Brian Smith, an arson investigator in Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens’ State Fire Marshal’s Division and a lifelong resident of Habersham County, has been named state Fire Investigator of the Year.
The award was presented at this year's Georgia Fire Service Awards Ceremony. It is sponsored annually by the Georgia Arson Control Board. Fire personnel from across Georgia nominated Smith for the award; this is his first time winning.
Smith began his career as an arson investigator with the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s office in 2004. Last year he investigated over 65 suspicious fires, determining that 22 of them were arson. Smith’s primary investigative region is a 15-county area in northeast Georgia.
The Georgia Fire Service Awards are sponsored by the Georgia State Firefighters Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs.