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State Fire Marshal

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IDHS released the full report of the PFAS Pilot Testing Program in Jan. 2026

The program tested 316 firefighters from across Indiana (career, volunteer/combination, municipal, airport and industrial departments) and paired blood testing with an exposure survey covering foam use, gear handling, station practices, incident tasks and decontamination behaviors. While it is too early to definitively pinpoint specific causal factors for the elevated PFAS levels observed, this finding highlights the critical need for continued, expanded research and testing to fully map the specific exposure pathways and implement evidence-based protective protocols statewide to protect our first responders.

This report was prepared by Delineate, LLC, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS).

Read the full report

Local initiatives take care of firefighter brothers and sisters

Indiana fire departments and unions have programs to check on firefighters before a crisis occurs and to step in to provide options when they feel like they have nowhere to turn. Learn more about peer support programs in the April Hoosier Responder.

Peer support programs

Data available for risk reduction efforts

Community risk reduction initiatives, such as the Indiana Community Risk Reduction Coalition, rely on data to help inform public safety agencies about the prevalence of different types of risks in different areas. Below are a few resources available to help in these efforts.

  • Residential fire fatalities data for 2025 is now available. Explore the past six years of data on the Residential Fire Fatalities page.
  • The Naloxone Administration Heatmap shows where opioid overdoses have occurred in Indiana and EMS providers have provided naloxone.
  • Review annual Office of the State Fire Marshal data on the Data and Statistics page, including code enforcement inspections, fire investigations and hazmat and radiation data. The page also provides links to fire and EMS incident data.
Data reporting system to change from NFIRS to NERIS

The long-time system used for reporting fire department data across the country (National Fire Incident Reporting System, or NFIRS) is being replaced by the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS). Read the following to learn more.

Report detailing fire run data by local fire service units across Indiana released

The totals presented in this report reflect the information submitted by local units and aggregated by the Indiana State Fire Marshal in accordance with statutory requirements. IDHS performed an analysis and data quality review to establish a consistent methodology for aggregating fire run information, as well as identifying gaps in reporting, quality and data entry that provide foundational steps for continued improvement of fire data for the state in future reporting periods.

Read the Full Report

Stephen JonesIDHS fire marshal logo

About the State Fire Marshal

The Indiana State Fire Marshal is appointed by the governor and oversees fire prevention and protection services throughout the state. Additionally, the marshal oversees enforcement of fire safety codes and regulated devices, fire and explosion investigations, the Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy and the radiation and hazardous materials sections.

The governor appointed Steve Jones as state fire marshal in 2022. Learn more about him

Sections and Services

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Code Enforcement

The Code Enforcement Section provides building and fire-safety inspections, training and guidance throughout Indiana. Code officials work with local building, fire and enforcement departments to provide continuous educational training, building and fire code interpretation and on-site inspection assistance.

Code Enforcement Section

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Boilers and Pressure Vessels

The Boilers and Pressure Vessels Section maintains a program of periodic inspections for regulated boilers and pressure vessels.

Boilers and Pressure Vessels Section

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Elevators and Amusement Rides

The Elevators and Amusement Rides Section regulates two of the safest modes of transportation that exist today: elevators and amusement rides.

Elevators and Amusement Rides Section

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Firefighters inside live fire training trailer with flames

Firefighting

Firefighters put their health on the line every day to protect members of their community. The Indiana Fire and Public Safety Academy handles training and certifications that provide additional education to help protect these public servants.

Fire training and certifications

NextLevel Firefighting: Hub-and-Spoke training

Rescuers searching through rubble during training

Search and Rescue

Following a disaster, search and rescue professionals can offer vital assistance in recovery efforts. In order to nurture and cultivate a strong search and rescue community within Indiana, the IDHS Search and Rescue Program takes a comprehensive approach by offering training programs in K9 search, as well as rescue, search, technical rescue and search management.

Search and rescue training

Firefighters and other personnel working near caution tape around train

NIMS, ICS

IDHS is the Indiana point of contact for National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) training provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

NIMS, ICS courses

Law enforcement officers stand by injured people

Counter-Terrorism

IDHS is the Indiana point of contact for counter-terrorism training provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Training and Exercise Division (TED) and the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC), a partnership of several nationally recognized organizations.

Counter-terrorism programs

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Investigator sifting fire scene evidence

Fire Investigations

The impact of arson is astounding. The destructive force that fire produces can change the course of a person's life in a matter of seconds; their whole world can be destroyed in minutes. The Fire Investigations Section aggressively pursues the cause and origin of fires to reduce death, injury and property loss from accidental fires and to solve the cases of intentionally set fires.

Fire Investigations Section

Hazmat decontamination tent with firefighter being cleaned in tub

Hazmat and Radiation

IDHS Hazmat and Radiation programs provide assistance to any emergency response agency within Indiana with preparation, response, mitigation and recovery from an incident involving a CBRNE/hazardous material/radiation incident on a 24-hour/7-day basis.

Hazmat and radiation programs