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Fire Inspectors and Investigators

Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.
Related: Construction & Building Inspectors  Fire-Prevention & Protection Engineers  Firefighters  First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting & Prevention Workers  Forest Fire Inspectors & Prevention Specialists 
Industries: Government 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Examine fire sites and collect evidence such as glass, metal fragments, charred wood, and accelerant residue for use in determining the cause of a fire.
    • Develop or review fire exit plans.
    • Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
    • Dust evidence or portions of fire scenes for latent fingerprints.
    • Supervise staff, training them, planning their work, and evaluating their performance.
    • Supervise staff, training them, planning their work, and evaluating their performance.
    • Develop and coordinate fire prevention programs, such as false alarm billing, fire inspection reporting, and hazardous materials management.
    • Write detailed reports of fire inspections performed, fire code violations observed, and corrective recommendations offered.
    • Inspect properties that store, handle, and use hazardous materials to ensure compliance with laws, codes, and regulations, and issue hazardous materials permits to facilities found in compliance.
    • Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
    • Identify corrective actions necessary to bring properties into compliance with applicable fire codes, laws, regulations, and standards, and explain these measures to property owners or their representatives.
    • Coordinate efforts with other organizations, such as law enforcement agencies.
    • Conduct fire exit drills to monitor and evaluate evacuation procedures.
    • Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
    • Instruct children about the dangers of fire.
    • Arrange for the replacement of defective fire fighting equipment and for repair of fire alarm and sprinkler systems, making minor repairs such as servicing fire extinguishers when feasible.
    • Supervise staff, training them, planning their work, and evaluating their performance.
    • Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
    • Identify corrective actions necessary to bring properties into compliance with applicable fire codes, laws, regulations, and standards, and explain these measures to property owners or their representatives.
    • Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
    • Review blueprints and plans for new or remodeled buildings to ensure the structures meet fire safety codes.
    • Teach fire investigation techniques to other firefighter personnel.
    • Inspect properties that store, handle, and use hazardous materials to ensure compliance with laws, codes, and regulations, and issue hazardous materials permits to facilities found in compliance.
    • Attend training classes to maintain current knowledge of fire prevention, safety, and firefighting procedures.
    • Subpoena and interview witnesses, property owners, and building occupants to obtain information and sworn testimony.
    • Inspect buildings to locate hazardous conditions and fire code violations, such as accumulations of combustible material, electrical wiring problems, and inadequate or non-functional fire exits.
    • Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
    • Conduct internal investigation to determine negligence and violation of laws and regulations by fire department employees.
    • Test sites and materials to establish facts, such as burn patterns and flash points of materials, using test equipment.
    • Issue permits for public assemblies.
    • Develop and coordinate fire prevention programs, such as false alarm billing, fire inspection reporting, and hazardous materials management.
    • Teach fire investigation techniques to other firefighter personnel.
    • Inspect and test fire protection or fire detection systems to verify that such systems are installed in accordance with appropriate laws, codes, ordinances, regulations, and standards.
    • Teach public education programs on fire safety and prevention.
    • Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
    • Conduct fire code compliance follow-ups to ensure that corrective actions have been taken in cases where violations were found.
    • Recommend changes to fire prevention, inspection, and fire code endorsement procedures.

    Skills

    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    Abilities

    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    Knowledge

    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Education

    Education
    Postsecondary certificate
    Work Experience
    5 years or more work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    116950/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    56.23/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    160
    Yearly Projected Openings
    20

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability

    Tools

    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Air velocity and temperature monitors
    • Anemometers
    • Automobiles or cars
    • Ball peen hammer
    • Barometers
    • Battery testers
    • Bolt cutters
    • Box end wrenches
    • Bullet proof vests
    • Camera flashes or lighting
    • Camera lens
    • Camera tripods
    • Circuit tester
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold chisels
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Digital voice recorders
    • Direction finding compasses
    • Dosing droppers
    • Electrical frequency meters
    • Emergency light unit
    • End cut pliers
    • Fingerprint equipment
    • Fire alarm systems
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Fire hoses or nozzles
    • Fire suppression hand tools
    • Fire suppression system
    • Flashlight
    • Flood light
    • Flowmeters
    • Forestry saws
    • Fuse pullers
    • GFI circuit testers
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Gas detectors
    • Gas generators
    • Hacksaw
    • Handcuffs
    • Handguns
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Hatchets
    • Hoes
    • Hydrocarbons analyzers or detectors
    • Laboratory forceps
    • Ladders
    • Laser fax machine
    • Levels
    • Linemans pliers
    • Locking pliers
    • Lux or light meter
    • Magnetic tools
    • Magnifying glass
    • Masks or accessories
    • Measuring wheels for distance
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Mobile phones
    • Multimeters
    • Notebook computers
    • Pad or keyhole saw
    • Personal computers
    • Pipe or tube cutter
    • Pipe wrenches
    • Plumb bobs
    • Pocket calculator
    • Pocket knives
    • Power drills
    • Protective coats
    • Protective hood
    • Protective pants
    • Pry bars
    • Psychrometers
    • Putty knives
    • Rakes
    • Rangefinders
    • Razor knives
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Respirators
    • Rulers
    • Safety glasses
    • Safety helmets
    • Screwdrivers
    • Shears
    • Shovels
    • Single gas monitors
    • Sledge hammer
    • Slip or groove joint pliers
    • Smoke detectors
    • Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Spectrophotometers
    • Still cameras
    • Sump pumps
    • Tablet computers
    • Tape measures
    • Tinners snips
    • Trowels
    • Tweezers
    • Two way radios
    • Ultraviolet UV lamps
    • Utility knives
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Water storage tanks
    • Wire cutters
    • Wire gauge
    • Wire-stripping pliers
    • Wood chisels
    • X ray radiography examination equipment

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Human resources software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

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