Commissioner of Insurance as State Fire Marshal; appointment of State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal; qualifications, powers and duties; records of fires investigated; appointment of State Chief Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal.

Miss. Code Ann. § 45-11-1
in effect
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The Commissioner of Insurance is by virtue of his office the State Fire Marshal and shall appoint the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal who, along with his employees, shall be designated as a division of the Insurance Department. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal shall be a person qualified by experience and training and thoroughly knowledgeable in the areas of arson investigation and prevention, fire prevention, fire fighting and the training of firemen. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Commissioner of Insurance. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal shall employ such deputy state fire marshals as are necessary and in accordance with availability of funds. Deputy fire marshals shall be deployed across the state in order to provide effective service to fire scenes. It shall be the duty of the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal to investigate, by himself or his deputy, the origin of every fire occurring within the state to which his attention is called by the chief of the fire department or other law enforcement authority of any county or municipality. It shall also be his duty to investigate any case requested by any party in interest, whenever, in his judgment, there be sufficient evidence or circumstances indicating that such fire may be of incendiary origin. All county and municipal law enforcement authorities shall cooperate with the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal in such investigation. This section shall not be construed to impair the duty and power of county and municipal law enforcement authorities to investigate any fire occurring within his or their jurisdiction. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal and deputy state fire marshals shall have the following powers: To arrest without warrant any person or persons committing or attempting to commit any misdemeanor or felony within their presence or view but only such violations of law or violations of regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 49, Title 75, Mississippi Code of 1972; To pursue and so arrest any person committing an offense as described under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph to and at any place in the State of Mississippi where he may go or be; To execute all warrants and search warrants related to, and investigate any violation of the laws and regulations related to this chapter and Chapter 49, Title 75, Mississippi Code of 1972, and prevent, arrest and apprehend such violators; and To aid and assist any peace officer of this state or any other state if requested, or in manhunts or natural disasters within the state, and upon the consent of the State Fire Marshal, within the jurisdiction of the called event. Nothing herein shall be construed as granting the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal or deputy state fire marshals general police powers. All deputy state fire marshals hired on or after July 1, 2013, shall be required to complete or have completed the Law Enforcement Officers Training Program and shall meet the standards of the program. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal shall maintain in his office a record of all fires investigated by him or his deputy, including evidence obtained as to the origin of each such fire. Such record shall at all times be subject to inspection by any party of interest in the fire loss; provided, however, that no record or report of an investigation shall be subject to inspection pending such investigation or while same is in progress, and if a report of an investigation contains any evidence of arson or other felony, same shall not be subject to inspection by any person other than the district attorney and county attorney of the county in which such evidence indicates that arson or other felony may have been committed, except upon the written approval of such district attorney or the order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Provided that in cases where a person has been arrested for the crimes of arson, attempted arson, or any other felony, the defendant or his attorney shall have access to these records. Any physical evidence of arson or other felony shall be delivered to the custody of the sheriff of the county wherein such fire occurred. The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal may appoint, with the consent of the Commissioner of Insurance, a State Chief Assistant Deputy Fire Marshal, who shall have power, during the chief deputy’s absence or inability to act due to any cause, to perform any and all of the duties of the chief deputy. The chief assistant deputy shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Commissioner of Insurance.

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