Name: Alan T. Marshall
Title: Fire & Life Safety Specialist
Department of Administrative Services
Office: Office of State Fire Marshal
1. Can you share your current role and key responsibilities within the State of Connecticut?
I currently serve as a Fire & Life Safety Specialist with the Office of State Fire Marshal.
I represent the State Fire Marshal in resolving disputed fire and life safety code-related matters; I provide local code enforcement officials, architects, and other design professionals with technical assistance in the proper application of the code and in resolving problems in the design, construction, alteration, or renovation of buildings. I conduct technical on-site inspections and evaluations of complex code issues; our team also handles public concerns and complaints involving fire code and fire code official enforcement.
I also have the privilege of being a member of the CT-West Incident Management Response Team as well as the DAS Incident Management Team.
2. What motivated you to pursue a career with the State of Connecticut, and what has been your journey here?
My mother was an employee of the state when I graduated high school. She encouraged me to apply for a position with DDS. I applied and began working in state service in September of 1986. I started my journey as a direct care worker before becoming a state firefighter/ Advanced EMT at Southbury Training School. I continued my education and training, eventually becoming a CT. Fire Academy Instructor and later, earning my certification as a Fire Marshal.
3. What achievements at the State of Connecticut are you most proud of, and what impact have they had?
Early in my fire service career, I planned to eventually become a fire marshal in my later years. The certification course to become a fire marshal is challenging and requires dedicated students as well as dedicated instructors. As a student, I was impressed at the level of coordination between the Office of Education and Data Management (OEDM), the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM), and the CT. State Police Fire & Explosion Investigations Unit (FEIU) instructors. Being a state employee and seeing the collaboration of state agencies working together to train, certify, and support future fire marshals in their careers was special for me. I set a long-term goal to qualify and become a member of at least one of those teams. In 2022, DAS hired me to be a trainer for OEDM. A few years later, I transferred to OSFM. I am very proud to work alongside my colleagues in OSFM. The wealth of knowledge found individually and as a group is amazing. It’s great to be part of the team that supports the community and local fire marshals in our state.
4. What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of your work, and how do they enrich your life?
One of my favorite hobbies is sailing. It is very peaceful to be on the water. My faith and my family activities keep me centered as well.
5. Could you share a memorable travel experience and what made that destination special for you?
Recently, my children planned a family get-together in Williamsburg, VA. Counting my wife, kids, spouses, and grandchildren, there were 21 of us. What really made it special for me was that I didn’t have to pay for any of them to get into Bush Gardens.
6. What advice would you give to someone considering a career with the State of Connecticut?
Do it! Many state positions offer the opportunity for advancement in your career. Being a state employee may also allow you the opportunity to transfer your work location based on changing needs of the employee or the agency over time.
7. What’s your favorite spot in Connecticut, and what makes it special to you?
Saybrook Point and the Niantic River. As a child, I have fond memories of helping my dad launch our fishing boat from both spots and fishing in Long Island Sound.
8. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and how would you use it to make a difference? I guess it would be the power to always say the right thing to someone, to always be a source of encouragement for whoever I’m speaking with.
9. Who is the person you admire, and what qualities do they possess that inspire you?
My wife Alicia, without question! She’s a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and caregiver to an elderly family member. We have a big family (6 adult children/spouses spread around the country, and a lot of grandchildren from 6 months to 24 years old). She holds us all together and does it with love and patience. Her love for her faith and family, as well as her patience with me for 38 years, inspires me.
10. What’s an interesting or fun fact?
The original London Bridge is located in Arizona.
