Assistant Fire Marshal

We are looking for an Assistant Fire Marshal to join the City of Charleston's Fire Department! In this role, you will support the mission of the Charleston Fire Department and engage in activities that maintain a safe environment for citizens, visitors, and firefighters through proactive enforcement of regulations.

• Performs needed emergency response, technical, and administrative work.
• Responds to structure fires, large emergency events, terrorist events, storms or other emergency situations to assist with emergency operations.
• Participates in emergency operations or assigned command role to mitigate emergency incidents.
• Participates in a scheduled rotation and remains available to respond to emergency incidents 24 hours a day to engage in fire department operations to minimize the further destruction of property by fire or other hazards.
• Provides assistance to the Incident Commander at fire scenes or other emergencies in support of the required effort.
• Conducts assigned fire and life safety inspections of existing structures, new structures and modifications within existing structures including construction features, automatic sprinklers and other fire protection systems, fire alarm systems, life safety features, and hazardous materials and processes in order to evaluate compliance with the Fire Code and related South Carolina construction codes for compliance.
• Assists/coordinates inspections with fire department personnel.
• Electronically and manually documents inspections, identifying and documenting corrective action required for Code compliance.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with City departments, State agencies, schools, medical facilities and other groups in relation to fire regulations and ordinances.
• Interprets and applies regulations in a variety of circumstances with multiple variables.
• Communicates in writing and orally with the public, contractors, vendors, architects, engineers, State Fire Marshal, law enforcement etc., in compliance and enforcement activities.
• Investigates fires to determine the origin and cause and pursues criminal charges when appropriate.
• Collaborates with Law Enforcement, Solicitor, and court personnel in conducting criminal investigations involving fire related crimes, arson, suspected arson, or fire code infractions.
• Issues citations, testifies in court, obtains warrants, and submits depositions.
• Collects evidence, interviews witnesses and occupants, photographs the scenes, documents events, transports evidence for analysis and maintains chain of custody of all reports, photos, and evidence, and prepares final reports and summaries.
• Assist supervisors in development, review, and implementation of needed operating procedures and guides for fire inspections, fire code enforcement, public education, and investigations.
• Designs, develops, and delivers well planned, organized, informative fire prevention and community outreach training involving all members of the CFD.
• Provides fire consultation services and fire prevention materials to business and the general public, including surveys, inspections, written materials and information.
• Reads, reviews and interprets building and fire protection plans.
• Conducts systematic review of fire and life safety plans and develops detailed plan review comments.
• Prepares reports, gathering all appropriate data regarding activities for analysis.
• May require evenings, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

HS Diploma and 5 years of career fire service experience as a firefighter, fire inspector, public fire safety educator; or

Associate’s degree in fire science or related field and 3 years career fire service experience as a firefighter, fire inspector, public fire safety educator; or

Bachelor’s degree in fire science or related field and 1 year career fire service experience as a firefighter, fire inspector, public fire safety educator; 

or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS 

 

Assistant Fire Marshal I

Minimum at time of application: 

• Valid state issued driver’s license 
• Emergency First Responder/CPR Certification

• Firefighter II (IFSAC/NFPA Curriculum or equivalent)

• Fire Inspector 1 (ICC preferred, NFPA, Pro Board, or equivalent coursework)
• Hazardous Materials - Awareness

• ICS 100 & 200

• At least 80 hours of relevant coursework, training, or certifications in fire inspections, investigations, and/or public fire safety education (beyond the coursework of FF 2).

Certifications required within 6 months of hire:

• South Carolina Resident Fire Marshal Certification
• ICC Fire Inspector 1
• Transition of out of state certificates to South Carolina Fire Academy

 Assistant Fire Marshal II (required by year 3 of employment)

• Principles of Building Construction: Non Combustible (or equivalent)
• Principles of Building Construction: Combustible (or equivalent)
• Hazardous Materials - Operations
• Fire Investigation Certification or course of not less than a 16 hour program 
• IS 700
• IS 800 

Assistant Fire Marshal III (required by year 5 of employment)

• International Code Council (ICC) Fire Inspector 2
• Fire investigation certification or course of not less than a 32 hour program
• Courtroom preparation course or program of not less than 8 hours
• Incident Safety Officer
• ICS 300
• ICS 400

Assistant Fire Marshal IV (required by year 7 of employment)

• International Code Council (ICC) Fire Plans Examiner (FPE)
• Fire & Life Safety Educator 1
• Fire investigation certification or course of not less than an 80 hour program
• Hazardous Materials Technician of not less than a 40 hour program 

Assistant Fire Marshal V (required by year 9 of employment)

• Courtroom preparation course or program of not less than 16 hours
• Juvenile Fire Setter Specialist level 1
• International Association of Fire Investigators Fire Investigation Technician (IAAI-FIT)