Who is responsible for enforcing corrective action when a violation persists?

• A. The local health department
• B. The city planning office
• C. The building owner
• D. The state fire marshal

Answer: (D)

The key idea is who has the authority to compel compliance when a fire code violation isn’t fixed. In Texas, fire code enforcement rests with the fire code official—the fire marshal’s office. They have the legal power to issue formal corrective-action orders, require necessary repairs, and escalate to penalties or other enforcement steps if the violation remains unresolved. This ensures ongoing protection of life safety across jurisdictions. The local health department and city planning office don’t handle fire code enforcement, and while the building owner is responsible for making repairs, enforcement bite—especially when noncompliance persists—falls to the fire marshal. That’s why the state fire marshal is the appropriate answer.