The county commissioners shall, on the fourth Monday of March, in the year one thousand nine hundred forty-three, and every fourth year thereafter, appoint a citizen of such county to serve as fire marshal and such number of citizens of said county as the county commissioners may deem necessary to serve as deputy fire marshals. In making such appointments, the county commissioner representing the minority political party in the county shall name one of the deputy fire marshals, and as vacancies occur the commissioner representing the minority party shall name the successor to any deputy fire marshal selected by a commissioner representing the minority party. The fire marshal and deputy fire marshals shall serve at the pleasure of the board of county commissioners. The fire marshal shall report to and be subject to the supervision of the superintendent of county police or his authorized designee. The deputy fire marshals shall report to and be subject to the supervision of the fire marshal. No person shall be appointed fire marshal unless he shall have had ten years active service as a member of a fire department, and no person shall be appointed a deputy fire marshal unless he has had five years experience as an active member of a fire department. The salary of the fire marshal and the deputy fire marshals appointed under the authority of this act shall be fixed by the salary board and shall be in lieu of all other salary or compensation from any source whatsoever. The deputy fire marshals appointed as aforesaid shall have the same powers and shall perform the same duties as those prescribed for the fire marshal.

The salary herein authorized shall be provided for by the county commissioners and paid semi-monthly out of the county treasury.