SANFORD — The city council last week briefly discussed certifying the municipal fire marshal to conduct inspections of carnival and amusement rides, which is now not in the state’s purview. The proposal was met with concerns over liability.

And while right now, apparently no one has the oversight for amusement inspections in Maine, that is likely to change in the upcoming legislative session. Assistant State Fire Marshal Richard McCarthy said legislation that was to keep the inspection process in the purview of the state fire marshal’s office was inadvertently removed earlier this year. He said there will be emergency legislation proposed to return the inspection process to the state fire marshal’s office.

That’s the hope of Sanford Fire Chief Steve Benotti.

“They’re trained and properly equipped to do it,” he said.

Benotti brought the issue to the council Tuesday as a “heads up” that the responsibility might lie in municipal hands.

“I have some real concerns about the state no longer inspecting rides,” said Councilor Joseph Hanslip. “The potential for liability is huge.”

Benotti agreed.

Sanford Fire Marshal Patrick Cotter told the council the state fire marshal’s office has been conducting the inspections for the past 15 years.

McCarthy said in a telephone interview Friday that even though inspections are in no one’s domain right now, the state fire marshal’s office is still offering to do them. Luckily, he said, it’s winter ”“ not the time of year carnivals and amusement parks are in full swing.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].