Brooks Explains Departure as Fire Marshal

TYLER — Smith County Fire Marshal Jay Brooks says he’s stepping down from his position on Friday to spend more time with his family. Brooks says he’ll have more freedom to do that when he takes a new job in IT and software with a Tyler-based corporation. Brooks tells KTBB he’s not yet ready to give more details about his new company or his duties there, but he does say his background is in IT and software engineering. He announced his impending departure on Tuesday.

According to KETK, before he became Smith County fire marshal on June 10, 2014, Brooks served at the Lindale Police Department as a patrolman and was the fire marshal for the city. He is a 14-year veteran of firefighting and has seven years of certified fire investigator experience. Brooks served on a volunteer basis with the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office from 2008 to 2013. He also holds multiple certifications as a fire/arson investigator, inspector, peace officer, and private investigator and has logged more than 1,000 hours of fire, rescue, and EMT-B training in addition to his investigative training.