Fire Safety Inspector/ Investigator

Douglas County, GA; Douglasville (GA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Douglas County, GA is seeking an Internal Affairs Investigator to enforce fire prevention laws through inspections of commercial and public structures and investigations of policy violations. The role reports to the Fire Marshal and combines technical inspection duties with internal affairs responsibilities.

The ideal candidate has fire service certifications, experience in code compliance, and strong interview and report-writing skills.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required
• Preferred continuing education with specialized courses in Building Inspection
• Three years progressive experience in related fields such as education, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, safety inspections, building inspection or similar work-related knowledge and/or experience, preferred
• Three years progressive experience in dealing with fire suppression, law enforcement or subsidiary associated field or a combination of career fields preferred
• Successful completion of Police Mandate School
• Successful completion of Basic Firefighter Course of the Georgia Fire Academy and meeting all requirements set forth by the Georgia Firefighters Training and Standard Council (desired but not required)
• Any equivalent combination of education or experience may be acceptable

Responsibilities

• Schedules and conducts annual fire safety inspections of commercial and public buildings for compliance to Life Safety Codes and other applicable fire codes and ordinances
• Informs building occupants of code violations and assists them in determining corrective measures for compliance
• Inspects sites of storage tanks, bunkers of explosives and hazardous materials
• References and interprets construction blueprints, code books, county ordinances, and other materials to review plans including sprinkler and other fire protection systems
• Keeps and updates computer records of inspections, certifications, violations, etc.
• Participating and adherence of policies and safety procedures as they relate to fire investigations
• Maintaining investigative equipment or coordinating with appropriate personnel if outside repair is required
• Responds to complaints filed with the department by employees or citizens; provides sufficient written and oral details about complaints to the Fire Marshal
• Conducts interviews of witnesses and subjects; summarizes interviews in written reports to be reviewed by the Fire Marshal
• Drafts reports and related exhibits for review, summarizing investigative findings and when appropriate
• Conducting interrogations, death investigations, surveillance of suspects, and financial investigations and files reports
• Assuring Georgia requirements are met to maintain certification
• Maintains a high level of proficiency regarding policies, procedures, statutes, the Douglas County Merit System, the Douglas County Safety Manual and other resources as needed to support the facts and circumstances of investigations
• Other duties may be assigned

Skills

Fire inspection

Investigation

Code interpretation

Reporting

Interviews

Documentation

Public safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

Police Mandate School

Basic Firefighter Course (GA)

Building Inspection courses

Three years related experience

Job description

SUMMARY

This istechnical and administrative work ensuring compliance with county and statefire prevention laws, ordinances, and accepted standards through the inspectionof commercial and public structures and other installations. Investigatorduties include collection of evidence and interpreting documentary evidence inCriminal and Civil Courts. The Internal AffairsInvestigator will work under the supervision of the Fire Marshal. Theinspector/investigator position is a technical, and administrative positionthat incorporates internal affairs, conduct, investigations involving policyoperations, standard operating procedure violations, misconduct, and otherimproprieties concerning departments employees.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Dutiesinclude but are not limited to:

• Schedules andconducts annual fire safety inspections of commercial and public buildings forcompliance to Life Safety Codes and other applicable fire codes and ordinances;documents code violations and conducts follow-up inspections as needed


• Informs buildingoccupants of code violations and assists them in determining correctivemeasures for compliance


• Inspects sites ofstorage tanks, bunkers of explosives and hazardous materials.


• References andinterprets construction blueprints, code books, county ordinances, and othermaterials to review plans including sprinkler and other fire protection systems


• Keeps andup-dates computer records of inspections, certifications, violations, etc.


• Participating andadherence of policies and safety procedures as they relate to fireinvestigations.


• Maintaininginvestigative equipment or coordinating with appropriate personnel if outsiderepair is required.


• Respondsto complaints filed with the department by employees or citizens. Providessufficient written and oral details about complaints to the Fire Marshal.


• Conductsinterviews of witnesses and subjects. Summarizes interviews in written reportsto be reviewed by the Fire Marshal.


• Draftsreports and related exhibits for review, summarizing investigative findings andwhen appropriate.


