Building Plans Reviewer - Life Safety

Frederick County Government; Frederick (MD); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Frederick County Government is seeking a technically skilled Life Safety Plans Examiner to enforce fire and building codes. This full-time position reviews construction documents, conducts site inspections, and supports life-safety compliance under the Office of Life Safety and Plan Review Services.

Requirements include an Associates Degree in Fire Science or Construction Technology and at least 5 years of plan-review experience, plus a valid driver license.

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree Fire Science, Construction Technology or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience reviewing plans for compliance with life safety codes, building or fire codes
• Possession of a valid driver license
• Substitutions for the above-listed education: High School Diploma with 7 years of experience or Bachelor’s Degree with 3 years of experience

Responsibilities

• Enforce County and State Fire Code and the fire laws of Maryland by reviewing and evaluating construction documents and plans submittals
• Review drawings, submittals and specifications of buildings, fire protection systems and equipment in accordance with local and State fire codes and NFPA standards
• Develop skills in reviewing construction documents for compliance with the International Residential Code (IRC) and assist with plan reviews
• Conduct site inspections as workload demands to verify compliance with life-safety and building-code requirements
• Electronically document code compliance correspondence and decisions for County records
• Participate in training sessions on life safety and building-related issues
• Compile and prepare formal inspection reports, memos, letters and other technical documents
• Research, interpret and utilize codes and respond to applicants, designers, builders, and the general public
• Assist and meet with architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building owners, tenants, the general public to clarify code requirements

Skills

Life safety codes knowledge

Plan reviews

Communication skills

Reading drawings

Education

Associate’s Degree Fire Science, Construction Technology or a related field

Tools

AutoCAD

BIM

ProjectDox

Blue Beam

Job description

Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible; additional compensation to include annual work boot allowance); full-time; 40 hours per week; Monday – Friday; 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. full-benefits; partial telework may be available in accordance with Division policies.

This technical position will apply and implement fire, life safety and other applicable codes and standards. Supervised is received from the Manager of the Office of Life Safety and Plan Review Services.

NOTE: An employee of the Department of Permits and Inspections may not (1) hold an active Appraisers, Appraisal Management, Home Inspector, Electrical, Elevator Safety, HVACR, Home Improvement, Plumbing, or other contractor related license issued by the Maryland Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing’s office; (2) hold an active Home Builder license issued by the Maryland Home Builder Registration Unit, Maryland Attorney General’s Office; (3) have any interest, directly or indirectly, with a business corporation that does business in Frederick County.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full-time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

For more information, visit our benefits page on the Frederick County Government job opportunities webpage.

• Enforce County and State Fire Code and the fire laws of Maryland by reviewing and evaluating construction documents and plans submittals
• Review drawings, submittals and specifications of buildings, fire protection systems and equipment in accordance with local and State fire codes and in accordance with NFPA standards and requirements
• Develop skills in reviewing construction documents for compliance with the International Residential Code (IRC). Assist with plan reviews and conduct site inspections at construction sites, as workload demands, to verify compliance with life-safety and building-code requirements.
• Electronically document code compliance correspondence and decisions for County records using the County’s software
• Participate in training sessions on life safety and building-related issues to stay current on best practices and industry standards
• Compile and prepare formal inspection reports, memos, letters and other technical documents
• Research, interpret and utilize codes and respond to applicants, designers, builders, and general public
• Assist and meet with architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building owners, tenants , the general public and others to clarify code compliance requirements
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

• Associate’s Degree Fire Science, Construction Technology or a related field
• Minimum of 5 years of work experience reviewing plans for compliance with life safety codes, building or fire codes
• Possession of a valid driver license

Substitutions for the above-listed required education are a High School Diploma or equivalent with 7 years of work experience as described above; or a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Science, Construction Technology or a related field with 3 years of work experience as described above.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Knowledge of life safety codes and ordinances including NFPA 1, NFPA 13, NFPA 72 and NFPA 101
• Knowledge of building construction materials and methods
• Knowledge of technical inspection policies and processes
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills, including the ability to prepare and present clear and concise reports, investigative findings, correspondence, etc.
• Skill in reading and interpreting site and construction plans
• Skill in interpreting and enforcing safety codes and ordinances
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Frederick County Employee Driving Permit
• Ability to effectively read and interpret architectural drawings, plans, specifications and site plans quickly and accurately, compare them to construction in process and perform building plan reviews
• Ability to obtain and maintain required certifications
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships demonstrating tact and diplomacy in all situations with co-workers, contractors, other business professionals and the general public
• Ability to obtain the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1030 consolidated Fire Inspector and Plans Examiner Certification (or equivalent International Code Council (ICC) Fire Inspector I (FI) and Fire Inspector II (FII), Pro Board Certification) within 12 months after hire.

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR

• Work experience enforcing or applying building codes
• AutoCAD, BIM, ProjectDox, Blue Beam or similar software experience
• Related training and certifications

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS / WORKING CONDITIONS

• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly sit and walk; and frequently perform repetitive motions
• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work indoors
• Available for varied working hours as needed
• Required certification must be maintained during tenure of employment

EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include)

1. An evaluation of training and experience
2. One or more interviews