Assistant Fire Officer

The Role

Mayo County Council is the Fire Authority for all of County Mayo and, as such, is responsible for the provision of Fire Services to the administrative area of County Mayo. Our aim is to be the best Fire and Rescue Service we can be, working hard to ensure our communities are at the centre of what we do. We are committed to keeping people safe, improving quality of life and making our area a better place to live, work and visit.

The assignment of the post will be to the Mayo Fire Services HQ based in Castlebar, covering the whole county and sub-stations. The successful candidate may be moved to undertake different functions in the future.

Reporting to the Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer or nominated Assistant Chief Fire Officer, the Assistant Fire Officer will be required to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team within the Fire Service to deliver key local authority services such as building inspections, fire prevention, fire safety engineering, building control, community fire safety, fire service operations and major emergency management. The capability to work in an inter-agency environment and with external stakeholders is essential. As an Assistant Fire Officer, the successful candidate will have an important role in the management of staff and will have to be capable of undertaking the role of incident commander at operational incidents and will participate in the on-call senior fire officer roster if required. Holders of the post will undergo such training as it is considered appropriate to the performance of the duties of the post.

The Ideal Candidate Shall:

• have a career record that demonstrates satisfactory relevant experience.

• have strong interpersonal and communications skills.

• have the ability to plan and prioritise work effectively and to work under pressure (both independently and as part of a team).

• have the ability to work across functions/departments and with multidisciplinary teams.

• have the capability to work in an inter-agency environment and with internal and external stakeholders.

• demonstrate good professional judgement and decision making/problem solving skills.

• have effective written and verbal communication skills with experience in the preparation and presentation of technical reports.

• have sufficient relevant knowledge of the Fire Service and Building Control Legislation and Regulations.

• have sufficient relevant knowledge and awareness of Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations, the implications for the organisation and the employee, and their application in the workplace.

• be on the register maintained by either the RIAI under Part 3 of the Building Control Act 2007, the SCSI under Part 5 of the Building Control Act 2007 or Engineers Ireland under Section 7 of the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (Charter Amendment) Act 1969.

• have strong ICT skills.

• have sufficient relevant knowledge and understanding of current fire service developments and how local authorities operate.

Qualifications

1. Character

Candidates shall be of good character.

2. Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service. New entrants to the fire service must be medically fit¹ to undertake operational training associated with fire services work.

3. Education, Training, Experience

Each Candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed application forms:

a) Hold, in the National Framework of Qualifications:

(i) A degree at Level 8 in engineering, architecture, or other building construction related discipline, or

(ii) A professional qualification equivalent to one of the foregoing awarded by the relevant professional body, or

(iii) A degree at Level 8 in a science or technology related discipline including physics, chemistry, environmental or computer science, information communications technology; or a fire related discipline including fire safety, emergency management or emergency services, or

(iv) A degree at Level 8 together with a Level 9 qualification in a fire related discipline including fire safety, emergency management or emergency services.

b) Have a satisfactory knowledge of some or all of the following:

Principles and practices of fire safety

Fire service operations

Major emergency management

Technological and industrial processes

Telecommunications and information technology

c) Have at least 2 years satisfactory relevant experience, including adequate experience in some or all of the areas specified in (b) above.

d) Have a high standard of training in some or all of the areas specified in (b) above and, in the case of a new entrant to the fire service, successfully complete basic fire-fighter training and Breathing Apparatus Initial Wearers Course before the expiry of the probationary period.

e) Be competent to perform efficiently the duties of the office and possess the appropriate qualities.

In the event that an offer of employment is made, the candidate will be required to submit original copies of all relevant Education Qualifications to meet the requirements of Section 3 – Education, Training, Experience.

4. Required Documents

Candidates MUST upload the following documents in the ATTACHMENTS section of the application portal:

a) Full unendorsed Category B Driving Licence (front and back) or other Photo ID if licence not held

b) Certificates for all declared qualifications – Secondary School, University, College etc

c) Translations of any documents which are not in English or Irish

d) For any qualifications not awarded in the Republic of Ireland, an accompanying Comparability Statement from Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) to establish each qualification's comparability against the Irish National Framework of Qualifications

e) A link to search your qualification and download a PDF determination can be found here – https://qsearch.qqi.ie/WebPart/Search?searchtype=recognitions

Please note, Curriculum Vitae are not accepted and therefore should not be uploaded.

