(a) General rule.--A city may, by ordinance, provide for the creation of the office of fire marshal who shall be appointed by the mayor, by and with the approval and consent of council, biennially.

(b) Powers.--

(1) The fire marshal and any authorized assistant shall inspect all construction or buildings within the city or upon property owned or controlled by the city or a municipal authority of the city within this Commonwealth and shall enforce all laws of this Commonwealth and ordinances of the city relating to the construction or buildings, for the prevention, containment or investigation of fire and fire hazards, both as to the construction or buildings and as to their contents or occupancies.

(2) The fire marshal or the fire marshal's assistants shall report to the director of public safety or to council or other designated official, as council shall by ordinance provide, any faulty or dangerous construction or building or like condition in any building that may constitute a fire hazard or any proposed use or occupation of any construction, building or premises which would create or increase a hazard of fire.

(3) The fire marshal shall investigate and keep a permanent record of the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire and the damage resulting from the fire occurring within the fire marshal's jurisdiction immediately after the occurrence of the fire.

(4) The records of the fire marshal shall be open to public inspection, except as exempted in accordance with the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law. The fire marshal shall submit to council an annual report consolidating the information contained in the records as directed by council.

(5) If a fire is deemed suspicious, the fire marshal shall have the authority to investigate the fire.