State of Maryland

A Fire Protection Engineer I is one of two levels of professional engineering work in the Office of the State Fire Marshal; all building construction except one-family and two-family dwellings come under the jurisdiction of this agency.  Employees in this classification are required to apply fire code technical standards to construction plans to secure compliance with the State Fire Prevention Code.  Employees in this classification review plans and specifications for the construction of buildings, and chemical, gas, and flammable liquid installations.  Employees in this classification are required to evaluate construction material, mechanical devices and fire protection equipment for compliance with fire code requirements.  Employees in this classification bear responsibility for the inspection of complicated industrial processes and for making recommendations to eliminate fire hazards.  Employees in this classification make periodic visits to various county office buildings, to review proposed construction plans and specifications in order to secure compliance with the State Fire Prevention Code. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but do provide technical services to Field Investigators, assist in the investigation of fires and explosions of an extensive nature, and advise on special hazard protection.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the State Fire Marshal and the Chief Fire Protection Engineer.  Most of the work performed by  employees are rendered independently, with review only for results and conformance with policy.  Employees work on occasion with local building and fire officials and with personnel of other State agencies.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

Reviews plans and specifications for construction of dry cleaning plants, bulk plants storing combustible liquids, and plants manufacturing and storing butane and propane gas;

Inspects industrial plans for evaluation of hazardous processes;

Takes trips to various county offices to review proposed construction plans;

Evaluates storage facilities of chemical plans and similar type structures; Confers with architects and engineers on methods of achieving fire code compliance;

Investigates explosions and fires of complex nature;

Prepares recommendations to insure fire code compliance in connection with inspections and with review of plans;

Addresses technical societies on fire protection procedures;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of fire protection engineering as applied to all types of building occupancies and construction, chemical and flammable liquid hazards, and special hazards of various industrial operations;

Knowledge of pertinent fire laws and regulations; of fire inspection and investigation methods and techniques;

Knowledge of fire protection standards known as the National Fire Codes published by the National Fire Protection Association;

Knowledge of related building; architectural, and engineering standards and practices which impact on fire safety;

Knowledge of engineering design and application of all types of fire extinguishing, control, and detection systems used in various types of building occupancies;

Knowledge of the nature of common industrial processes, their special hazards, and standards for fire code compliance;

Ability to understand, analyze, and interpret architectural and engineering plans and specifications in civil, electrical, structural, and mechanical disciplines in order to assess the design impact of these professional disciplines on fire protection and life safety for fire code compliance;

Ability to review and approve proposed design and hydraulic calculations of engineered sprinkler systems and other types of fixed fire extinguishing systems;

Ability to make fire prevention inspections and assist in fire investigations of a complex nature;

Ability to prepare and clearly present detailed technical analyses of fire protection features of design and construction;

Ability to assess levels of fire safety of structures and hazardous processes for fire code compliance;

Ability to organize and complete work assignments in a competent, professional, timely and efficient manner;

Ability to establish and maintain good public relations;

Ability to research, review, and analyze fire research and technical reports of fire protection engineering for possible application to current problems in fire code compliance.

Education:   A Bachelor’s degree in fire protection engineering from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Two years of professional experience in fire protection engineering work.

                                                OR

Education:   A Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Four years of professional experience in fire protection engineering work.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Engineering classifications or Engineering specialty codes in the fire protection engineering field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education. 

1. Some positions in this classification are assigned duties, which will require the candidates to be examined by a Physician. After an offer of employment, candidates for such positions will be given a medical examination to certify the ability to perform the essential job functions.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to call-in 24 hours a day and will be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number where they can be reached.

3. Employees in this classification will be assigned duties in Baltimore; however, the work assignments may involve travel throughout the State.

Class specifications are board descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions. Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit G, Engineering, Scientific and Administrative Professionals classes. As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.