Fire and Life Safety Coordinator

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for safeguarding employees and assets through design support, implementation, maintenance and management of Sewer District-wide facility fire, life safety and emergency response systems. Ensuring systems are designed, commissioned, inspected and maintained in accordance with federal, state and jurisdictional regulations as well as the National Building Code and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) best practices. Serves as resource and subject matter expert to Engineering and Construction (E&C), Health and Safety (H&S), Operations and Maintenance (O&M), Emergency Management, Security and other internal stakeholders. Serves as the On Scene Coordinator (OSC) on behalf of the Sewer District to facilitate efficient and effective responses to environmental emergencies potentially threatening NEORSD assets and employees.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

- Manages the daily operation, maintenance and internal testing/inspection of fire and life safety equipment including fire alarm notification systems, suppression systems, emergency response equipment, fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and other response equipment. Responds to equipment malfunction issues and arranges for repairs.

- Manages external testing and inspection/certification of fire, life safety and emergency response equipment at all Sewer District locations in accordance with prescribed schedule. Maintains accurate asset inventory in Nexgen and facilitates corrective actions and repairs where necessary.

- Advises management on fire and life safety code compliance matters.

- Audits all Sewer District locations to ensure compliance with the Fire Prevention Plan. Collaborates with site management to implement necessary corrective actions and monitors actions to completion.

- Ensures all internal prevention signage related to fire prevention, emergency response and hazardous chemical storage complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) guidelines.

- Collaborates on new construction and renovation projects to ensure compliance with all applicable NFPA codes and regulations for life safety systems design, occupancy designation and fire class/division classification of wastewater collections facilities and wastewater treatment plant processes. Reviews and provides input on designs. Monitors construction progress in collaboration with other team members to ensure compliant execution.

- Establishes and maintains professional relationships with local Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Acts as liaison with AHJ. Schedules and accompanies AHJs on site inspections, obtains city-specific installation permits and executes required acceptance testing of newly commissioned or modified fire alarm and suppression systems. Coordinates the execution of any corrective actions cited by AHJ to ensure compliance.

- Designs and delivers training on fire protection and life safety equipment and systems to all affected employees and maintains all related recordkeeping.

- Supports emergency management team in the development, execution and after-action assessment of exercises pertaining to fire and life safety; exercises including drills, functional exercises, full scale exercises, and tabletop exercises in support of local facility Emergency Response Plans. Serves on Sewer District's Incident Management Team.

- Serves as Sewer District On-Scene Coordinator. Facilitates efficient and effective response activities on behalf of the Sewer District for environmental situations potentially threatening employees and assets. Documents incidents and response activities.

- Coordinates with internal stakeholders and external agencies such as the Southwest Emergency Response Team, Chagrin Southeast Emergency Response Team, Jurisdictional Fire Departments, and the Ohio EPA to gather information, evaluate environmental incidents and determine if Sewer District response activities are necessary. Determines the timing of response.

- Responds to incident locations and assumes Incident Command structure until relieved by AHJ, evaluating potential threats to the Sewer District as required. Notifies the wastewater treatment plants and sewer system maintenance teams of potential hazards in the collection system.

- Performs other duties of a similar nature as may be required.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION

- Candidate must possess an associate degree preferably in Fire Sciences, Fire Protection Engineering or a closely related field.

- Equivalent combination of relevant education, professional certification and experience may be substituted as outlined in the Education Equivalencies Policy.

EXPERIENCE

- Candidate must possess seven (7) years of experience working in fire services or other fire sciences roles; Must include experience conducting fire safety inspections and emergency response experience.

- Commercial industrial environment fire safety experience is preferred.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

- Candidate must possess a valid driver's license with a driving record in accordance with the Sewer District's acceptable guidelines.

- Candidate must obtain an NFPA 1031 CFI-1 Certification or State of Ohio Fire Safety Inspector Certification within six (6) months of employment.

- Candidate must obtain an NFPA CFPE Certification or State of Ohio Plans Review for Fire Officials Certification within six (6) months of employment. Other equivalent certifications will also be acceptable.

- Candidate must obtain a Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) Awareness Level Certification within six (6) months of employment.

- Candidate must obtain the following certifications: IS-100 ICS, IS-200 ICS for Single Resource and Initial Action Incidents, IS-700 National Incident Management System, IS-800 National Response Framework within six (6) months of employment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

- Candidate must possess effective written and verbal communication, organizational skills and decision-making abilities.

- Candidate must possess strong public speaking skills.

- Candidate must possess the ability to effectively plan, coordinate, establish and maintain effective working relationships and prioritize workloads based on available resources.

- Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

- Candidate must possess ability to manage projects, meet deadlines and tackle emergencies and difficult situations.

- Candidate must be detail-oriented and capable of managing large amounts of data, maintain detailed comprehensive records, analyze and organize information, have effective project and time management skills and be well organized.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

During the course of performing the essential functions of this position, the employee must be able to analyze, communicate, comprehend, make decisions, possess general intelligence, interact, interpret, negotiate, organize, problem solve and perform tasks. Physical work will need to be performed, such as balancing, reaching, sitting, standing, talking, typing and walking. Repetitive movements will need to be performed such as simple grasping and fine manipulation with one or both hands. Ability to push, pull and lift from floor to waist or waist to shoulder up to 40 lbs. on an occasional basis may be necessary. Position will require visual demands of color vision, depth perception and far acuity. Ability to withstand very loud noise exposure for fifteen minutes or longer on an infrequent basis is required. Exposure to environmental conditions such as extreme cold/heat (non-weather related), outdoor work, wet/humid conditions and work around large machinery is encountered in this position.

DISCLAIMER: The information outlined in this job description indicates the general nature and type of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities or competencies required of employees within this classification.

Pay Range: USD, Commensurate with Experience

$72,700 - $90,875

Our Employee Benefits & Wellness Programs
We offer a comprehensive employee benefits package including Health Insurance Coverage, Various Retirement Planning Options (Ohio Public Employee Retirement System and Deferred Compensation Plans), Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Free Parking at our facilities, Corporate Discounts, and more! We also have an active Health & Wellness Program that promotes a life/work balance.

NEORSD supports the use of hybrid work as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity and better prepares the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for hybrid work. hybrid eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

DISCLAIMER: The information outlined in this job description indicates the general nature and type of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities or competencies required of employees within this classification.