LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- A state audit released Tuesday said the Kansas Fire Marshal's Office has failed to inspect hundreds of schools, hospitals and other medical facilities.
The report from the Legislative Division of Post Audit said 19 percent of schools and 24 percent of health care buildings haven't had an inspection in the last 13 months, a violation of statutory requirements.
Auditors also raised questions about the office's management structure, a lack of independent oversight and a failure to make follow-up visits to ensure property managers fix violations.
The committee overseeing the division has recommended further study of the office's operations.
``It's a fairly critical audit of management practices,'' said state Senate President Dave Kerr, R-Hutchinson.
State Fire Marshal Joseph Odle responded that his office has actually increased the number of inspections since he's been in office and that all of the lapsed checks were supposed to have been performed by local fire departments.
Odle, noting that the audit didn't uncover any misconduct or waste in the office, said he is continuing efforts to make the office more efficient. He added that he inherited many of the problems from prior administrations when Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appointed him to the office last year.
``I just disagree with a lot of things in it,'' Odle said of the audit.
He said his office is responsible for doing inspections in towns of 2,000 people or less and is conducting those checks. The facilities listed in the audit, however, are in towns of more than 2,000 people and should be inspected by local fire officials, he said.
Odle said local fire departments aren't sending him the reports and he plans to begin fining the officials if they don't send him the reports, as required.
