Lead Designated Campus Fire Marshal (LDCFM)

About the role

The incumbent serves as a Lead Designated Campus Fire Marshal (LDCFM) to act on behalf of OSFM as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for the campus. This designation from the State Fire Marshal is bestowed upon specific individuals, meeting specific qualifications, not the position designation. This person has delegated authority to act on behalf of the OSFM to approve/deny activities that may impact campus core missions.

Responsibilities

• Exercises independent AHJ authority to review, stamp, and approve all architectural, engineering, and fire protection infrastructure plans for UCR capital projects, structural alterations, and major/minor capital improvements.
• Provides highest-level oversight, code enforcement, and administration of fire and life safety programs across all campus-owned, leased, and occupied facilities (including medical clinics/centers, housing, and research complexes).
• Serves as UCR advanced technical subject matter expert on fire and life safety, regulatory and legislative issues on campus including Title 19 California Code of Regulations (CCR) and Title 24 California Building Standards Code and related regulations, industry standards, and best practices.
• Affirmatively assesses fire and life safety risks, and proposes, develops, and oversees implementation of policies and procedures to assure awareness of and compliance with UCR and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinates closely with various departments within UCR including, but not limited to, Building & Safety, Planning, Design, and Construction, Facilities Services, Environmental Health & Safety, Auxiliary Services, specifically Housing & Dining, and others as needed.
• Provides oversight of the UCR's fire and life safety personnel that are responsible for plan review, construction inspections, applicable fire and life safety inspections, and special events in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to the MOU; trains new personnel on inspection work and evaluates their performance.

Requirements

• Advanced degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.
• At least 8-13 years of related experience, with at least 7 years of recent experience as Designated Campus State Fire Marshal (DCFM); OR 10 or more years increasingly responsible experience in a position directly related to duties of a Fire Marshal; OR 5 years of experience as a DCFM at any UC Campus or fire prevention work in a public fire prevention bureau, unit or agency; OR on fire prevention or industrial safety engineering in private industry; OR in building compliance/inspection work in a public bureau, unit or agency with 3 of those years in a leadership role or supervisory capacity.
• Previous supervisory/managerial experience.

Qualifications

• Good management skills to effectively lead and direct subordinate staff who are assigned duties in different programs.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills, including political acumen and skill to effectively communicate with diverse constituencies and senior management.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Prioritizes and implements changes to emergency response as required.
• Expertise encompasses fire protection, life safety, and panic safety, including the application of legacy codes and standards as needed.
• Knowledge of fire and building inspection procedures, resolving findings, and implementing inspection and code enforcement programs in accordance with Title 19 and Title 24 CCR and applicable NFPA standards.
• Knowledge of enforcing regulations and technical standards relating to building materials, flame retardant treatment of flammable materials and fire extinguishing systems.
• Knowledge of working in an emergency response organization.
• Experience serving in a leadership position within a college or university system, health care, municipality, or other complex mission-driven organization.