Fire Prevention & Safety

801 Federal
Saginaw, MI  48607

(989) 759-1383
(989) 759-1623 FAX

The Fire Prevention and Safety Division is multifaceted and represents the department and the City of Saginaw in several distinct and very diverse areas. The City of Saginaw and the Fire Prevention and Safety Division is enforcing the 2000 edition of the International Fire Code; each uniformed member of the Division is certified as National Fire Protection Association Fire Inspector. The Division functions as the department public information representative and provides a number of presentations and conducts workshops that teach fire and life safety in the home, at school, and for business and industry. The presentations and workshops assist citizens in recognizing and eliminating potential hazards.

The Division conducts mandated and discretionary inspections to ensure compliance with state and local fire codes with follow-up inspections to ensure correction of noted hazards. The Division has a close working relationship with other city and state code enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with all applicable codes. Construction plans review is conducted by the Division for new or major commercial construction modification to ensure proper built-in fire protection and fire code compliance. Another significant function of the Division is fire cause determination and circumstances surrounding a fire incident. The Division is a team member of the Fire Investigative Services Team (F.I.S.T.) and is actively involved in the prosecution of offenders involved in arson and arson related crimes; each uniformed member of the division is certified as a Michigan Fire and Arson Investigator.

A close cooperative effort exists between the Division and the public and parochial schools systems. Presentations are provided to each school annually and with the addition of ‘Freddie’ the inflatable firefighter the presentations have been improved to include a new dimension of theatrics to aid children in the retention of fire and life safety information. Handout instructional materials are made available through local grants and foundations to assist in providing valuable life safety information to children and parents alike.

Gregory Barton - Fire Marshal

Gregory A. Barton joined the Saginaw Fire Department in October of 1990.  He was promoted to Fire Marshal in September of 2006 and is in charge of the Fire Prevention and Safety Division.  Gregory has attended the National Fire Academy and is a Certified Fire Inspector and a Fire Investigator.  He is a member of the Hazardous Materials Team, Confined Space Rescue Team, the Fire Investigative Services Team (F.I.S.T.), the Saginaw Code Enforcement Neighborhood Improvement Cooperative (S.C.E.N.I.C.) and serves on numerous committees.  During his tenure, he has received a Certificate of Recognition award, a Certificate of Merit award, a Chief’s Special Recognition award, and two Unit Citations.

Ralph Martin - Deputy Fire Marshal

A lifelong Saginaw resident, Ralph joined the Saginaw Fire Department in February of 1990.  He was promoted to Deputy Fire Marshal in February of 2008.  He is certified as a Firefighter I and II, an NFPA Certified Fire Inspector I, a Michigan State Police Fire Investigator I, a Fire/Arson fatality fire scene investigator, is FEMA ICS300 certified, and a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management team and the Saginaw Code Enforcement Neighborhood Improvement Cooperative (S.C.E.N.I.C).  He serves on the Board of Trustees of Bethel A.M.E. Church as well as the Public Libraries of Saginaw.  Ralph is an Executive Board member of Parishioners On Patrol and a mentor for the Family Youth Initiative, Helping One Student To Succeed (H.O.S.T.S.), and the READ Association of Saginaw County.  Ralph has earned the Chief’s Special Recognition Award, a Certificate of Recognition, two Unit Citations, and was the 1999 Firefighter of the Year.