PIKESVILLE, MD (July 23, 2014) – Today, the State Fire Marshal announces the appointment of our new Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal. Michael D. Hanson has been appointed to the position of Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal. He replaces Deputy Chief State Fire Marshal Joseph Flanagan, whoafter nearly eight years of outstanding leadership took the open supervisory position in the Lower Eastern Shore Region.
The role of Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal is a Field Operations Division management function involving the supervision and coordination of the agencies law enforcement activities in the field of fire prevention, fire safety inspections, fire investigations and explosives control. Chief Deputy Hanson is responsible for supervising five regions, the bomb squad and the accelerants/explosives detection canine unit. He serves as second in command to the State Fire Marshal and oversees various administrative programs for the agency.
Hanson has been in the fire service for over 35 years. He is a 30 year veteran of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department. He retired in July of 2014 serving as a Battalion Chief for the last 4½ years of his service. Hanson worked in numerous fire stations throughout the county as a Lieutenant and Captain and also served with the counties Hazardous Materials Response Team, USAR Team and as an Instructor at the Public Safety Training Academy. Hanson graduated number one in his Firefighter 1 class in 1984.
In 2003, Hanson was chosen to transfer to the Fire and Explosion Investigation Section. He graduated from Session 43 of the Montgomery County Police Academy and graduated with honors receiving the James Daley Award, an award for the candidate who has demonstrated the greatest individual efforts and standards of excellence. Hanson has been investigating fires and explosions for over 12 years. He is a certified fire investigator with the International Association of Arson Investigators and the National Association of Fire Investigators. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association, and was a member of International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.Hanson graduated from the FBI Hazardous Devices School in 2005 as a certified bomb technician. He has attended numerous training sessions taught by the FBI, BATF, NFPA and the IAAI. He has also attended numerous national and local conferences on determining the origin and cause of fires and explosions.
As a fire investigator in Montgomery County Hanson worked on several high profile and complex arson cases working with various federal and local law enforcement agencies which concluded with arrests and convictions. As a bomb technician, Hanson responded to numerous explosive investigations in Montgomery County, including being part of the bomb squad component that operated at the Discovery Channel Building Hostage event in Silver Spring in 2010.
Hanson graduated from Beall High School in 1975 and received an Associate of Arts Degree from Allegany Community College. He graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science with a certificate in Systems Approach to Fire Safety. Hanson also has worked as a private fire investigator for Fire and Arson Investigations Consultants Inc. in Pasadena, Maryland for 5 ½ years investigating fires and explosions for the insurance industry. Hanson remains an active and life member of the Frostburg Fire Department with 35 years of experience. He is also a field instructor with the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute with more than 18 years of teaching fire service members.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal welcomes Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Michael D. Hanson to his new position with the agency and looks forward to the continued success with our efforts to protect the citizens of Maryland from the effects of fire and explosives.
Michael D. Hanson
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