Fire Marshal

Promotional opportunity open only to members of Local 825 meeting minimum requirements.

About the role

This is responsible supervisory, administrative, fire prevention, code enforcement, and fire investigation work directing the Fire Marshal's Office for the City of New Haven. Work involves responsibility for the enforcement of state and City fire safety and fire prevention codes. Work includes planning, directing, and evaluating fire prevention inspection, code enforcement, fire investigation, and public education activities; enforcing applicable federal, state, and local fire safety laws and regulations; and coordinating with City departments, contractors, businesses, and outside agencies to promote life safety and property protection. Work is performed under the direction of the Fire Chief with a minimum of supervision and is reviewed through conferences and reports.

Responsibilities

• Plans, directs, and supervises the operations of the Fire Prevention/Inspection and Fire Investigation divisions of the New Haven Fire Department for the City of New Haven.
• Develops policies, procedures, priorities, and work assignments for fire prevention inspections, investigations, and code enforcement activities.
• Determines fire regulations are consistent with nationally recognized good practice for the safeguarding of life and property from hazards of fire and explosion.
• Researches, explains, and enforces fire codes for building contractors at new construction sites; approves all building plans.
• Reviews and approves fire protection features and fire code compliance for construction plans as required.
• Interprets, explains, and enforces applicable fire codes and regulations; provides technical guidance to contractors, architects, engineers, developers, business owners, and the public.
• Conducts or directs inspections of a difficult or complex nature, and issues notices for attendant violations of codes, and authorizes enforcement actions as appropriate.
• Directs fire origin and cause investigations and coordinates investigative activities with law enforcement and other agencies when necessary.
• Plans, assigns and reviews inspection and investigative work done by subordinate personnel.
• Supervises and participates in the handling of code violation complaints.
• Maintains records and prepares reports, correspondence, and other administrative documents.
• Performs related work as required.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of experience in firefighting and fire prevention inspection work within the New Haven Fire Department.
• Candidate must have:
  • A minimum of three (3) months of experience in the appointed rank of Deputy Chief, Battalion Chief, or Captain within the New Haven Fire Department, or
  • Be currently appointed to the rank and title of Deputy Fire Marshal, Supervisor of Fire Investigation, Public Assembly Inspector, or Life Safety Compliance Officer, and have held that appointment for a minimum of three (3) months, or
  • The required years of service (10 years within the NHFD), and a minimum of three (3) consecutive months serving in an acting capacity as Deputy Fire Marshal, Supervisor of Fire Investigation, Public Assembly Inspector, or Life Safety Compliance Officer.

Skills

• Thorough knowledge of fire suppression, fire prevention, fire investigation, inspection principles, practices, and techniques.
• Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, regulations, and ordinances governing fire prevention and life safety.
• Ability to interpret and enforce fire and life safety codes consistently and effectively.
• Ability to supervise and direct fire prevention inspection and fire investigation functions.
• Ability to plan, supervise, and evaluate the work of subordinate personnel.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey information to diverse audiences, including employees, community members, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to present information in a clear and understandable manner.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office for maintaining records and creating items such as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Competency in using email clients (e.g., Outlook, Gmail), calendar applications, and collaboration tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom) for scheduling, managing correspondence, and participating in remote meetings.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with Department personnel, city employees, contractors, business owners, outside agencies, and the general public.
• Ability to deal tactfully and courteously with a wide variety of stakeholders, city officials, city department and agency heads, and the general public.
• Strong organizational skills to effectively prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Ability to remain current on developments, trends, technologies, and best practices in fire prevention and investigation, and public engagement, and to incorporate those practices into assigned responsibilities.

Necessary Special Requirements

• Possession and maintenance of all certifications required by the Connecticut State Fire Marshal's Office to perform the duties of the position. Candidates must possess the required certification(s) at the time of application and throughout employment. Applicants MUST attach a PDF copy of their required certification(s) to their application submission, or their application will be incomplete.
• Must possess a valid Connecticut driver’s license at time of application and must maintain said license throughout duration of employment. Local and intra-city travel will be required.
• Required to be available 24/7 and on-call, with a commitment to working extended hours when necessary.

Assessment

This exam is scheduled to take place at an Assessment Center on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Location and report times will be provided after the closing date of this job announcement.

A candidate orientation video will be offered shortly after the closing date, covering topics such as confidentiality, exam security, Assessment Center process overview and logistics, general exam preparation suggestions, and exam component weights. Questions submitted by candidates after viewing the orientation video will be compiled, answered anonymously, and shared with all candidates prior to the exam.

Note that this exam process does not include a second review of Assessment Center scores.

Pay

This position is included in a collective bargaining agreement with Local 825, International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO.