificates and to establish a schedule of fees not to exceed the following schedule:
a. A maximum of $100 per fire alarm signaling system or fire suppression system, where a license is issued under the preceding provision of this section, for wholly owned or proprietary fire alarm signaling systems or fire suppression systems, serviced by the system owner.
b. A maximum of $100 for a license to service portable unit fire suppression appliances.
c. A maximum of $100 for all other permits, licenses and certifications as required in the State Fire Prevention Regulations.
d. The fees as authorized in this paragraph shall be the maximum so charged by the State Fire Prevention Commission and every 2 years shall be reviewed by the Department of Finance, the Controller General and the State Fire Marshal.
e. All fees associated with the permitting, licensing, or certification processes shall be annual fees, payable on a date as scheduled by the State Fire Marshal.
(6) It is expressly provided that said fees collected by the State Fire Marshal shall not affect the state appropriation or be deducted there from, but shall be so much additional moneys available for carrying out the provisions of this subsection, and the said fees shall be paid to the State Treasurer for accounting and deposited in a special fund in the State Treasury. Said fees included in this subsection shall not be charged for projects financed in excess of 50% by state funds, and projects financed under Chapters 40 and 45 of Title 31.
(7) The fees as authorized for the plan review process shall be the maximum allowed by the State Fire Prevention Commission and will be a cap, that every 2 years, by September 15, a review shall be conducted by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Controller General and the State Fire Marshal, based upon the revenue experience and the anticipated funding needs of the Technical Services Division of the State Fire Marshal’s Office, to revise the fees according to the anticipated funding needs of the State Fire Marshal’s Office Technical Services Division, incorporating the plan review, licensing and additional consultative services.
(8) The permit, licensing and plan review fee requirements of this chapter shall not apply to municipalities, towns or other subdivisions of this State or to fire companies that wish to construct improvements upon their fire stations.
(m) The State Fire Marshal, or the State Fire Marshal’s Deputy or Deputies, shall have the authority to issue subpoenas in the enforcement of this chapter.
(n) Appeals to the State Fire Prevention Commission from a decision of the State Fire Marshal shall be made in accordance with the provisions of §§ 6609 and 6610 of this title.
(o) The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall have the authority to:
(1) Advise and assist fire companies, municipal corporations and districts, including agencies and departments thereof in developing measures for more effective fire and arson prevention and control;
(2) Assist and encourage cooperative efforts to solve common problems relating to fire and arson prevention and control and to serve as a clearinghouse of information about fire and arson prevention and control, about reported cases of burn injuries or wounds sustained, and about state and federal services available to assist in solving such problems;
(3) Employ or contract with individuals, agencies or corporations to assist fire companies, municipal corporations and districts in the development of an arson investigation program or in the investigation of cases of suspected arson or cases of burn injuries or wounds sustained upon the request of such an entity. However, nothing in this provision shall be construed to remove the primary responsibility for arson investigations from appropriate local jurisdictions or agencies;
(4) Establish a burn registry data bank and disseminate information relating to fire and arson prevention and control, reported cases of burn injuries or wounds sustained, and to operate a state fire reporting system. The state fire reporting system shall include a procedure for the identification of patterns of suspicious, accidental or criminal fires and for alerting appropriate state and local authorities. The fire reporting system shall also include fire incident data supplied by local fire agencies in a manner and on forms prescribed by the State Fire Marshal. To the extent practicable, the data shall be collected and maintained in a form compatible with information collected by other Delaware agencies, other states and the federal government. The State Fire Marshal shall cooperate with the Division of State Police, Insurance Department, local police, fire and health agencies, the insurance industry and other appropriate organizations in maintaining such system.