Fire Prevention Inspector

Guilford County•201 S Greene Street Greensboro, NC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Performs specialized inspection work for the Fire Service Division of Emergency Services in the prevention and detection of fire hazards, and in the investigation of suspicious or major fires. All employees of the Fire Service Division must be a resident of Guilford County or live within five (5) road miles or 10 minutes of the Guilford County line. Employees in this class are responsible for inspecting buildings for fire hazards and compliance with North Carolina State Fire Prevention Codes, promoting fire prevention, fire and safety awareness, and investigating fires involving death, or personal - injury, or those having a questionable origin. Work requires considerable knowledge and interpersonal skills in enforcing pertinent laws and codes. Employees must exercise independent judgment and initiative in applying modern fire principles and practices. Employees are sometimes exposed to hazardous situations while conducting fire and safety inspections and during fire scene investigations. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Fire Inspections Chief, and performance is evaluated by conferences, review of reports, and annual performance appraisals.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of methods, techniques, and best engineering practices of fire and life safety codes, fire investigation, techniques and applicable laws, prevention, and safety.
Thorough knowledge of national, state, and local codes related to fire prevention.
Working knowledge of the geographical layout of the county.
Ability to recognize and define fire hazards and to recommend remedial action.
Ability to operate a variety of equipment and instruments, such as computer, architectural and engineer scale, calculator, two-way radio, volt/ohm meter, digital SLR camera, fire extinguisher, first aid kits, various hand tools, multiple gas indicator, self-contained breathing apparatus, half face respirator, portable generator, light unit, mobile command unit, oil spill- containment equipment, pitot gauge, etc.
Ability to interpret, apply, and explain complex fire prevention codes.
Ability to prepare accurate and comprehensive inspection reports.
Ability to function independently and exercise sound judgment.
Ability to perform long hours of extremely hard physical labor under adverse and sometimes hazardous conditions, including climbing, crawling, walking, using fire investigation tools, etc.
Associate Degree from an accredited college or university in Fire Science or related field and three years in fire service OR High School diploma or GED and five years' experience in Fire Service.
Employee must be a resident of Guilford County or live within five (5) road miles or 10 minutes of the Guilford County line.
3 years of volunteer fire experience is equal to 1 year of fulltime firefighter experience.
Must possess a valid NC Class B driver's license within 12 months of employment.
Must possess current NC Standard Fire Inspector Level I.
Must possess current NC Firefighter certification.
Ability to obtain NC Medical Responder Certification, and NC Haz-Mat Operations Certification within one year.
Shall progress to a NC Standard Level III Fire Inspector as well as obtain a NC Certified Fire Investigator Certificate.

Nice To Haves

NC Fire Instructor certification.

Responsibilities

Interprets, explains, and applies county, state, and national fire prevention codes related to building safety and processes.
Conducts on-site inspections of buildings under construction.
Meets and discusses code interpretations with customers, engineers, Building Trades Inspectors and design professionals to ensure that all applicable codes are met during the construction process.
Conduct new construction inspections as necessary until a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Conducts fire and life safety prevention inspections of existing commercial buildings, throughout the County of Guilford including mercantile, institutional, industrial, storage facilities etc. as well new construction project.
Recommends required corrective action where code violations are found.
Writes technical reports listing all fire and life safety code violations found during inspections, and makes follow-up visits to ensure that violations have been corrected.
Pursues appropriate judicial actions to ensure code compliance as necessary.
Investigates the origin, cause and circumstances of any fire occurring in the county which is of a suspicious nature, or which involves loss of life or injury to persons.
Conducts fire scene examination, collects and documents evidence, conducts interviews, and examines statements made by witnesses, suspects, or others.
Works with law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and District Attorney's office in the investigation of both accidental and incendiary fires.
Assist as needed with hazardous materials incidents in conjunction with other local agencies such as Environmental Health, Emergency Management, and Emergency Services Hazardous Material Response Team.
Assists local fire departments with pre-fire planning activities, emergency response and hazard mitigation.
Assists with special projects such as fire prevention activities, fire department training programs, safety programs, etc.
Participates in an On-Call rotation which allows for 24-hour response throughout the County for fire investigation services.
This position is also subject to call after normal working hours at the discretion of the supervisor.
This position shall advance through the NC Fire Prevention Inspector process to obtain a NC Standard Fire Inspector Level III Certification.