Fire Safety Advisor

Surrey County Council; Walton-on-Thames; On-site; GBP 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Walton-on-Thames is hiring a Fire Safety Advisor to ensure fire safety compliance in businesses. The role involves inspecting premises, educating stakeholders, and enforcing fire safety regulations. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in fire safety legislation and excellent communication skills. This position offers a competitive salary of £35,730 annually and extensive benefits including holiday entitlement and training opportunities.

Benefits

26 days' holiday (prorated)

Employee Assistance Programme

Local government pension scheme

Lifestyle discounts

Learning and development access

Qualifications

• Experience in the fire safety arena or related activities.
• Ability to engage with partners and stakeholders.
• Flexibility and willingness to adapt to changes in regulations.

Responsibilities

• Inspect and audit business premises for fire safety compliance.
• Engage with various stakeholders to resolve fire safety issues.
• Plan inspection regimes and enforce compliance measures.

Skills

Knowledge of fire safety legislation

Health and Safety experience

Confident communication skills

Strong report writing skills

Education

Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety

Accelerated Business Safety Induction Course (ABSIC)

Job description

• Location: Walton Fire Station, Walton on Thames, KT12 1RZ

Description

This role has a starting salary of £35,730 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a new Fire Safety Advisor to join our fantastic team here at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. The team is based at Walton-upon-Thames Fire Station.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

As a Fire Safety Advisor in the team, you will inspect and audit varying risk at business premises in Surrey to ensure compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, on behalf of the fire authority. You will support the wider teams in Surrey Fire and Rescue to deliver the objectives of the '2025 Community Risk Management Plan' (a strategic document that outlines how a fire and rescue service addresses and mitigates risks within its community), making buildings and the people that use them safer through education and enforcement.

A typical day in this important role will see the Business Fire Safety Advisor:

• Engaging with various partners and business owners to support people to lawfully resolve regulatory fire safety matters, ensuring compliance with the Regulatory reform (Fire Safety) Order
• Educating businesses and fire teams, ensuring shared understanding of risks
• Planning inspection and audit regimes, timescales for follow up visits and deciding on appropriate enforcement levels based on audit outcomes
• Completing consultations,assessing risks and hazards, evaluating measures in place to protect people and premises
• Influencing and supporting businesses to act on recommendations and, where appropriate, reporting breaches

In all that you do, you will be supported by an experienced team, many of whom are operational.

Shortlisting Criteria

You will need to be flexible, respond positively to change and be prepared for continuous learning and professional development throughout your career. The regulations governing the fire safety aspects of buildings are frequently evolving and you will need to ensure that you keep up to date. The role will require specialist and technical knowledge in fire safety, which will be overseen by a more experienced manager.

To be considered for shortlisting for this position your CV and answers to the questions below will clearly evidence:

• Knowledge of regulation, or enforcement, of fire safety legislation or similar
• Qualifications and/or experience in Healthand Safety
• Accelerated Business Safety Induction Course (ABSIC)
• Level 3 Certificate in Fire Safety, or working towards this
• Experience in the fire safety arena, or delivery of fire safety linked activities
• Confident communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong report writing skills

Application Questions (maximum 150 words per answer):

• Please describe a time when you have led, engaged orworkedwith others to achieve a common goal
• Please tell us about your understanding of Health and Safety in the workplace
• Please provide an example of when you have had to adapt to learn a new way of working
• Please provide an example of where you have delivered a message that you know will not be well received

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. To arrange an informal discussion please contact Dawn St Leger by email at [e-mail] or Rob Jenks [e-mail] .

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 23rd August 2025 with shortlisting being completed week commencing 25th August 2025. Interviewswill take place after that date.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is preparing for Local Government Reorganisation which will allow us to implement the Government led policy of devolution, which is all about giving more powers to local areas.

Currently, Surrey has a two-tier council system, with 11 district and borough councils and a county council, all responsible for different services. All these councils will be reorganised into a smaller number of new unitary councils which will come into effect in April 2027. At this point, this role will be transferred, with all existing terms and conditions intact into one of the new unitary councils.

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.