5. Desirable

It is desirable that the successful candidate demonstrates experience and knowledge of the following through the completion of their application form and at interview:

a) Assessing applications for both Fire Safety Certificates and Disability Access Certificates under the relevant Building Control legislation

b) Carrying out inspections and audits to assess fire safety in buildings and other structures under the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003

c) The inspection of licensed premises under Section 24 of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003

d) Assessing applications for Dangerous Substance Licences under the Dangerous Substances Act, 1972

e) Building Control legislation including powers of inspection and enforcement and the Building Control Management System (BCMS)

f) The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2012 to 2024 and the Construction Products Regulations 2013

Mayo County Council may carry out an examination of candidates to determine the level of competence in any of the areas and this may form part of the shortlisting process.

6. Citizenship

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway; or

b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or

c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or

d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a Stamp 4 visa; or

e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015, or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a Stamp 4 visa; or

f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a Stamp 4 visa.

Particulars of the Post

1. Position

This employment is full-time, permanent and pensionable.

A panel will be formed from qualified candidates from which any permanent or temporary positions at this grade which arise during the lifetime of the panel may be filled.

2. Salary

The salary shall be fully inclusive and shall be as determined from time to time. The holder of the position shall pay to the Local Authority any fees or other monies (other than inclusive salary) payable to or received by such holder by virtue of the position or in respect of services which are required by or under any enactment to perform.

Salary Scale:

€47,770 - €50,438 - €52,425 - €54,487 - €56,600 - €58,748 - €60,915 - €63,083 - €65,250 - €67,421 - €69,603 - LSI1 €71,834 (after 3 years satisfactory service at maximum), LSI2 €74,068 (after 6 years satisfactory service at maximum). The starting pay for new entrants will be at the minimum of the scale and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

3. Duties

The duties of the post are to give to the local authority, and

a) such other local authorities or bodies for which the Chief Executive, for the purposes of the Local Government Acts 2001 and 2014, is Chief Executive, and

b) to any other local authority or body with which an agreement has been made by the local authority, or by any of the authorities or bodies mentioned in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, under the general direction and supervision of the Chief Executive or such other employee as the Chief Executive may from time to time determine, such appropriate services of an executive, administrative or management nature as may be required by any local authority or body hereinbefore mentioned in the exercise and performance of any of its powers, functions and duties, to exercise such powers, functions and duties as may be delegated to him/her by the Chief Executive from time to time, including the duty of servicing all committees that may be established by any such local authority or body. The post holder will, if required, act for an employee of a higher level if qualified to do so.

The following are among the principal duties envisaged:

Holders of the post will also be required to perform duties in relation to fire operation, fire safety and Building Control if they are assigned to them. Holders of the post will undergo such training as it is considered appropriate to the performance of the duties of the post and will be expected to conduct in a competent manner the following activities:

a) Management of fire service operational activities in accordance with the Fire Service Operational Plan

b) Inspections in accordance with the Fire Service Act 1981 and 2003, Building Control Act 1990, and Mayo County Council’s Community Fire Safety Policy (including during performance inspections), and give evidence in court where required

c) Give advice and talks on fire safety to all members of our community which may be out of normal working hours

d) Issue enforcement notices as an authorised officer in accordance with the Fire Service Act 1981 and 2003 and attend and give evidence in court where appropriate

e) Attend incidents as an authorised rostered senior fire officer, drill nights and exercises out of normal working hours

f) Validate and process Fire Safety Certificates, Disability Access Certificates and Commencement Notices in accordance with the Building Control Regulations 1977 – 2014

g) Compilation of information and reporting on inspections, fire service training and operational activity, fleet management including requirements of the Health, Safety and Welfare Act 2005 to incorporate both management and operation of ISO 45001 Safety Management Systems

h) Management of Mayo County Council’s Major Emergency Plan (MEM) and organising and participating in both local and regional MEM training and exercises

i) Ensure compliance in the workplace with the requirements of Health and Safety legislation

j) Undergo such training as considered appropriate to the performance of the duties of the office

The above specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Rostering Agreement

The terms of the Senior Fire Officer Rostering Agreement 1996 (or as amended) will apply to this employment.