Fire Prevention Inspector*

Richmond Fire & Emergency Services is searching for a knowledgeable and detail-oriented Fire Prevention Inspector to join our team.

This class is in charge of fire prevention inspections and fire safety education for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Incumbents ensure buildings are in compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and the Virginia Uniform Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Work may also include: performing administrative duties such as compiling reports and maintaining records; giving presentations and developing programs related to fire prevention and safety; issuing notices of code violations, citations, and summonses; reviewing plans and performing on-site inspections of fire protection systems; investigating complaints; responding to inquiries from the public and outside agencies; attending seminars/meetings and conducting research to maintain a working knowledge of the applicable state and local codes; assisting with fire drills and developing evacuation plans; conducting training of new Firefighters and company officers; performing acceptance testing of new and revised fire protection systems; reviewing and proposing changes to fire codes and safety standards; and operating motor vehicles.

TYPICAL CLASS ESSENTIAL DUTIES: These duties and percentage of time are a representative sample; position assignments may vary.

1. Performs occupancy and use inspections. Inspects fire prevention systems and evacuation plans. Issues notices of code violations as well as summonses and citations. Investigates complaints by visiting field sites. Operates motor vehicles. 40%
2. Develops and presents fire safety/prevention programs to educate the public. Assists in developing evacuation plans and conducts fire drills. Reviews and proposes changes to safety standards and codes. 20%
3. Reviews building plans for code compliance.10%
4. Responds to inquiries from the public, outside agencies, and contractors. 10%
5. Performs acceptance testing of fire prevention systems/sprinklers.10%
6. Attends seminars and meetings related to fire prevention/safety and to keep up to date on codes and ordinances. Trains Firefighters and company officers using the knowledge attained. 10%

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Three years of safety, prevention and /or inspection experience. Preferred candidate will have experience with fire prevention.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification
  

LICENSING, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Fire Inspector I NFPA 1031 must be obtained within 180 days of hire
• Fire & Safety Education NFPA 1035 must be obtained within 9 months of hire
• A valid Virginia driver's license upon hire or a valid Virginia driver’s license within 30 days of hire for out-of-state candidates who are required to transfer their license to Virginia (Note: Must be without restrictions or revocations which prohibit the operation of a department vehicle)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
• Virginia Uniform Statewide Fire Prevention Code
• City of Richmond Fire Prevention/Safety codes
• Fire prevention systems (e.g. fire sprinklers and extinguishers)
• Building evacuation principles
• Characteristics of hazardous materials
• Behavior and characteristics of fire
• Acceptance testing fire prevention systems

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Conducting fire drills
• Inspecting for fire prevention
• Presenting
• Operating a motor vehicle
• Maintaining records
• Reviewing building plans

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Train others
• Conduct research
• Interact and work with different groups of people
• Learn new codes and fire prevention policies
• Communicate with the public regarding citations and code violations