Fire Marshal Andrew Roberts has seen a lot of progress during his seven years with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). “Our job at UMB is very unique,” he says. “A lot of people in fire prevention or code enforcement positions might only review construction plans or only do building inspections or only work on outreach and education. I get to do all of that and a lot more.”

Roberts has spent much of his career with UMB as a team of one. Now, he’s joined by fire inspector Anney Smith and fire protection assistant Phil Clinard.  

“The UMB Office of the Fire Marshal [OFM] has a great time. We all have varied and different backgrounds and we learn from one another and work well together,” says Roberts.

As OFM grows, the department has a lot of flexibility to adapt to the University’s needs. Growing the department will take time, but Roberts has a vision. 

“I want to build the program to be the best there is and to be a model for other colleges and universities, and leadership at UMB supports me in doing that,” he says.

Part of growing the fire marshal program includes changing the culture of fire safety at UMB and educating students and employees to make safer choices. 

“A lot of people have been doing things unsafely for many years, so as we come through and identify fire hazards and code violations during inspections, we often get push-back because they’ve been doing it that way for 20-plus years,” says Roberts. The OFM team is slowly making changes by explaining why certain actions violate the fire code and why it’s unsafe. They also propose alternate solutions (such as placing a facilities work request to fix the issue).

“We’re constantly working with Operations and Maintenance [O&M] to make our buildings safer,” says Roberts. Because UMB has many historic buildings on campus, the current fire and life safety codes may not be an easy fix. “The buildings are complex, so we use innovation and creativity to try and meet the intent of the code and, ultimately, reduce the risk of fire and keep our community safe.”

Roberts says they’re making positive progress every day. “We’ve found issues in buildings that go back 50-plus years to when the building was built,” he says. “O&M helps us fix the issues and we’re working with building occupants to break unsafe habits through education.”

OFM's common code violations webpage includes several fire safety issues they see repeatedly, such as propping open fire doors, blocking life safety equipment, and connecting multiple power strips together. “We want people to know that we’re a resource for them, not just an authority figure,” he says.

As a resource, OFM provides training opportunities and conducts regular fire drills to test evacuation procedures. You can always be prepared in an emergency by looking for multiple ways out of a room or building, no matter where you are. 

“The quickest way out in an emergency is likely going to be different than where you came in,” says Roberts, “but human nature is to leave the same way you entered. Look for exit signs when entering new spaces to learn all of the ways out — not just the main entrance.”

In his 10-plus years as a fire marshal — he previously worked with the Division of the Fire Marshal at the National Institutes of Health — Roberts has remained committed to the safety of his community. The stakes are huge. In 2022, Maryland had more than 13,000 fires, resulting in 70 civilian deaths and an estimated loss of $268 million. “I take pride in doing my part to keep our building occupants and firefighters safe,” says Roberts.

Outside of work, Roberts and his wife enjoy exploring new cities and National Parks. He’s an avid Maryland sports fan and has been to 29 different Major League Baseball stadiums. There are just three stadiums that he hasn’t watched a game in yet — but there’s still time! 

October is Fire Safety Month. Follow along for resources, tips, and more. 

The UMB Office of the Fire Marshal is a division of UMB Police and Public Safety.