The Orange County government recently named Elizabeth Farnan as its new fire marshal after an extensive search process.
Farnan served as the Acting Fire Marshal since this summer, until she was promoted and officially began her duties on September 25.

Elizabeth Farnan was named the new Orange County Fire Marshal (Photo via Orange County)
“I am very honored for the opportunity to serve as the Fire Marshal for Orange County,” Farnan said. “Some of my goals and visions in serving Orange County are promoting every home having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, implementing more fire and life safety educational programs and working with all our partners to build a solid Community Risk Reduction Dashboard. I look forward to continuing the efforts of the previous Fire Marshals in furthering the legacy of the Fire Marshal Division’s commitment to life safety, community service and risk reduction for all.”
Farnan has been with Orange County since 1994, where she started as a telecommunicator. Since then she has worked in firefighting roles with the Town of Carrboro, Orange County and Chapel Hill Fire Departments. She has served as Assistant Fire Marshal with Orange County Emergency Services since October 2009.
“I am confident that her 27 years of experience and wealth of knowledge will serve the county well,” said Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders.
Duties of the Fire Marshal include enforcing the North Carolina State Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and local ordinances. Farnan will also oversee Orange County’s fire prevention, fire response, fire suppression and fire investigation programs.
Featured photo via Orange County.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.
Related Stories
‹
![]()
On Air Today: Orange County's Housing Choice Voucher WaitlistOrange County's Housing Choice Voucher Waitlist is now open! You have until 5 p.m. Friday, October 2 to apply.

Judge Acquits UNC Campus Shooter After Experts Agree on Tailei Qi's InsanityRoughly 37 months after a campus shooting left a UNC professor dead, the shooter is acquitted from his murder charges on an insanity plea.

Orange County Reports Rabid Skunk After Altercation in MebaneOrange County Animal Services has confirmed a positive rabies test on a skunk seen in Mebane Tuesday. According to OCAS, an initial report was made after the skunk had an altercation with two dogs in the area around Whitaker Road, southeast of downtown Mebane. The skunk was then retrieved for testing, which confirmed the presence […]
![]()
Orange County: Land Use Retreat, Joint Meeting, Work SessionChair of the Orange County Commissioners Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, September 16, discussing county news and events. She recapped several meetings the county commissioners had in the past week, including a retreat on the Land Use 2050 Plan, a joint meeting with the Chapel Hill Town Council on a zoning request for a church, and the board's regular work session. She also previewed upcoming county events and more.

NCDOT: I-85 Ramp to I-40 in Orange County to Close for 2 MonthsNCDOT construction crews are preparing to close the exit ramp for Exit 163 along I-85 South — a ramp west of Hillsborough that loops vehicles over the interstate and redirects them onto I-40 East.

Local Government Meetings: September 14-18, 2026This week in local government: a greenway network in Chapel Hill, and busing concerns and elementary school redistricting for CHCCS.
![]()
Orange County: Preview of Work Session, Retreat, and Business MeetingChair of the Orange County Commissioner Jean Hamilton spoke with 97.9 The hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, September 9, discussing county news and events. She previewed several upcoming gatherings of the Orange County Commissioners over the next week, which includes a Thursday work session, a Monday retreat and a regular Tuesday meeting. She also previewed upcoming events and more.

What's Open or Closed on Labor Day? Holiday to Impact Local Government ServicesMonday marks the observance of Labor Day, which is meant to celebrate the contribution of workers and employees across the United States. With that, the local governments in Orange County will be giving many of their employees the day off, which will affect certain local government services. Ahead of the holiday on Monday, Sep. 7, […]
![]()
The Morning News: Orange County Honors Jamezetta Bedford, Michael Lombardi ResignsIn today's news: Orange County names its new crisis diversion facility after the late County Commissioner Jamezetta Bedford.

'A Beautiful and Lasting Tribute': New Orange County Crisis Diversion Center Named in Jamezetta Bedford's HonorJamezetta Bedford's Orange County commissioner colleagues recently dedicated the future crisis diversion facility in her honor and memory.
›