About the State Fire Marshal Division

Mission of the State Fire Marshal Division 

Our mission is to reduce deaths, injuries, and property loss through investigation, education, and firefighter training.

Division Bureaus

Arson and Explosive Bureau  

Special Agents are tasked with investigating fires within the State of Iowa and determine the origin and cause of said fires. Agents work in conjunction with local authorities to bring to trial those responsible for intentionally setting fires to property. Special Agents are certified as Bomb Technicians that are trained to identify, handle, inspect, and render safe explosives and improvised explosive devices. Agents use a variety of tools to render safe dangerous devices involving explosives or weapons of mass destruction. These tools include X-ray machines and bomb robots. 

Fire Service Training Bureau (FSTB)

This bureau is responsible for training over 830 fire departments throughout the State of Iowa. The FSTB was moved to the State Fire Marshal Division to oversee all training of fire departments in Iowa in 2000. The FSTB adopts standards for career and volunteer fire fighters through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) and ProBoard. The FSTB serves as a facilitator to acquire grant monies to assist departments in purchasing equipment and provides free or cost effective training to fire departments. 

Former Bureaus:

Building Code, Fire Prevention, and Electrical Bureaus were all moved to Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing as of July 1, 2023. This was part of the statewide realignment initiative.