Garrett Dyer is the new fire marshal for the state of Virginia.

Gov. Ralph S. Northam announced the appointment of Mr. Dyer on Nov. 14.

Mr. Dyer is the first African-American to hold the state’s top fire safety post. He will oversee the law and code enforcement branch of the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, leading nearly 30 inspectors and administrative support staff in imple- menting and enforcing the state’s fire code.

“The fire code exists to protect citizens and property, and enforcing it is an important job,” Gov. Northam stated. “I’m confident Mr. Dyer will ensure that Virginia remains a leader in fire safety.”

Mr. Dyer succeeds Brian M. McGraw, who resigned in June and is now a fire safety engineer with NASA, the federal space agency.

Mr. Dyer joined the state fire agency in 2018 as chief of the Virginia Fire Marshal Academy, the training branch of the state Fire Marshal’s Office. For most of his career, Mr. Dyer worked for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Virginia Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team. He was part of the team that responded to the Oklahoma City bombing, the U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, the airplane attack on the Pentagon and Hurricane Katrina.

“I have devoted my career to keeping the public safe. I am honored to lead Virginia’s fire law and code enforcement team as we work to protect Virginia’s citizens and property,” Mr. Dyer stated.

In his new post, he also will serve as Virginia’s representative to the National Fire Protection Association’s Public Education Network.

Michael Reilly, executive director of the state fire agency, stated that Mr. Dyer “knows the field and has the credentials and leadership skills to be exemplary.”

Mr. Dyer earned a bachelor’s in fire science from the University of Maryland. He is a graduate of the paramedic program at George Washington University and of the Senior Executive Institute at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.