Volume 45 - Issue 7 - February 12, 2026

State of Kansas

State Fire Marshal

Notice of Hearing on Proposed Administrative Regulations

A public hearing will be conducted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (“KSFM”) at 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 13, 2026, in the Docking State Office Building, Room 126 (Twister), 1st Floor, 915 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS 66612, regarding the proposed amendment of K.A.R. 22-5-1 and 22-5-2. These regulations support the Fire Safety and Prevention Act and relate to the reporting of fire incidents, casualties, and fire deaths.

K.A.R. 22-5-1. Reporting of incidents and casualties. KSFM proposes to amend this regulation to require local reporting through the updated federal National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) instead of the discontinued NFIRS system. The amendment also changes the reporting deadline to fourteen (14) days after the incident and reassigns responsibility for submitting the report from the chief law enforcement officer to the county sheriff in locations where there is no chief of an organized fire department.

K.A.R. 22-5-2. Reporting of fire deaths. KSFM proposes to amend this regulation by removing the seventy-two (72) hour reporting deadline for fire deaths, requiring immediate reporting, and clarifying the purpose of such reporting.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal does not anticipate any significant economic or environmental impact on governmental agencies or units or the general public because of the changes to these regulations.

Copies of the proposed regulations and the economic impact statement may be found online at https://firemarshal.ks.gov/158/Statutes-Regulations, or by contacting Jared P. Smith at jared.smith@ks.gov.

This 60-day notice of the public hearing shall constitute a public comment period for the purpose of receiving written comments from the public on the proposed regulations. All interested parties may submit written public comments prior to the hearing to Jared P. Smith, Office of the State Fire Marshal, 800 SW Jackson St., Suite 104, Topeka, KS 66612, or via email at jared.smith@ks.gov. Additionally, interested parties wanting to participate remotely may contact Jared P. Smith at jared.smith@ks.gov to obtain remote access information.

All interested parties will be given a reasonable opportunity to present their views, either orally, in writing, or both, concerning the proposed regulations. In order to give all parties an opportunity to present their views, it may be necessary to request that each participant limit any oral presentation to five minutes.

Any individual with a disability may request accommodations in order to participate in the public hearing and may request the proposed regulations and economic impact statement in an accessible format. Requests for accommodation to participate in the hearing should be made at least five working days in advance of the hearing by contacting Jared P. Smith at 785-296-8078 or via email at jared.smith@ks.gov. Individuals with hearing and/or speech disabilities may contact the Kansas Relay Center at 1-800-766-3777 for communication accommodations. Accessible parking is located east of the Docking State Office Building. The east entrance to the Docking State Office Building is accessible.

Mark Engholm
State Fire Marshal
Office of the State Fire Marshal

Doc. No. 053867