Career Opportunity

Inspector, Fire Prevention H004

Recruitment: REF43571A

Published: August 15, 2024

Accepting applications until: August 16, 2024

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

Application Opening: August 5, 2024
Application Deadline: Extended to August 23, 2024

Compensation: $171,704 Yearly

Recruitment ID: C00271

Established in 1866, the San Francisco Fire Department is rich in tradition and history. From the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 to the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989, the Department has grown to meet the many challenges along the way. Today, the San Francisco Fire Department serves an estimated 1.5 million people, providing fire suppression, fire prevention, and emergency medical services to the residents, visitors, and workers within San Francisco's 49 square miles.

Role description

An H004 Inspector may be assigned to any of a number of positions in the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Public Safety, such as District inspections, Plan Check, or specialist (high‑rise/permits/institutions). Under direction from an H022 Lieutenant, the H004 Inspector inspects existing structures, new construction, alterations and construction plans, to ensure Fire Code and applicable Building Code compliance; enforces fire prevention and public safety codes; handles complaints, including identifying and investigating possible violations; determines the severity of these violations and acts accordingly; develops action plans to correct violations; issues citations; conducts research to identify and document violations; provides information to the public on fire safety issues; maintains a working knowledge of current fire codes, applicable building codes, and fire suppression techniques; interacts with the Fire Marshal and other Department Officers and personnel, private contractors, design professionals, and the general public; documents and provides follow-up for all relevant activities; and performs other related duties as required.

How to qualify

This examination is open to all members with a current Permanent Civil Service appointment in class H002 Firefighter or H003 Firefighter/Paramedic (Level 3 only) and three years of experience in classes H002 Firefighter or H003 Firefighter/Paramedic (Level 3 only) in the San Francisco Fire Department as of the close of the application filing period. This includes members on leave for exempt appointments or in acting assignments to other positions such as H010, H016, etc.

License:  Possession and maintenance of a valid California Driver License.

Verification: 

Candidates who are under consideration for appointment will be contacted by the Fire Department for verification of knowledge and skills competence. Candidates who do not meet the standards set by the San Francisco Fire Department will be placed under waiver on the eligible list and will not be available for appointment until such time as they are able to meet those standards.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Selection Procedures
The selection process will consist of two components: an inspection exercise and a role-play exercise. If necessary to reduce the size of the applicant pool, a pass-point will be established after administration of the inspection exercise, and only those exceeding the minimum will be invited to participate in the role-play exercise.

The test components will be designed to measure candidates’ relative knowledge and ability in job-related areas. A description of and/or test preparation materials for all exercises will be made available to candidates at a later date. Candidates will be notified via email as to when and where to obtain these materials.

Test Information

Qualified applicants will be notified by email of the exact dates and times of the exercises. Candidates must successfully complete both exercises to receive a final score which will be a composite of the scores obtained on the two exercises.

Test Preparation Guide

Descriptions of the test components, including component weights, will be included in the Preparation Guide. The Preparation Guide will also list the job-related task clusters from which tasks will be simulated and identify knowledge and abilities that may be evaluated by each test component. It is anticipated that the Preparation Guide will be available approximately 30 days prior to the administration of the test component. Qualified applicants will be notified via email when the Preparation Guide becomes available.

Certification

The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this test will be Statistically Valid Grouping. Additional selection processes may be conducted by the Fire Department prior to making final hiring decisions.

In accordance with Civil Service Rule 313.2.1, the Chief of Department will consider the following secondary criteria when making appointments from the eligible list:

•           Fire Department experience (i.e., length and variety)
•           Education and training
•           Completion of State Fire Marshal courses or equivalent
•           Disciplinary record

Secondary criteria items will be reviewed in totality and will not be weighted. Candidates will be asked to complete a Secondary Criteria form at a later date. Candidates will be notified via a Fire Department General Order when to submit the Secondary Criteria form.

Before appointment, selected eligible candidates must pass a promotional medical exam administered by the Department’s Office of Employee Health. This exam includes a urine test to screen for the presence of drugs or alcohol. Appointees must also pass an additional physical exam prior to the completion of their probationary periods.

In compliance with the Department of Transportation Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991 employing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations, drug and alcohol testing for employees in “safety-sensitive” positions are required. Some H004 Inspector positions qualify as “safety-sensitive” as defined by the FMCSA and FTA regulations. Applicants selected for safety-sensitive positions will be required to pass a Pre-Employment drug test prior to appointment and shall be subject to Random, Post-Accident, Reasonable Suspicion, Return-To-Duty, and Follow-Up testing during employment. Prior to appointment to an FMCSA position, each applicant who has participated in a DOT drug and alcohol testing program within the immediately preceding two years will be required to sign a consent form authorizing the City to contact his/her prior employers concerning his/her drug and alcohol test history.

What else should I know?

Eligible List

The eligible list resulting from this test is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list will be 24 months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director.

Suggested Reference List

Candidates should be familiar with all Fire Department General Orders, Fire Department manuals, and other references listed below. This is a suggested reference list only. Test material may be drawn from the materials listed below. The examination will cover materials selected from this list as well as experience expected to have been gained as an H004 Inspector, BFP.  It may also be based on the collective Fire Service experience of subject matter experts.

California Code of Regulations: Title 19
SFFD Administrative Bulletins
San Francisco Building Code
San Francisco Fire Code
San Francisco Housing Code
California Building Standards Codes: Title 24, Part 2 California Building Code
California Building Standards Codes: Title 24, Part 4 California Mechanical Code
California Building Standards Codes: Title 24, Part 9 California Fire Code
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards 13, 13R, 13D and 72
SFFD General Orders
SFFD Reference Booklet of Sample Reports
SFFD Rules and Regulations and Procedure Guide

SFFD manuals and training bulletins are available for purchase at DOT. It is an applicant’s responsibility to update the publications listed as suggested reading materials by acquiring any Department-authorized revisions, supplements, and/or replacements issued prior to January 1, 2024.

Terms of Announcement and Appeal Rights

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods, and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state, or local laws, rules, or regulations.  [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/.]

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 310.3. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 7th business day following the issuance date of this announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications, and exam policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process.

Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow the instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses @sfgov.org and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the Public Safety Team at DHR-PublicSafety@sfgov.org.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.