EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso County has expanded its fire marshal division, growing the team from three to seven and giving the group a broader role that now includes serving as certified law enforcement officers while continuing daily fire safety inspections.<\/p>\n
Fire Marshal and Chief for El Paso County Emergency Services District #2, Rogelio Esparza, said the team’s responsibilities have grown alongside its staffing, expanding public safety work beyond traditional fire response.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll seven were fire marshals; now they are also police officers serving the area,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n
Officials said the marshals continue conducting daily inspections and checking for hazards such as blocked exits and improper storage, while also investigating fires and enforcing the law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been around for 17 years, but it\u2019s been a process to try to get more police officers assigned and trained,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n
Deputy Fire Marshal Julian Carrasco said inspections are a key part of the job. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are always fire hazards within businesses, that\u2019s where we come in, to play, and we are able to inspect and make sure everything is running up to safety standards,\u201d Carrasco said.<\/p>\n
The county said the team now includes three fire marshals who recently completed training at the El Paso County Sheriff\u2019s Academy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re [not] only looking at the criminal aspect of whether you are committing insurance fraud, but what people don\u2019t realize [is that] if you are speeding past one of our cars, we have the same authority that a regular police officer has,\u201d Esparza said.<\/p>\n
Esparza said the expanded authority strengthens what the team can do during inspections.<\/p>\n
“When we look at inspections of the buildings, it’s not only looking at a building itself, we get to go into the back and see if no one is being human trafficked, or something is off, if they are stashing anything that\u2019s not supposed to be in there, we get to look at that that normal law enforcement does not,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Carrasco emphasized the goal is compliance and education, not punishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you do see us pull up to your business, we are not there to shut it down; we are there to help and educate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Officials said as the county grows, so does the need for this kind of public safety response.<\/p>\n
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