Maryland's fire marshal, William Barnard, will leave his post July 1 after 12 years.
He leaves on the same day that a state law goes into effect requiring that old homes must have a battery smoke alarm on each floor. That's a change from the current law that requires only one per household, according to Bruce Bouch, spokesman for the state Fire Marshal's Office in Pikesville.
That law is part of the work Barnard has done during his years with the agency, which is part of the Maryland State Police.
"Over a two-year period, we came up with an entire plan (for updating smoke detector laws)," said Bouch, who was a member of the Maryland Smoke Alarm Technology Task Force begun by Barnard.
Barnard, an Annapolis resident who is retired from the Prince Georges County Fire Department, was not available for comment Friday. He is a life member of the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He plans to "enjoy some well-earned time off in Myrtle Beach," Bouch said. "Any future decision will be made in the future."
Barnard's exit means there's a full-time job opening—a six-year term—in the Department of State Police, paying $70,066 to $112,503 per year, according to the job posting by the State of Maryland.
Requirements for state fire marshal include a bachelor's degree and five years experience in fire prevention, investigation and more, as well as fire safety engineering and management-level experience, it states. The deadline to apply is June 12.
When he leaves July 1, Barnard will have completed two terms. But he decided he wouldn't want to do another, entire term, Bouch said. "He has opted to ... allow for his successor to take his place."
He has many accomplishments from his time in the post, according to a statement from the office. "In 2012, fire fatalities reached a new, all-time low of 53," it states. During the past five years, there was an average of 65 per year, down from 74 for the previous five years.
In 2011, the state required fire sprinklers to be built in all newly constructed residences.
Last year, "The OSFM worked with our fire service partners to pass legislation that prohibits local jurisdictions from weakening fire sprinkler requirements for one- and two-family homes," according to the statement.
And, since 2008, only fire-safety compliant cigarettes have been sold in Maryland, a law passed by the state Legislature.
Barnard helped bring in new computers and networks, and helped connect all Office of the State Fire Marshal facilities.
New jobs were created for fire safety inspectors, "allowing deputy state fire marshals to concentrate on fire investiations and law enforcement functions," according to the statement.
Also during his tenure, a new position was added: deputy state fire marshal-senior, which included salary improvements. Salaries were also improved for deputy state fire marshals and fire protection engineers.