Fire Permit Technician - Palm Desert

County of Riverside; California; On-site; USD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Riverside’s Fire Department seeks a Fire Permit Technician in Palm Desert to handle permit applications, plan reviews, and customer inquiries. You will issue permits, process plans for residential, commercial, and industrial projects, and support code compliance reviews with a focus on accuracy and efficiency.

The role requires strong communication, knowledge of permit workflows, and the ability to use PLUS or ENERGOV/Tyler EPL or similar systems.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of recordkeeping and reporting.
• Modern office equipment and procedures including various software applications.
• Knowledge of California Fire Code and related laws.
• Customer service and public relations principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide quality customer service at the public counter and process permit applications and plans.
• Coordinate permit process and review applications for completeness and compliance with laws.
• Receive, review, approve and issue permits; calculate and collect fees.
• Review invoices and verify encumbrances related to County Fire vendors.
• Schedule inspections using permit software and maintain project files.

Skills

Customer service

Recordkeeping

Public relations

Office software

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

PLUS

ENERGOV/Tyler EPL

Job description

For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.

About The Position

The Riverside County Fire Department is currently seeking to fill Fire Permit Technician vacancy located in Palm Desert. The Incumbent will perform a variety of administrative support duties and provides customer assistance and services for Riverside County Fire; responds to questions regarding Fire’s permit application, procedures and fire code requirements as they relate to permit application and processes; receives and routes applicable documents to staff; performs other related duties as required.

Competitive candidates will possess knowledge and experience using PLUS (Public and Land use System) or ENERGOV/Tyler EPL or similar software.

The Fire Permit Technician is a journey-level classification. The position will report to an appropriate supervisory or manager-level position. The Fire Permit Technician position primarily will engage in issuing County Fire construction and fire code permits, processing fire protection and construction plans for residential, commercial, and industrial projects, performing code compliance reviews of minor fire protection projects, and scheduling appointments.

Meet the Team!

The Riverside County Fire Department is one of California’s largest integrated, cooperative, regional fire protection organizations. The Department, a unique partnership between State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the County of Riverside, serves 19 partner agencies and 1 community service district. The Department has five core values: Leadership, Competence, Integrity, Safety, and Customer Service.

Examples Of Essential Duties

• Provide quality customer service to the public at a public counter; process construction plans, forms, and permit applications for issuance of development and construction permits for commercial, industrial, and residential projects; perform the more complex functions related to County Fire’s development and permitting processes; resolve or assist in resolving difficult or complex permitting issues.
• Coordinate fire permit process; receive and review fire applications for completeness and compliance with related laws, codes, ordinances, and legislation; process plan check submittals, applications and other related documents; answer code related questions and supply information regarding permit processing policies and procedures.
• Receive and review applications for Fire Permits; approve and issue permits; calculate and collect fees and perform plan reviews for minor projects.
• Review, confirm and research invoices, verify encumbrances, and research discrepancies as they relate to County Fire vendors.
• Receive requests for inspection and schedule appropriately using specialized records management and permit software to create and maintain project files and check project status.
• Enter and update information in the computerized permit system to prepare a variety of forms, letters, reports, and other materials to include permit issuance database; maintain accurate and detailed records and files; verify accuracy of information; provide status reports, research discrepancies and records information; calculate and maintain statistical data and records and prepare a variety of reports as required.
• Recommend and participate in implementation and improvement of policies and procedures.
• Research, review and compile data for special projects and various reports.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge, skills and abilities would be:

OPTION I

Education: Graduation from high school or attainment of a satisfactory score on a G.E.D. test.

Experience: Two (2) years of performing clerical office duties and in reviewing, reading and understanding simple blueprints or interpreting and explaining simple planning or building regulations.

OPTION II

Education: Graduation from high school or attainment of a satisfactory score on a G.E.D. test.

Experience: One (1) year in municipal planning, building or a related field comparable to that of a Building or Planning Permit Technician.

ALL OPTIONS

Knowledge of: Principles and procedures of recordkeeping and reporting; modern office equipment and procedures including use of a variety of software applications related to fire prevention and plan review; California Fire Code and other applicable federal, state and local laws; principles and practices of customer service and public relations; English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Ability to: Learn, interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures; intermittently review documents related to County Fire operations; observe, identify and problem solve procedural issues; receive, research and resolve questions from the public, outside agencies and other County departments; learn to review construction drawings and plans; learn to process fire inspections, new construction and life safety permits.

Other Requirements

License: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here: https://rivcocob.org/board-policies

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability

Schedule, Overtime, Standby/On-Call, and Travel Obligations

The County of Riverside offers a variety of alternative work schedules, dependent upon department operations and needs. Certain assignments may involve overtime, standby/on-call shifts, and/or travel; however, scheduling, shift assignments, overtime work, standby/on-call duty, and travel obligations are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding the schedule, overtime and standby/on-call expectations, and travel obligations.

Proof of Education

If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period

As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information

Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.