Owensboro Fire Department recently named Captain Brian Roberts as the department’s Deputy Fire Marshal.
Roberts has been a firefighter at OFD for the past 15 years. As Deputy Fire Marshal, he will aid current Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Steve Leonard’s efforts in safety, education, code enforcement, and investigations.
“I’ve spent my whole career responding to incidents, and now I’m focused on preventing them from happening,” Roberts said.
He said he’s continued learning about fire prevention since he joined the force in 2006 as a volunteer firefighter. While taking some classes throughout his tenure since coming on full-time in 2009, safety and prevention have continually piqued his interest.
“I try to learn something every day about fire codes and safety, and it’s great to work alongside Chief Leonard,” Roberts said.
He officially moved into the role on July 1 following the approval and enforcement of the new City budget. Fire Chief James Howard said the intention of adding the position was to responsibly spread knowledge about fire codes and safety throughout the department.
“It’s a robust division. It’s a lot for one person to take on,” Howard said previously. “The position takes a knowledge that’s required to make sure the necessary rigor is there to make sure that those facilities are safe for the people that work there and come in and out.”
