Description

Position Summary:

Under general direction, the Fire Prevention and Education Officer position is primarily responsible for code enforcement and field operations of the Community Risk Reduction (CRR)Division. Responsibilities include  conducting code enforcement inspections, coordinating public safety education, fire prevention activities, and CRR program functions and projects as assigned. This position is responsible for enforcement and education activities pertaining to the entire Urbana community, with jurisdictional focus on either the City of Urbana or the University of Illinois campus, as assigned by the Deputy Fire Chief of CRR.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Actively supports and upholds the City’s mission and values.
• Performs fire and life safety code inspections in City and University of Illinois commercial and residential buildings; enforces fire and life safety codes for City properties and reports code violations for the University of Illinois properties to appropriate University staff.
• Reviews building plans to assure compliance with building and fire codes and provides recommendations to the University of Illinois on fire suppression and detection systems, as well as operational concerns relating to the delivery of fire and emergency services on the UIUC campus.
• Liaises with property owners to provide information and education on fire safety risk mitigation; provides guidance to motivate compliance with fire code regulations; reports or escalates repeated non-compliance and complex safety issues as required.
• Coordinates and presents public fire and life safety prevention programs with various agencies to ensure the most effective use of community resources.
• Responds to and resolves citizen complaints of alleged code violations or hazards.
• Prepares and presents reports on various public safety issues related to areas of responsibility to community stakeholders, City staff, and members of the public as assigned or required.
• Issues fire prevention permits as required by fire code.
• Prepares fire safety announcements for media; works closely with City of Urbana  or  University of Illinois staff to promote fire safety activities and awareness.
• Assists in coordinating activities of staff during public information, education, and community relations programs and events related to CRR.
• Assists in coordinating operational analysis of data and program evaluation on services, programs, and projects assigned to the CRR Division, including but not limited to fire prevention, and public safety education.
• Assists in coordinating the Public Safety Education and Fire Prevention programs with numerous other agencies, including but not limited to the University of Illinois and the City of Champaign.
• Provides input and makes recommendations for long-range risk reduction planning to establish future departmental and division needs.
• Presents and facilitates fire safety classes and workshops for various school and community groups.
• Identifies and tracks CRR trends, developments, and public education needs and opportunities in the area of fire service risk reduction; develops applicable education programs and materials or makes recommendations as required.
• Trains fire department staff in fire code, public education, public information dissemination, and community relations programs, activities, requirements, and best practices. 
• Disseminates information concerning special fire department events and other departmental operations to the department, the community, and other agencies.
• Prepares lists of pre-incident plans, Knox Box information, and walkthroughs for City and campus buildings.
• Completes department assigned training.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Required / Minimum Qualifications:

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

• Completion of a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in fire code enforcement, fire prevention, public safety, and/or commercial building inspection, or comparable related experience. Professional experience refers to full-time, paid employment.
• Must possess and maintain an State of Illinois driver’s license within 15 days of hire.
• Must possess and maintain State of Illinois Fire Inspector I certification, NFPA 1030 Fire Inspector, IFSAC Fire Inspector I, ProBoard Fire Inspector I, or International Code Council Fire Inspector I certification.
• Must possess or acquire within two years of hire and maintain:
  • State of Illinois certification as Fire Inspector II.
  • NFPA 1030 Fire Inspector
  • IFSAC Fire Inspector II
  • ProBoard Fire Inspector II, or International Code Council Fire Inspector II
  • State of Illinois certification as Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I, IFSAC Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I, or ProBoard Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of professional experience coordinating or facilitating fire service Community Risk Reduction programs or activities, to include fire code enforcement, public education, and/or fire prevention activities.
• An associate’s or higher degree in fire science, fire protection technology, or a related field from an accredited college or university. 
• State of Illinois Certification as Basic Fire Prevention Officer

For a complete list of duties and qualifications, please refer to the job description.