• Conductinginterrogations, death investigations, surveillance of suspects, and financialinvestigations and files reports.


• Assuring Georgiarequirements are met to maintain certification.


• Maintains a high level of proficiency regarding policies,procedures, statutes, the Douglas County Merit System, the Douglas CountySafety Manual and other resources as needed to support the facts andcircumstances of investigations.


• Other duties maybe assigned

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Toperform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform eachessential duty satisfactorily.Therequirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/orability required.Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to performthe essential functions.

MINIMUM EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• High schooldiploma or general education degree (GED) required


• Continuingeducation (preferred) with specialized courses in


• BuildingInspection


• Three years ofprogressive experience in related fields such as education, fire alarm systems,sprinkler systems, safety inspections, building inspection or similarwork-related knowledge and/or experience, preferred


• Three yearsprogressive experience in dealing with fire suppression, law enforcement orsubsidiary associated field or a combination of career fields preferred.


• Successfulcompletion of Police Mandate School.


• Successfulcompletion of Basic Firefighter Course of the Georgia Fire Academy and meetingall requirements set forth by the Georgia Firefighters Training and StandardCouncil desired but not required.


• Any equivalentcombination of education or experience may be acceptable

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Must be eighteen(18) years of age or older


• Must have nofelony convictions or disqualifying convictions as set forth per P.O.S.T.


• Must have theability to pass a physical examination

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Possess andmaintain a valid United States driver’s license; a satisfactory motor vehiclerecord (MVR) and the ability and willingness to drive a county vehicle.


• Certification asFire Inspector must be obtained within one (1) year of appointment


• Certification asa Firefighter by the State of Georgia; maintain certification desired, but notrequired.


• Certification inCardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and First Aid; maintain certification.


• Certification asa Peace Officer by the State of Georgia; maintain certification.


• Certification asa Georgia Fire Investigator as required by Department

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge ofmodern fire prevention principles, procedures, techniques and equipment


• Knowledge of fireprevention laws, ordinances, rules and regulations


• Knowledge of thechemistry, causes and prevention of fires


• Knowledge of thefunctions of other governmental jurisdictions and authorities as they relate tofire department work


• Knowledge of thedevelopment regulations, Life Safety Codes and related building and fireprevention codes and ordinances


• Knowledge ofbuilding materials and construction techniques


• Ability to read,analyze and interpret a variety of documents such as blueprints, legal codes,technical reports, governmental policies and procedures, correspondence,budgets, tables, professional articles, etc.


• Ability toestablish facts and to draw valid conclusions


• Ability to writereports


• Ability to retainvalid certification as a certified firefighter on an annual basis (ifcertified)


• Knowledge of theprinciples and practices of fire inspections, fire investigations and otheraspects of fire service.


• Knowledge of theDepartment’s policies and procedures and of County ordinances and fire codesrelating to fire and rescue services.


• Skill in takingphotographic evidence as required and maintaining accurate and comprehensivereports and records.


• Ability tointerpret and enforce county and departmental policies and procedures.


• Ability tomaintain confidential information as it relates to investigative processes.


• Ability toeffectively brief supervisors.


• Ability to read,analyze and interpret a variety of documents such as technical reports,governmental policies and procedures, correspondence, budgets, tables,professional articles, etc.


• Ability tocommunicate effectively with employees and managers at all levels of theorganization.


• Ability to retainrequired valid certifications as required by assignment on an annual basis.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Thephysical demands described here are representative of those that must be met byan employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


• While performingthe duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit;use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and talk orhear.The employee frequently isrequired to reach with hands and arms; to carry, pull or lift; climb orbalance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and taste or smell


• The employee mustoccasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.Specific vision abilities required by thisjob include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision,depth perception and the ability to adjust focus

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Thework environment characteristics described here are representative of those anemployee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


• While performingthe duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weatherconditions and is regularly exposed to extreme heat.


• The employeeoccasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious placesand may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or causticchemicals.The employee occasionallyworks with explosives and is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock


• The noise levelin the work environment is usually moderate except during certain fire sceneactivities when noise levels may be loud.

• Thedetails listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various elementsof this position and the work that may be performed.The omission of specific statements does notexclude them if their nature is similar, related or a logical extension of theposition.