Tom Jenson has spent decades thinking about what causes fires — and what prevents them. 

Before joining our State Fire Marshal (SFM) division as its resident fire code expert, Jenson spent 31 years with the Edina Fire Department. During that time, he also owned a soccer specialty store with his brother, giving him a unique perspective on fire safety: one from the fireground and one from the business community. 

That experience still shapes how he approaches the Minnesota State Fire Code today. 

“My whole perspective changed when I saw the damage after the fact and wondered, what could have prevented this?” Jenson said. 

He started with SFM in 2013 as a code specialist — a position that mainly answers code questions. 

At the time, it was a team of two. But for many years now, it’s just been Tom. 

He says on average, he answers about 50 phone calls and 140 emails a month, mostly from business owners and local code officials (fire chiefs, marshals, inspectors). 

There's one part of the fire code he thinks everyone should know: means of egress. This ensures there’s a clear path for people to safely exit a building during an emergency. 

“I tell the public you need to be aware of your surroundings,” said Jenson. “When you walk into a restaurant or movie theater or hotel, do you know how you would get out if a fire started?” 

He also wants people to understand just how fast fire can spread. Materials used today to build houses, furniture and other belongings burn faster than those used in the past. 

“When I was growing up, I had around 15 minutes to get out of my house. Today, you have less than two minutes,” said Jenson. 

Along with answering code questions, Jenson actually helps develop the new Minnesota State Fire Code every six years as part of the state fire chief’s code committee. 

This year will mark his fifth code cycle — and according to him, his last. 

But he says there’s still more work to do. 

“You’d think by now we’d have everything figured out,” said Jenson. “But there are always ways to make people safer.”