Chief Fire Protection Engineer

Description

The Chief Fire Protection Engineer Fire Safety Division (CFPE), is responsible for managing and directing the Fire Protection Engineering Staff as well as the Fire Protection Engineering and Chemical Contractors.

Provides technical engineering advice and direction to local fire departments, the regulated community, architects, engineers and contractors, the general public and other members of the department, including the Compliance Unit.

This position directly represents the State Fire Marshal in overseeing the development and enforcement of the technical requirements for fire safety, explosion safety and fire and explosion risk management throughout the Commonwealth.

Provide leadership, establish program goals and objectives and monitor performance. Develops and communicates operational policies and procedures to ensure the consistency of interpretations and applications of regulations, standards and codes.

Plans and organizes the assignment of work and projects to ensure that work is assigned fairly and in accordance with staff capabilities, skills and training.

Monitors work assignments by developing and utilizing tracking systems to ensure that work is completed in accordance with policies and procedures, is technically correct, is done in a timely fashion and that backlogs are avoided or eliminated.

• Communicates new or changed regulations, standards, codes, policies and procedures to all staff. Provides technical guidance and performance feedback to staff, including conducting annual performance reviews
• Manage engineering staff and engineering contractors who provide engineering services and technical assistance to the 367 local fire departments and personally provide such services and assistance, especially in very complex and highly sensitive cases.

Directly provide fire protection engineering consultation to the 367 local fire departments. Conducts site visits to the 367 local fire departments to assist in ensuring plan designs and specifications meet state codes and regulations regarding life safety.

Work with the regulated community to ensure compliance with regulations, including those regulating hazardous materials storage, use, handling and protection and Hazardous Materials Processing regulations.

Inspect facilities to ensure compliance with the design plans and state regulations.

Review and analyze fire protection system plans for the 367 local fire departments, including performance-based designs, to ensure that they comply with the applicable regulations, standards and codes.

Performance-based designs are project designs that do not follow the prescriptive code but are analyzed and designed to provide an appropriate level of safety.

These designs require careful review of the engineering assumptions made by the designer to ensure plan designs meet fire code and regulations.

Resolve technical issues / disputes between the engineering and design professions and the enforcement authorities, which involves the interpretation of regulations, codes, standards and laws.

Manages the Commonwealth’s AST and CNG, LNG, and LPG refueling facility programs in accordance with M.G.L. 148 37. Conduct plan reviews on all new ASTs and on all repaired ASTs per 502 CMR 5.

00 and the review of the AST’s annual inspections. Participate in the

National Aboveground Storage Tank programs with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Perform permitting and plan reviews on all of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling facilities in the Commonwealth.

Perform permitting and plan reviews on all of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) fueling facilities in the Commonwealth. Participate in the Northeastern states’ LNG refueling guidelines committee.

This committee consists of the six New England states and New York, as well as the United States Department of Energy and industry representatives.

Perform permitting and plan reviews on all of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fueling facilities in the Commonwealth. Serve as the State Fire Marshal’s representative on the United States Department of Energy’s Boston Clean Cities alternative fueling program.

• Play an integral part in the development of new Massachusetts regulations by assisting in the development of, and revisions to, the Massachusetts Comprehensive Fire Safety Code and the general fire and life, safety and fire protection system portions the State Building Code.
• Develop and recommend new initiatives, legislative and regulatory policy. Oversee the development, review and revision, management of a uniform state fire code, in conjunction with the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations (BFPR) and its code committees.

Provide oversight and guidance to the revision of the comprehensive fire safety code and electrical code based on a national model.

• Represent the State Fire Marshal and the Division of Fire Safety on various public boards and committees, including but not limited to the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations, Board of Building Regulations and Standards, Fire Protection / Fire Prevention Board, Fire Prevention Association of Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts Fire Prevention Association, National Fire Protection Association, The American Fire Sprinkler Association and the local, national and international chapters of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
• Provide technical services to other state, federal, and private organizations. Develop and present fire safety and fire protection system presentations and training for the local fire prevention personnel and building inspection departments.

In conjunction with the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, utilize engineering expertise to develop and present training classes to the local firefighters.

Provide technical assistance to all divisions of the Department of Fire Services (i.e. State Police Fire Investigative Unit, Code Compliance Unit, Executive Office, and Division of Fire Safety).

Serve as liaison between the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission and the Department of Fire Services Division of Fire Safety.

Assist with technical fire and explosion investigations and provides research services and technical data to the Massachusetts State Police Fire Investigation Unit.

Collaborate with the other New England states’ technical personnel on key fire safety issues. Work with all of the other State Fire Marshals on important national technical issues.

Utilizes background engineering specialties (mechanical, etc.) to serve the needs of Department of Fire Services.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Entrance Requirements

Applicants must have at least (A) six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in : Engineering work in construction, construction management, construction / bridge / tunnel or building inspection, electrical, HVAC, traffic, survey, design, transportation, hydraulics, structural, facility, sanitary, drafting, environmental, highway, architectural, airport, soils or materials testing.

Of which (B) at least two (2) years must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions :

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree or higher in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

A current and valid Massachusetts Professional Engineer’s (PE) License may substitute for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

Based on assignment, a current and valid Massachusetts PE license may be required.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package.

We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

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