Fire Marshal

Fire Marshal Jennifer Jones Molnar is very proud to serve the citizens of The City of Punta Gorda. She is a life long resident of the city, as a matter of fact so are the three previous generations of her family. Jennifer was hired with the Punta Gorda Fire Department in 2001 and was promoted to the Fire Marshal's position in 2004. As Fire Marshal her immediate responsibilities are managing the Fire Prevention Bureau and staff. This includes blueprint review of all new/existing construction for permitting and review of all fire systems for permitting/installation.

The Fire Marshal is also a member of the Development Review Committee (DRC) that determines the requirements a proposed project coming into the city will have to meet before being approved for construction. Jennifer is on call 24 hours a day for fire investigations and structural damage assessments in the City of Punta Gorda. She enjoys the public education responsibilities of her position. The fire safety demonstrations that are held for community schools and all children of the community are a great fulfillment for her; she really loves working with kids.

Jennifer is a wife and mother of three children. Her busy schedule as Fire Marshal and mom often run together, so her children also participate in fire safety training seminars with her. She feels really blessed to be an active participant in the growth and development of the community she was raised in. Jennifer is very proud to be associated with the Fire Service professionals of the Punta Gorda Fire Department who strive to make a difference through prevention and preparedness everyday.

Fire Prevention Bureau

The Fire Prevention Bureau has many responsibilities and duties. The Prevention Bureau consists of; Fire Marshal Jennifer Molnar and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) Fire Chief Robert Hancock. Daily responsibilities consist of field inspections for all commercial construction and annual inspections for all hospitals, schools, day care and assisted living/group home facilities. The Fire Prevention Bureau conducts fire inspections for all new occupational license applications in the City of Punta Gorda.

Blueprint and plan review is a large part of the Prevention Bureau’s responsibilities. All new and existing construction projects must be reviewed by Fire Prevention prior to Building Permit approval and issuance of permits. Fire alarm systems, fire sprinklers, hood suppression systems, LP gas installations, fireworks displays and tents are reviewed and permitted through the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Fire drills are monitored by the Fire Prevention Bureau for all school and local businesses. Public education is also a large part of the department’s responsibility. The Prevention Bureau, in conjunction with the Suppression personnel, conduct fire safety seminars involving fire extinguisher training and family safety through the use of the Family Safety House trailer. The Fire Prevention staff conducts fire investigations for all structure and vehicle fires within the City of Punta Gorda. Faulty fire alarm activations are also investigated by the Fire Prevention Bureau. The Bureau monitors the annual in-service inspection program that the firefighters of the Punta Gorda Fire Department conduct for all non-state licensed local businesses, along with a pre-fire plan report for each business structure. The in-service fire inspections conducted by the firefighters are with the training, instruction and support of the Fire Marshall.

Punta Gorda Fire Department
1410 Tamiami Trail
Punta Gorda, FL. 33950
Headquarters: (941) 575-5529
Fax. (941) 575-5565