James Lehman named Chandler fire marshal

May 08--ATHENS -- Chandler Assistant Chief of Police James Lehman was named the city's fire marshal during a special city council meeting on May 1.

Lehman has worked for the Chandler Police Department for more than 10 years after serving in the United States Navy on the USS Shreveport and at Norfolk Naval Air station.

"In 2008 we had a suspicious fire that we believed was arson, at that time no one in the City of Chandler was arson certified to be an arson investigator in the State of Texas," Lehman said. "Chief (Robert) York asked that we have the county fire marshal come out and investigate the suspicious fire, but we were informed we had to write a written request and they would consider it. After several days of holding down the crime scene 24-7 we made an additional plea to the state fire marshal's office. We were told that could take up to two weeks. We did not have the manpower or authority to hold down the crime scene any longer."

With their hands tied, the Chandler police turned the scene over for clean-up and the arson investigation was never conducted.

"At that time I felt it important for somebody in the city be arson certified," Lehman said. "Since 2008, I have been certified as an arson investigator with the State of Texas and have performed all the arson investigations for the City of Chandler at Chief York's request."

Lehman attained the certification on his own, without compensation from the city.

While an amount was not set, city council members expressed their desire to give Lehman an increase in pay with his new title of fire marshal.

"The city has become so big and the requests for other areas of investigation and inspections are exceeding my abilities as an arson investigator," Lehman said. "A fire marshal has to be a police officer, No. 1, and they have to be a fire inspector and arson inspector. I hold all three of these certifications."

Lehman scored well enough on his state fire marshal's test where he was able to receive a congressional seal so that he is able to work anywhere in the world as a fire marshal.

Chandler Police Chief Ron Reeves and Chandler Volunteer Fire Department Chief Robert York were both in attendance during the council meeting to voice their desire to see Lehman named fire marshal.

"The city is getting big enough now, we have had several fires in the city, that some were questionable and others happened because of a failure of equipment that would have been found during an annual inspection," Reeves said. "I think that this would be an asset. The city is not going to stop growing, there is going to be more and more requests for inspections. I also believe this might effect our insurance, or ISO rating, that will help home owners reduce insurance costs."

Mayor Ann Hall thanked Lehman for his efforts to become the city's fire marshall before York seconded the praise.

"There are things a peace officer, a fire marshal, needs to do that I can't do," York said. "I am in."

York explained he can't do as much as a fire chief as a fire marshal can.

"What people don't realize is when we show up and I put on that white helmet, that house is mine. That wreck is mine until I release it. We don't get the respect on that. A lot of times people want to go in and start taking stuff out of the house, you can't do that because you may have set that house on fire. I don't want anything moved. I tell them you can't go in that house, but he can tell them that and they won't go in there. My white helmet does not mean a whole lot unless there is a gun under it."

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