The Board of Fire Commissioners this week appointed Rich Frampton as the town fire marshal, promoting him to be the local official in charge of fire safety and fire investigations.

Mr Frampton has served as the acting fire marshal since November, when Bill Halstead retired from the fire marshal position. Mr Frampton served as the town's full-time deputy fire marshal under Mr Halstead for many years.

Also, the Board of Fire Commissioners promoted Steve Murphy, appointing him as the town's full-time deputy fire marshal/fire administrator. Mr Murphy formerly served as one of the town's part-time deputy fire marshals. In his new position, Mr Murphy also will serve as the purchasing agent for the town's five volunteer fire companies - Newtown Hook & Ladder, Dodgingtown, Hawleyville, Sandy Hook, and Botsford.

Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Rob Manna spoke on February 27, after the commission unanimously promoted both men to new positions. Mr Manna said that both men have done "an excellent job" in their work at the fire marshal's office.

"We've gotten nothing but good feedback" on their performance, he said.

The board has a member from each fire company, plus two civilians. The board handles public funding matters, as they affect the fire companies.

Mr Frampton and Mr Murphy are well versed in the firefighting world, having served as firefighters for decades.

Mr Frampton, of Pebble Road, joined Newtown Hook & Ladder as a volunteer firefighter in 1972. In 1976, he joined the Fairfield Hills Fire Department, a paid fire service, becoming its assistant chief. After the Fairfield Hills fire service closed, he joined the University of Connecticut's paid fire service at the UConn Medical Center in Farmington, working there from 1996 until 2000. He then returned to work in Newtown, joining the Newtown fire marshal office's staff.

Mr Frampton has kept his Hook & Ladder ties, and now serves as that group's vice president.

Mr Murphy, of Webster Place, joined Hook & Ladder as a volunteer firefighter in 1981. From 1993 to 1997, he served as that group's fire chief. In 2006, he joined Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company, becoming its fire chief in 2012, a position which he now holds. Before retiring, Mr Murphy worked as a paid firefighter for 27 years for the Town of Westport. He joined the Newtown fire marshal's office in 2015.

The town fire marshal office's basic duties involve the enforcement of all fire safety codes. Work includes reviewing construction plans for compliance with those fire safety codes. The staff issues permits for blasting and for open burning. The staff also formally observes the removal of underground fuel storage tanks. The fire marshals also inspect all gasoline filling stations and inspect all local buildings, other than one-family and two-family residences. The office also promotes fire safety, including an annual fire safety poster contest for schoolchildren.

Mr Frampton said he considers fire investigations to be the most difficult aspect of the job, in which investigators seek to determine the causes of fires and their points of origin. Often, the damage done by a fire is so thorough that the evidence is destroyed, making such probes difficult, he said.

In certain cases, such as fire fatalities and fires with large losses, the town fire marshal is assisted by the state fire marshal's office, Mr Frampton said. That state unit has dogs that are trained to sniff for "accelerants" or substances that are used to accelerate the spread of a fire when a fire is intentionally set in an arson.

Often, the town fire marshals work cooperatively with fire investigators who are employed by insurance companies that have received claims for fire losses, Mr Frampton said.

Mr Murphy said he finds conducting fire investigations the most interesting aspect of a fire marshal's various duties.

Mr Frampton pointed out that the fire marshal's office provides free training, when requested, to firms that want to educate their employees about the proper use of fire extinguishers. The fire marshals provide the equipment used in such training.

Mr Murphy said that a basic asset which both Mr Frampton and he bring to their new posts is their longtime residency in Newtown and consequent deep knowledge of local roads and buildings.

Mr Frampton said that as the fire marshal, he will strive for continuity in providing good service to residents.

"We've been running smoothly for years," he said. Mr Murphy noted that he will be learning the skills of a purchasing agent, a role that will soon become part of the full-time deputy fire marshal's position.

In his spare time, Mr Frampton, who is married and has three grown children, said he likes to play golf at courses throughout the region and also go fishing.

Mr Murphy, who is married and has two grown children, said he enjoys hiking in the area.