Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
INDUSTRY MOURNS LOSS OF FIRE SAFETY CHAMPION
Members and staff of the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) were saddened to learn that Chief Ronny J. Coleman, State Fire Marshal (Ret.), passed away peacefully on September 19, 2023, in Sacramento. He is survived by his wife, Marie, his son, Chris Coleman (North Carolina), his daughter, Lisa Coleman (Colorado), and their families.
Chief Coleman was a 50-plus-year veteran of the fire service. Following his service and leadership as the fire chief in San Clemente, California, and the fire chief in Fullerton, California, he was appointed as California State Fire Marshal from 1992 to 2000 by Governor Pete Wilson. Coleman was the past president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and has been a member and leader of numerous fire service committees and associations. He championed the California State Fire Training system both as the division chief and as the chair of the Statewide Training and Education Advisory Committee. He has authored more than 19 books and was influential within the fire protection industry as an advisor, leader, mentor, and friend.
During his tenure as state fire marshal, the State Fire Marshal’s Office was merged into the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, now known as CAL FIRE.
“Ron was one of AFSA’s longest-standing supporters and friends,” says AFSA President Bob Caputo, CFPS. “He was at the forefront of many advances in firefighter leadership, safety, fire prevention, code enforcement, training, and technical innovation, and a pioneer in the residential fire sprinkler movement. While he will be greatly missed, his legacy will live on in the lives of those he impacted.”
PROTECTING THE WORLD FROM FIRE
In 1978, then San Clemente Chief Coleman managed to get his city to do something no one had ever done—sign a law requiring builders to put sprinklers in all new construction, both residential and commercial. He said he was extremely proud to have played a major role in researching, preparing, and implementing the ordinance.
In a November 1989 Sprinkler Age article about Coleman receiving AFSA’s prestigious Henry S. Parmelee Award, he stated that “… the one thing that I feel really good about is that I’ve had the opportunity to participate with the real movers and shakers to improve the fire safety industry.”
Coleman also stated that when he started out with the U.S. Forest Service in 1960, he had no idea he would become one of the country’s foremost proponents of fire safety. “I thought I was going to be planting trees.”
Then AFSA’s immediate past chair Ed Smith said Coleman “never takes off the hat of a sprinkler advocate. His objectives are simple: to provide sprinkler protection in all buildings and to do so by means of legislation and education. While we know of many individuals who may qualify as the man of the year, we know of no other who deserves the Henry S. Parmelee Award as much as Ron.”
EXTENDING HIS REACH
In addition to being a member of California’s local and state fire services as an AHJ, Coleman was involved with many industry organizations. He was one of the founders of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). He served on the Public Safety Committee for the League of California Cities for almost 20 years and served as chairman of the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) from 1984 to 2005. In 2010, Coleman was appointed chairman of the California State Firefighters Association (CSFA) Volunteer Committee. He also was instrumental in establishing the National Fire Heritage Center, where he served as president for many years. Coleman served in many elected positions, including vice president of the International Committee for Prevention and Control of Fire (CTIF), and president of the California League of Cities Fire Chiefs Department. He also served as a panel member on the re-constituted “America Burning” panel and was a member of the U.S. Fire Administration Stakeholder Committee. In addition, Coleman served on the Fireman’s Fund Heritage Program National Committee.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
In addition to AFSA’s Henry S. Parmelee Award, Coleman was selected as one of the 20 Most Influential Fire Service Leaders of the 20th Century by Fire Chief magazine in 1999. Coleman received the 2011 Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) Mason Lankford Award and special recognition from the International Code Council (ICC) for his lifetime involvement in the development of fire codes. He was also elected as a Fellow of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) by the British Chapter. In 2014, FDIC International presented Coleman with the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and distinguished fire service career. He also has had numerous awards named in his honor, including the California Fire Chiefs Association Annual Fire Chief of the Year Award and the CPSE perpetual trophy devoted to excellence in leadership.
AN AHJ’S PERSPECTIVE
Coleman wrote the “AHJ Perspective” column for Sprinkler Age magazine for nearly 30 years, from December 1989 through 2018, penning nearly 300 columns for the association. In his last column, Coleman stated, “Words cannot express how I feel about the opportunity to share my ideas with Sprinkler Age readers. It provided me with an opportunity to travel not only nationally but internationally. The experience has been professionally fulfilling and personally delightful.”
He continued, “But, while we have fought many battles over the last 30 years, the world has yet to accept sprinkler protection as the appropriate solution for residential fire problems. The solution is not that far, far away. I would like to hope that over the next 30 years, we are able to obtain that support.”
No doubt, Coleman inspired many within the fire protection industry to work towards that goal.
Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the National Heritage Fire Museum or the California Fire Museum & Safety Learning Center. Condolence cards may be sent to Mrs. Marie Coleman, c/o Chris Fowler, P.O. Box 661114, Sacramento, CA 95866.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sources for this article include the California Fire Technology Directors’ Association, California State Firefighters Association, Center for Public Safety Excellence, Coleman Family statement, Fire Engineering magazine, Firehouse magazine, Fire Rescue 1, Sprinkler Age magazine, and The Sacramento Bee.
