Darien Adds New Deputy Fire Marshal

DARIEN, CT — In order to keep up with major construction projects in town, Darien has added a new deputy fire marshal, according to First Selectman Monica McNally.

Dave Francis has been hired for the full-time position, McNally said in her bi-weekly newsletter last week.

Francis brings over 40 years of experience in fire service, with over 20 of those years as a certified fire marshal. He has been a part-time fire inspector for Darien since 2005. He recently retired from the Stamford Fire Department as an assistant fire marshal, which allowed him to work full-time for Darien, McNally said.

"The large amount of construction in town has necessitated the hiring of another full-time fire marshal," McNally said in her newsletter. "When the three major developments are complete, Darien will have over 1,200 living units requiring annual inspections, plus several new retail spaces requiring inspections anywhere from annually to tri-annually, depending upon their occupancy."

McNally noted that the construction alone requires "a considerable amount of time reviewing plans to verify compliance with the fire code, inspections throughout the construction process, and inspections required by state statute."

Some of Francis' responsibilities will include:

• Planning reviews for new construction work of projects other than one or two-family homes
• Inspections of existing facilities and apartments in town
• Fire investigations
• Public education programs
• Inspections of new construction projects
• Inspections of blasting sites
• Inspections of fireworks shows