G. Keith Bryant
Oklahoma State Fire Marshal
Office of the State Fire Marshal
2501 N. Lincoln Blvd., Ste. 219
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Re: Vallen Safety Services, unlicensed in the State of Oklahoma (“Respondent”)
Dear Mr. Bryant:
This office has received your request for a written Attorney General Opinion regarding action that the State Fire Marshal intends to take against Respondent.
The State Fire Marshal has jurisdiction over the subject matter and is duly authorized by the State of Oklahoma to license and regulate the sale, installation, and servicing of portable fire extinguishers in the State of Oklahoma. 59 O.S.2021, §§ 1820.1–1820.20; OKLA. ADMIN. CODE §§ 265:50-1-1–265:50-7-2.
The Fire Extinguisher Licensing Act (“Act”) requires that anyone servicing or inspecting fire extinguishers in the State of Oklahoma have a valid state license. 59 O.S.2021, § 1820.10. On or about June 7, 2024, an Oklahoma State Fire Marshal ("OSFM") Agent investigated information provided by the City of Guymon, OK, Fire Marshal regarding unlicensed inspection and servicing of portable fire extinguishers. The Agent's investigation confirmed a total of fifty-three (53) portable fire extinguishers at three (3) different Guymon hotels tagged by Respondent. At the time of the Agent's inspection, neither Respondent, as a company, nor either of the two (2) technician employees who serviced the portable fire extinguishers were licensed to service portable fire extinguishers in Oklahoma.
Respondent received a field citation from the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal in the amount of $2,000 for violation of Section 906.21 of the International Fire Code, which Respondent paid on June 25, 2024. The Act authorizes the State Fire Marshal, on recommendation from the Fire Extinguisher Industry Committee (“Committee”), to make additional fines “of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00) for each violation.” 59 O.S.2021, § 1820.20(B)(1).
On October 9, 2024, the Committee voted to impose an additional fine of ten thousand six hundred dollars ($10,600.00). Following a hearing on February 26, 2025, the Committee affirmed its decision on the fine, and the State Fire Marshal found that Respondent violated the Act and further found that the Committee’s recommended fine of ten thousand six hundred dollars ($10,600.00) was affirmed.
It is, therefore, the official opinion of the Attorney General that the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal has adequate support for the conclusion that this board action advances the State’s policy of protecting the health, safety, and well-being of the citizens of Oklahoma.
Cheryl Dixon
Deputy General Counsel
