Southampton Fire Marshals Garner $4K Grant For New Equipment

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The Southampton Town fire marshals' office has received a $4,142 fire prevention grant for an equipment upgrade.

The grant was garnered from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, and was used to buy seven new, complete camera kits for the fire marshals to utilize for documenting inspections and investigations, town officials said.

Southampton Town Fire Marshal Liam Keating completed the successful grant application for the division to obtain the new equipment and replace older, well-used, photography equipment.

“These new cameras will allow us to do an even better job of documenting our inspections and investigations with greater detail,” Keating said.

As part of their mission to promote fire safety and prevention, the Southampton Town fire marshals are responsible for the inspections of commercial properties — including, but not limited t,o review of building plans, sprinkler plans and site plans — performing fire investigations, as well as issuing permits for outdoor dining, public assemblies, certain outdoor fires, and other activities.

Fire marshals also provide many of the same services for the incorporated villages of North Haven, Quogue, Sagaponack, and Westhampton Beach. The division of fire prevention also maintains and coordinates the regional hazardous materials response team.

In 2022 the Southampton fire marshals conducted 429 plans reviews and issued 802 permits, and also conducted more than 808 separate inspections and investigated 168 different fires throughout the town.

“It was a very busy year for us,” said Chief Fire Marshal John Rankin. “I’m very happy that we have been provided with the grant funding to obtain this new equipment for our office by FM Global."

Through its fire prevention grant Ppogram, FM Global awards grants to fire departments — as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide — that
demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on
preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause, town officials said.

Public Safety and Emergency Management Administrator Ryan Murphy added: “The Fire
Marshals Office is a small office of very dedicated and highly trained public safety professionals. Being able to provide them with the best tools to do the job and carry them into the future is a tremendous opportunity.”