(1996)

Dear Mr. Rolle:

You have requested our opinion concerning the authority of deputy fire marshals to initiate criminal charges for petty offenses that come under their jurisdiction. Specifically, you have asked whether a deputy fire marshal would be considered a "peace officer" and, therefore, authorized to sign a citation to initiate criminal charges.

Our opinion is that a deputy fire marshal is not a "peace officer" and, therefore, is not authorized to sign a citation to initiate criminal charges.

I

Procedure for Initiating Charges

Under current procedures, a deputy fire marshal must go to a…