Governor Kelly Establishes Task Force to Update Kansas’ Fire Code

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that she has signed Executive Order 26-04, which establishes the Governor’s Uniform Fire Code Task Force. The task force is charged with updating Kansas’ fire code to align with modern, nationally recognized safety standards that provide advanced safety measures.

“Kansas’ current fire code is outdated and does not take into account modern building materials, construction methods, and fire protection technologies,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Creating this task force is essential to establish new fire codes that uphold high safety standards for facilities across our state.”

The Governor’s Uniform Fire Code Task Force will consist of representatives appointed by various entities and officials that have a stake in ensuring the safety of Kansans. Earlier this year, the Kansas Legislature passed and Governor Kelly signed House Bill 2739 into law, which authorized a streamlined approach to update the fire code to modernized standards this calendar year.

The task force will complete a review of the proposed changes to fire code language and make final recommendations to the State Fire Marshal. It will later finalize recommendations for the State Fire Marshal on the administration, enforcement, training, and implementation for the new fire prevention code. It will also provide a final report of the recommendations to the Governor and Legislature with proposals to ensure the code is periodically reviewed and updated.

A copy of Executive Order 26-04 can be found here.