Fire Warden And Fire Marshal: Main Differences

There is much confusion between the two terms’ Fire Warden’ and ‘Fire Marshal’. Most of the time, a fire warden and a fire marshal work essentially in the same way. An organization can hire both or only one of the two. But the type of job also depends on the scale of an area on which fire has set out.      

 

What is a Fire Warden?

A fire warden is an officer responsible for checking the fire activities in a town or forest area. He is assigned to take responsibility for fire safety measures and practices.

What is a Fire Marshal?

A fire marshal is an official who leads the bureau regarding fire prevention and investigation. He is also the head of fire controlling and preventing equipment.

Fire Warden Requirements:

If you want to join the training course of a fire warden, your age must be 16 or above. The second thing you need to have is at least a high school degree. Results have shown that above 30% of people who applied for this job were graduates. And only 10% have a degree of masters. Only a few were having a high school diploma. But often, a bachelor’s or associate degree was common in job applications.

You should have experience in firefighting. Also, you need to attend the training school. After getting the full course which the department provides, the department awards the certifications to candidates. It will be a great addition to your portfolio and increases your chances of selection.

Training: The training requires around three years. It is the suggested renewal time. 

Fire Marshal Requirements:

 A fire marshal also needs a high school diploma/degree, a bachelor’s degree, or an associate degree. The interested candidates must be firefighters before. After becoming a firefighter, you need to attend the training courses. There are special courses concerning the training for becoming a fire marshal. During this course, the candidates learn:

  1. Fire equipment handling.
  2. Escape routes.
  3. Evacuation of people.
  4. Fire detection and warning.
  5. Prevention and protection from fire.

Courses and previous experience in firefighting are necessary for becoming the fire marshal.

Role of a Fire Warden:

On a small scale of damage, roles of both ranks have some duties to perform.

On a large scale, a fire warden is in charge of evacuating the people inside. He ensures that nobody remains inside the place of fire. After ensuring that all people are outside the building, then he leaves the particular area premises. Evacuation of people is the duty of a fire warden. He also assists the firefighters. 

On working days, a fire warden has the following responsibilities and duties:

  1. A fire warden monitors the escape routes. Makes sure that the exit is in working condition and free of any obstruction.
  2. He examines the fire extinguishers and alarms. He determines that the fire extinguishers are serviced regularly or not.
  3. Monitors the fire activities in a forest, logging areas, and town and can cancel or pass the permit to local people.
  4. Maintains the records, prepare a report and send it to the officials.
  5. Participates in the fire drill and aware people of the danger of fire and its equipment.
  6. He also assesses the staff and monitors the training of the new members.

Role of the Fire Marshal:

For a small site, a fire marshal mainly plays the role of a deputy. But for large areas, not only do premises evacuated but also timely action actions are needed. The role of a fire warden and a fire marshal is the same. But when it comes to large-scale, the rank’ deputy officer’ is divided into fire marshal and a warden.

  1. A fire marshal is responsible for the evacuation of people. Outside the place of fire. He also inspects the cause of the fire.
  2. A fire marshal keeps check of the suspicious fire activities,
  3. Trains the officers of departments.
  4. Reviews the school and building fire safety system.
  5. He maintains the record of permits and licenses given to people for fire activities. He takes notes of incidents and prepares reports.

Average Salary of a Fire Warden:

The income of a fire warden ranges from $28,000 to $61,000. The average salary is around $30,000.

 The Average Salary of a Fire Marshal:

According to an estimate, the average salary for a Fire Marshal is $63,425. The salary ranges from $42,000 to $97,000.