Executive Fire Prevention Officer

THE JOB

Reporting to a Senior Executive Fire Prevention Officer, or such designated persons as may be assigned from time to time, the Executive Fire Prevention Officer will work as part of a team within the Fire Prevention Section. They will also be required at times to work independently on their own initiative as circumstances demand. The Executive Fire Prevention Officer will also be responsible for supervising and mentoring a team of Assistant Fire Prevention Officers.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE SHALL

• Have an ability to work on their own initiative and within a multi-disciplinary team and have the ability to motivate and encourage others to achieve maximum performance.

• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Have a good working knowledge or demonstrate an ability to acquire a good working knowledge of the legal, regulatory and governance framework within which the City Council operates and adhere to corporate policies, protocols and procedures.

• Possess strong IT skills.

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

• Have an understanding of the role and duties of managers in safety management in the workplace.

• Have the ability to manage financial resources within a budgetary control framework.

• On the date of appointment, possess a current unendorsed full driving licence (Category A1, A and/or B) as they may be required to drive in the course of their duties.

QUALIFICATIONSCHARACTER

Each candidate shall be of good character.

HEALTH

Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, ETC.

Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed applications:

(a) Hold a recognised degree (level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications) in engineering or architecture, or a recognised degree (level 8 in the National Framework of Qualifications) in the final examination for which they obtained at least a pass in chemistry or physics taken at honours level, or a qualification equivalent to one of these.

(b) Have at least five years satisfactory experience, including adequate relevant experience involving one or more of the following:

• Fire-fighting techniques

• Fire resistance of buildings or structures

• Hydraulics and water supplies

• Design and construction of buildings

• Technological or industrial processes

(c) Have a high standard of technical training. (d) Have an awareness of Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations and their application in the workplace.

DUTIES

The duties of the post include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Administration and implementation of the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014, Building Regulations 2023, Fire Services Act 1981 and 2003, and other legislation with regard to validation, assessment, inspections, and prosecutions under the legislation, including:

  • Assessment of Fire Safety Certificate applications under the Building Control Acts 1990 to 2014

  • Carrying out inspections to ensure adequate fire safety in buildings and other structures

  • Undertaking performance inspections of licensed premises, e.g., Public Houses, Night Clubs, and Restaurants

  • Processing licensing applications under the Fire Services Act 1981-2003

  • Advising and inspecting at major indoor and outdoor events including organised fireworks displays

Other duties include:

• Liaising with other departments in Dublin City Council and other local authorities in the greater Dublin area with regard to Fire Prevention and undertaking inspections for same

• Liaising with operational staff in Dublin Fire Brigade in relation to inspections and other matters

• Inspections and investigations in relation to fire safety notifications received and other matters

• Attendance at court to give evidence in relation to any proceedings

• Development and management of staff, including disciplinary matters and absenteeism management

• Assisting in the development and review of strategy, policies and functions

• Attending training courses as required

• Development and promotion of Community Fire Safety

• Carrying out such other duties that may be assigned from time to time

The particular duties and responsibilities attached to the post may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibilities entailed. The post holder may therefore be required to perform duties appropriate to the post, other than those detailed above, and to take instructions from and report to an appropriate Officer or such designated Officer as may be assigned from time to time by the City Council.

The duties of the post are to give to the local authority and to: (a) The local authorities or bodies for which the Chief Executive 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 referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph under the general direction and control of the Chief Executive or of such officers as the Chief Executive may from time to time determine, such appropriate computing, technical, management, administrative, executive, supervisory, advisory and ancillary services 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 and to exercise such powers, functions and duties as may be delegated to them 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 holder of the post will, if required, act for an officer of a higher level.

SELECTION PROCESS

• Posts of Executive Fire Prevention Officer will be filled from this publicly advertised competition. Selection shall be by means of a competition conducted by or on behalf of Dublin City Council.

• Candidates should note that the information provided by them in their application form and assessment question will form the basis on which eligibility and shortlisting is conducted.

• Dublin City Council reserves the right to undertake eligibility and/or shortlist candidates in the manner it deems most appropriate.

• A panel may be formed on the basis of interviews. A candidate whose name is on a panel and who satisfies the Council that they possess the qualifications declared for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for appointment may, within the life of the panel, subject to the appropriate Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage sanction, be appointed as an appropriate vacancy arises.

• The life of the panel shall be for a period of one year from the date of its formation.

• Dublin City Council shall require any person to whom an appointment is offered to take up such appointment within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to take up appointment within such period, or such longer period as the Council in its absolute discretion may determine, the Council shall not appoint them.

SHORTLISTING

Dublin City Council reserves the right to shortlist candidates to proceed to the interview stage of the competition. Shortlisting of candidates will be on the basis of information supplied on the Application Form, in conjunction with the answers given in the assessment question. It is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications/experience in your application.

The shortlisting process will provide for the assessment of each applicant’s application form against predetermined criteria that reflect the skills and depth of experience considered to be essential for a position at this level.

INTERVIEW

The interview will be competency-based and marks will be awarded under the following competencies:

• Management & Change

• Delivering Results

• Performance through People

• Personal Effectiveness

• Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Please see page 8 & 9 of the Candidate Information Booklet for more details.

SALARY

The salary scale for the position of Executive Fire Prevention Officer is:

€60,255; €62,447; €64,640; €66,837; €69,032; €71,226; €73,423; €75,606; €77,813; €80,001 (Maximum); €82,523 (1st LSI) (after 3 years satisfactory service on the Maximum); €83,758 (2nd LSI) (after 3 years satisfactory service on the 1st LSI).

Entry point to this scale will be determined in accordance with Circulars issued by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. In accordance with Departmental Circular letter EL 02/2011, a person who is not a serving public service employee on or after 1st January 2011, will enter the scale for the position at the minimum point.

Rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government Policy. Under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013, the working hours for newly appointed/promoted staff are 35 hours per week.

CITIZENSHIP Candidates must, by the date of application 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. Dublin City Council welcomes all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds to join its diverse workforce and we hereby reserve the sole discretion to vary the above requirements from time to time subject to the business needs and staffing requirements.

IRISH PROFICIENCY As part of our ongoing commitment to support the Irish language, our leadership on the Gaeilge365 programme and to comply with the Official Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, we are gathering information on candidates’ capacity to speak Irish. Under this legislation, public bodies are required to ensure that 20% of new recruits are capable of performing their duties through Irish by 2030. While this position is not an Irish language speaking role, we are asking all applicants to indicate their current level of Irish language ability. This information will be used for workforce planning purposes only and will not form part of the selection process for this competition.