Inspections Department

Welcome to Inspections

The Inspections Division of the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department
consists of a Battalion Chief, Captain and an Inspector. This section
is in charge of conducting fire safety inspection, building plans review, Community Emergency Response Team training and other fire prevention activities. This section is very active in fire safety education and outreach programs to the community’s children. Programs include but are not limited
to Risk Watch for second grade, Learn not to Burn for fourth grade and Fire
Loss Arson Reduction Education (FLARE) for sixth grade in our city schools.
All three members of Inspections are card carring IAFF 2601 members.

Click here to see our Fire Inspections Personnel at their Holiday party.

Captain Jim Poirrier

Captain James “Jim” B. Poirrier

City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Dept.

James Blake Poirrier was born on October 2, 1965 in Gulfport, Mississippi. As he grew up in Gulfport he frequently visited and was very close with the Fire Department. His grandfather was a member of the City of Gulfport Fire Department since 1943 and retired as Fire Chief in 1970. Jim is a third generation firefighter.
Jim began his fire department career in January 1983 when he joined the U.S. Air Force as a fire protection specialist. After working 5 years in various fire department positions he was promoted to SSgt and placed in charge of the fire dept’s dispatch and alarm center at Mac Dill AFB Tampa Fl. While on active duty he assisted with various missions in Egypt, Europe and South America. In 1989 Jim was honorably discharged from active duty and was hired by the City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Dept. Jim then enlisted in the Air Force Reserves assigned to Eglin Air Force Base as a member of the fire department. MSgt James B. Poirrier retired from the Air Force Reserve in Sept 2003 as Assistant Chief of Fire Department Operations at Eglin AFB. While Assigned to the Air Force Reserve he was recalled to active duty and served during “The Gulf War” in 1991, and again in September 2001 to support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

As stated above, Jim started his career in Fort Walton Beach in 1990. After three years with the department Jim was promoted to Engineer, then Captain and then Battalion Chief in the operations division. An on the job injury left him with the opportunity to move into the inspection division as a Captain-Fire inspector and he has been there since September 2001. Captain Poirrier is currently the president of the Emerald Coast Professional Firefighters Counsel and a Commissioner in the Florosa Fire District where he currently resides.

Inspector Len Gadzinski

Lenny "Len" Gadzinski
City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Department

Lenny Gadzinski is originally from Philadelphia PA. born and raised. He came from a fire service back ground where his step father "The Rev" retired from Philly. His uncle also worked for the PFD. Lenny joined the fire service in 1974 at the City of Philadelphia FD and rose to the rank of Company Officer before retiring after 27 years of service. Lenny was( and still is) a proud member of Local 22. After retiring Lenny and his family made a trip to Florida and quickly realized this was the small town he wanted to raise his two children. Since his arrival in 2001 he joined the FWBFD and acquired his Inspectors Certificate. Lenny has a wife and is involved with the local Boy Scout troop 157 as a committee member in the town of Niceville Fl. where he currently resides.

"praying" during lunch break

Chief of Inspections Jackie Hart

Fire Marshal Jackie Hart
City of Fort Walton Beach Fire Department

Jackie Hart was born and raised in Birmingham Alabama. He started off his career in the fire service in 1963 at Birmingham FD. Chief Hart spent 17 years on line for the city and decided to retire and pursue a career as a safety inspector for an insurance company. After serving in that capacity for several years he and his family decided to move to Florida and restart a career in the fire service. Jackie started here at FWBFD as a line fireman in 1989. Jackie acquired his inspectors certification and accepted a position in the Inspections Department. Shortly after in 1995, Chief Hart made the promotion to Fire Marshal. Chief Hart is married with two children, one of which is on the job here at FWBFD, and one grand-boy.
Chief Hart was instrumental in the following programs offered here in the City:
Elementary school programs, Risk watch(k-2nd), Learn not to burn(2-5th), F.l.a.r.e.(6th graders), C.E.R.T. , Senior citizen fire safety & education, and Exit checks( per month) on local business. Chief Hart was also one of the original members of FWBFD's Honor Guard. Jackie currently resides with his wife in Milton Fl.

Chief Hart's son JP is also on the job here at FWBFD