Fire and Life Safety Manager

Department:

Facilities Operations and Maintenance

General Statement of Job

The Fire and Life Safety Manager works in collaboration with the Director of Risk, Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability to ensure that design, construction, repair and maintenance of all fire and life safety systems meet College expectations. The Fire and Life Safety Manager is responsible for the College's Fire and Life Safety Plan and ensures that policies and procedures are implemented and enforced.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Conducts independent fire inspections to ensure fire and life safety code compliance.
• Investigate fire related incidents to reduce risk and mitigate future occurrences.
• Recommend safety improvement opportunities or preventive measures.
• Maintains an up-to-date working library of National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and International Fire Code (IFC) codes.
• Responds to campus emergencies, active fire alarms, and Hazardous material incidents and provides incident reports.
• Maintains appropriate records as required.
• Reports all unsafe acts and conditions which remain uncorrected to supervisor.
• Allows no work to be performed when conditions are considered unsafe.
• Remains current on new technology, methodology and equipment.
• Regularly tours college facilities to personally conduct fire inspection operations and communicate with different departments.
• Facilitates required government fire safety inspections.
• Audits new and existing construction for fire code compliance. Writes and reviews comprehensive reports on violation findings.
• Reviews remodel building plans, fire alarm drawings, and fire sprinkler drawings and conducts inspections.
• Serves as Local Authority Having Jurisdiction on fire safety-related activities for the campus.
• Conducts safety trainings related to, but not limited, to Fire Prevention, Hazardous Materials, Fire Extinguisher, Chemical Spills Emergency Operation, Etc.
• Oversees the work of contractors who install wiring in college-wide new construction and remodel projects relating to fire systems. Reviews plans for all fire, intrusion and life safety alarm work related to new construction to be certain work meets College requirements.
• Performs or oversees contractors who perform inspections, testing, maintenance and repair of district-wide fire suppression systems (wet/dry sprinkler systems) and gaseous systems in the data and record retention centers.
• Oversees the work of maintenance contractors ensuring all systems are properly maintained, all tests conducted at the appropriate times and services are available during all operational periods.
• Instructs employees in the use of systems. Establishes and coordinates alarm codes and keeps a record of those having access to such codes.
• Coordinates required fire alarm and other functional tests and assists Emergency Management with practice drill evacuations.
• Reviews fire and life safety systems with Fire Marshall's office and local inspectors to ensure legal and safe systems.
• Maintains inventory of essential parts and equipment to ensure repairs and installation in a timely manner.
• Creates, modifies, and implements compliance tracking programs and record keeping systems.
• In collaboration with the Laboratory Safety Manager, Risk Manager, and Campus Safety Manager to respond to emergencies, as needed.
• Uses the college's work order system (CMMS) to create and track work orders.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree required; Master's Degree preferred.
• At least three (3) years of experience in Fire and Life Safety or related field required.
• Two (2) years of experience as a supervisor or manager preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, the Windows environment, and internet research skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of environmental health and safety government regulations.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to exercise discretion and sound judgment.
• Ability to accurately estimate time, materials, and cost involved in providing environmental health and safety services.
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and complete multiple tasks with attention to detail, within stated deadlines.
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player within department and with others.
• Ability to adapt to constant change and periods of fast-paced, high-intensity work situations.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends as needed.
• Ability to travel throughout the district daily; must be insurable under South Texas College's insurance policy for driving.
• Demonstrated commitment to achieving the vision and mission of South Texas College.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of students, customers or employees of organization.
• Ability to apply practical understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Checks, Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

• All applicants are subject to a criminal background check under South Texas College policy.
• Security Sensitive position: In addition, subject to federal background check.
• Must have a valid Texas driver's license.
• Texas Fire Inspector Certification required.

Physical Requirements

• Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.
• Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Ascending or descending ladders (6 ft. up to 12 ft. on step ladders and up to 24 ft. extension ladders, roof hatch ladders), stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
• Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
• Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
• Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm
• Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
• Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discrimination in sound.
• Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
• Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
• Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
• Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
• Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
• Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including the ability to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately and concisely.
• Standing particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Shouting in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; and/or extensive reading. Including color, depth perception, and field vision.
• Visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of facilities or structures.
• Visual acuity to operate motor vehicles and/or heavy equipment.
• Close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, operation of machines; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or fabrication parts at distances close to the eyes.
• Mobility to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; and risk of electrical shock.

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.