Fire Marshal

Sony Pictures Entertainment•Culver City, CA

16d

About The Position

The Fire Marshal supports fire prevention, life safety, emergency preparedness and response, and production operations across the Sony Pictures Studios lot and associated properties. As part of a small, collaborative Fire team, the role helps maintain a safe and production-ready studio environment through inspections, risk assessment, operational support, emergency response, training, documentation, and coordination with internal and external partners. The Fire Marshal is a fire/life-safety resource and liaison among productions, studio departments, and the Culver City Fire Department (CCFD). The role supports early identification and mitigation of hazards, CCFD permitting and regulatory processes, and on-lot oversight within Sony Pictures Entertainment’s established responsibilities. CCFD remains the Authority Having Jurisdiction and retains governmental permitting, regulatory, and fire-response authority. Under the guidance of the Director of Enterprise Corporate Safety and in collaboration with the co-Fire Marshal, the role conducts inspections and risk assessments, supports production planning for higher-risk activities, facilitates permitting and inspections, and provides on-lot monitoring or coverage as needed and permitted. It also supports emergency response and incident coordination, fire protection system impairment assessments, emergency preparedness, program documentation, special events and construction activities, and incident reviews. The Fire Marshal is expected to use sound professional judgment, recognize when an issue exceeds SPE’s authority or the individual’s competency, and escalate it to CCFD or another appropriate authority.

Requirements

High school diploma.
1–5 years of progressively responsible experience in fire prevention, fire/life safety, fire inspection, emergency response, production safety, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated ability to recognize fire/life-safety hazards, assess risk, apply appropriate controls, and know when to escalate an issue.
Ability to respond effectively to emergencies and remain calm and professional under changing or high-pressure conditions.
Ability to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, or extended production schedules when operationally required.
Ability to work effectively with fire departments and regulatory authorities.
Demonstrated knowledge of fire prevention and life-safety principles, inspections, fire protection systems, emergency response, and applicable codes and standards.
Ability to communicate clearly and demonstrate appropriate problem-solving skills in a fast-paced production environment.
Ability to perform the physical requirements associated with inspections, emergency response, production environments, and fire/life-safety operations.
Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Working knowledge of California Fire and Building Codes, NFPA codes, fire suppression and detection systems, and basic firefighting techniques and skills.
EMT I certification, at minimum.
NFPA Fire Inspector certification.
California State Fire Marshal Fire Safety Officer certification.

Nice To Haves

Education or credentials in fire science, emergency management, occupational safety, public administration, or a related field; an equivalent combination of relevant education, professional experience, training, and certifications may be considered.
Working knowledge of fire/life-safety considerations that may impact productions, including stages and sets, special effects, pyrotechnics, hot work, temporary assemblies, electrical systems, fuels and gases, vehicles, generators, and atmospheric effects.

Responsibilities

Conduct fire and life-safety inspections of production stages, sets, buildings, assembly spaces, events, construction activities, means of egress, fire department access, and other studio operations.
Review production activities for potential fire/life-safety hazards and determine appropriate internal controls, Fire team support, or escalation to CCFD and qualified specialists.
Support productions with fire/life-safety planning for special effects, pyrotechnics, fire effects, stunts, atmospheric effects, hot work, temporary structures, electrical activities, fuels and gases, vehicles, generators, and other higher-risk activities.
Liaise among productions, studio departments, and CCFD to explain requirements, prepare for inspections and permitting, and help resolve fire/life-safety issues.
Facilitate CCFD permitting, inspections, approvals, and Fire Safety Officer requirements as applicable, while respecting the boundaries between SPE responsibilities and AHJ authority.
As needed, provide on-lot fire/life-safety monitoring, fire watch, production standby, and other coverage within SPE’s established scope and as permitted by applicable requirements and CCFD.
As needed, monitor means of egress, occupant loads, fire lanes, emergency access, temporary occupancies, and other conditions affecting fire/life safety.
Support fire/life-safety assessment of fire protection system impairments and coordinate appropriate compensatory measures with Facilities, which handles infrastructure maintenance, testing, repair, and restoration.
Maintain working knowledge of fire alarms, suppression systems, fire pumps, risers, extinguishers, hydrants, standpipes, and other fire/life-safety systems to identify deficiencies and support escalation.
Respond within the team’s established scope to fire alarms, reported smoke or fire, suspicious odors, medical emergencies, hazardous conditions, gas leaks, elevator incidents, seismic events, and other emergencies.
Support incident command and emergency coordination, including interface with CCFD, Security, GSOC, Facilities, medical resources, and other responders.
Assist with conducting and documenting risk assessments, inspections, corrective actions, incident reports, permits and approvals, and other required program records.
Support emergency preparedness activities, drills, exercises, first-responder readiness, and maintenance of emergency equipment, PPE, and supplies.
Develop, maintain, and follow operating procedures, response protocols, inspection standards, checklists, and other fire/life-safety documentation.
Support special events, temporary structures, location activity, construction projects, and other non-routine operations requiring fire/life-safety review or coverage.
Participate in incident and near-miss reviews and help translate lessons learned into corrective actions, improved procedures, training, and program improvements.
Maintain effective working relationships with CCFD and other external partners and contribute to the credibility of SPE’s internal studio fire/life-safety capability.
Exercise sound professional judgment, escalating issues that exceed SPE authority or individual competency to CCFD or another authority.
Work collaboratively across the Fire team, providing cross-coverage and support as operational needs require.