Fire Department Appoints Fire Marshal May 10, 2022
With the retirement of Building Official Mike Smith in the spring of 2021, the Public Works and Community Development department conducted a process to fill the vacancy. Ultimately, Amy Linder was hired to be the Building Codes Administrator. Linder came to the City with over 25 years of experience working in all aspects of fire prevention, most recently serving as Assistant Fire Marshal for Eugene-Springfield Fire. Her knowledge and leadership helped her quickly establish herself as a valuable member of City staff.
Linder’s experience with the Eugene-Springfield Fire Marshal’s office and her impressive list of certifications did not go unnoticed by the Coos Bay Fire Department (CBFD). She worked in unison with CBFD staff on several projects over the past year.
In general, the CBFD staff work with the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to conduct business inspections and the Fire Chief acts as the Fire Code Authority for the City. In 2019, the OSFM Deputy assigned to Coos and Curry County was placed on administrative leave and the State has no plans to replace that vacancy. The next closest OSFM Deputy works in Eugene and when requested, will conduct an inspection or answer code questions, but the service is not the same.
To better utilize Linder’s training, experience and certifications, Coos Bay Fire Chief Mark Anderson proposed the addition of Fire Marshal duties to Linder’s Building Code Administrator duties. This shared responsibility will improve continuity within the permit and business inspection process, create instant credibility to fire code enforcement, provide improved access for contractors and public with fire code questions, and ensure that a qualified fire inspector and/or fire investigator is available for timely response.
This proposal was approved and Amy Linder was appointed as the City’s Building Code Administrator/Fire Marshal, effective May 1, 2022. The CBFD will host an Oath of Office and Badge Pinning Ceremony for Linder on Friday, May 27 at 3 p.m.