What is A Fire Inspector: Definition, Responsibilities, and Careers

ZenFire

What is A Fire Inspector: Definition, Responsibilities, and Careers

Field Service Management
May 21, 2024
9 Min Read

A Fire inspector is an official government officer who has the authority, within his/her jurisdiction, to implement fire policies and ensure that the general public implements them. Their duty is more of a preventional role, preventing outdoor fire hazards from ever occurring by ensuring that the rules laid down by the government are appropriately followed.

Let’s take a look at the detailed responsibilities of a fire inspector, the different career choices for fire inspectors, how much a fire inspector makes today, and how to become one you want to.

What Do Fire Inspectors Do?

The duty of fire inspectors is to prevent potential fire hazards from occurring. They do not protect people from fires but make sure that everything is in place so that they never happen. The government has established many local fire codes as guidelines that citizens must follow when constructing a building or area.

Fire Safety Regulations and Environment

People need to avoid specific fire code violations in their buildings, and fire inspectors are duty-bound to ensure that these rules are implemented correctly and effectively in public and residential areas.

The rules and regulations that fire inspectors must verify include more than just general fire safety rules. Of course, their main focus is safety regulations. Still, they also involve many other concepts, such as emergency evacuation plans, fire extinguisher maintenance, combustible material storage guidelines, fire sprinkler system maintenance, emergency exit pathway regulations, fire alarm maintenance, etc.

Fire inspectors are expected to be ready whenever a fire occurs, whether on a general holiday or weekend. The environment in which they carry out their duties can vary mainly from indoor to outdoor areas, most of them being cautious and dangerous. So it takes a lot of courage and sacrifice to take the path of a fire inspector.

Public Awareness and Enforcement

Fire inspectors conduct regular workshops and collaborate with their own local organizations, like schools and hospitals, to raise awareness of the importance of fire safety and teach specific fire prevention strategies that can help reduce the number of fire incidents.

Fire inspectors are also given the compliance power to administer fire policies and ensure citizens follow these rules. They have the power to demand that violators make changes if they break policy, issue a penalty fine, close down a building, and even permit a controlled burning if needed.

So don’t make the mistake of thinking that fire inspectors are only checking for rules and regulations; they are making sure that every single point of a possibility that a fire may break out is totally prevented, and if it can’t be stopped, then how it can be eliminated the quickest and without any permanent damage to anyone or anything in that environment.

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What Is The Difference Between Fire Inspectors And Investigators?

Fire inspectors and investigators are two very different occupations or exit roles in the environment of fire hazards. The professions are sub-parts of the same responsibility against the danger of fire accidents, but their duties differ. Their areas of expertise differ greatly, although each person would have the experience to care for each other’s duties.

Inspectors

Fire inspectors detect fire hazards before they occur by analyzing potential ways or discrepancies that could cause these accidents to happen. Their duty is to make sure that particular fire codes and regulations are implemented the correct way and that even if there is a chance of a fire occurring, the probability of that happening is close to zero.

Investigators

Fire investigators are usually the first people to respond when fires occur, only after the likes of firefighters. Fire investigators are more inclined towards work related to investigations of fires and detective work, figuring out how or why a fire occurred, compared to a fire inspector who would look for how to prevent it from happening again.

The Differences

A Fire inspector would need to have more of their focus and expertise on the fire codes, regulations, and rules laid down by the government. In contrast, fire investigators would have to know more about the spreading of fire, tell-tale signs of arson (causing damage by self-knowing involvement), fire patterns, residue analysis, and more techniques they would need to use to analyze an environment.

On-the-job training would make sense for fire investigators on their first-time scenes of accident, but fire inspectors need to know everything about the fire codes before going out there and implementing those policies.

The Path To Becoming a Fire Inspector

Education, Training, & Experience

A person who wants to become a fire inspector must have the proper general education before they start their journey towards becoming one. A school diploma or equivalent, along with a few extra courses and volunteer work at local fire stations, can help them understand what it means to be a servant of the fire protection family.

From here, gaining a bit more experience as a firefighter (once 18) and then getting a proper degree in fire protection can help educate the person on the vast responsibilities of a fire inspector.

Academy & Certification

Attending the fire academy is one of the best ways to learn about everything related to a fire official and every policy that needs to be known about them. It is also a good base for the physical skills and traits you’ll need to be a good candidate for the job. Along with this on-the-job training, a few more centralized certifications focusing on the exact stream of fire inspectors you’d like to pursue can put you in front of other prospects.

The NFPA has some standards for fire inspectors, which many states adhere to by certifying inspectors through examinations. These certifications also require constant continuing education so that fire inspectors are aware of new policies.

Resume and Interviews

The final step is applying for the correct positions, with an updated resume of all the work you’ve put forth for this. You also need to nail those final interviews by being confident and having the right message as to why you want to become a fire inspector. Check out our guide on becoming a fire inspector for a more in-depth look at the whole process.

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Different Career Choices For A Fire Inspector

Forest Fire Inspectors

Forest fire inspectors are fire inspectors who focus on the safety of forest areas like fields and meadows. Their primary focus is the prevention of wildfires in local areas due to heat and/or out-of-control fires.

Arson Investigators

Arson fire inspectors are similar to fire investigators but have a specific focus on arson incidents and expertise in the study of arson, which is the deliberate act of setting something on fire. Their education is almost identical to a detective’s role, and they focus on studying fire patterns and how they can be faked.

Environmental Protection Fire Control Officers

In this occupation, fire inspectors typically are more focused on protecting the environment from any fire hazards and protecting the surrounding environment in case one breaks out. The environment, in their case, is not only forests or greenlands but even places where people work and live. They check for proper work building rule implementation, fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and other necessities.

Fire Rangers

Fire rangers are the most similar to the position of a fire inspector. They are responsible for upholding fire protection laws, training and supervising other fire workers, maintaining fire equipment, and promoting fire prevention techniques to government-oriented organizations.

How Much Do Fire Inspectors Make In 2024?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for fire inspectors is $71,420 per year, which comes down to about $34.34 per hour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has even examined the number of jobs that fire inspectors will have to fill and stated that there will be a 5% increase (about 900 jobs) in the number of positions for inspectors between 2022 and 2032.

Being a fire inspector can present a challenging road for anyone willing to take that route, and it can be difficult to get there. However, along with that comes the huge responsibility of power and authority that can be used to make the world a safer place.

I hope this article gave you an overview of fire inspectors and their responsibilities. For more content like this, check out our collection of articles that might be helpful to you.

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What is A Fire Inspector: Definition, Responsibilities, and Careers

ZenFire