Fire Safety Systems Specialist

University of South Florida•Tampa, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Fire Safety Specialist provides fire and life safety technical expertise in support of the University’s Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Fire Safety Program. This position serves as a subject matter expert on uniform fire codes, fire alarm and suppression systems, and life safety features. The role leads fire code enforcement, building inspections, fire drills, special event oversight, hazard evaluations, and fire safety training, while also providing technical support for fire and life safety system maintenance and testing.

Requirements

Requires a high school diploma or equivalent.
Minimum of three (3) years of experience in fire alarm, sprinkler, or life safety systems inspection, maintenance, or repair.
Two (2) years of direct experience for an associate degree.
Four (4) years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
Related work experience may not substitute for required licensure, certification, or registration.
Valid Florida Driver’s License.
Successful completion of required background check.
Extensive knowledge of fire codes, NFPA standards, and life safety regulations.
Understanding fire detection, suppression, and alarm systems.
Ability to interpret plans, schematics, and technical documentation.
Strong communication, customer service, and public-speaking skills.
Ability to identify hazards and propose effective corrective actions.
Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and document work accurately.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s degree in Fire Science, Electronics, or a related technical field.
State of Florida Fire Safety Inspector I certification.
NICET Level II or higher in fire protection systems.
Experience working in a large institutional or campus environment.
Knowledge of NFPA codes, fire alarm/sprinkler systems, and digital inspection software or CMMS platforms.

Responsibilities

Supervises fire drills and evacuation programs for assigned academic buildings and residence halls.
Coordinates with building supervisors and emergency personnel to ensure safe and efficient building evacuations.
Conducts inspections for special events, large assemblies, and temporary installations such as tents, stages, pyrotechnics, and electrical setups.
Ensures compliance with life safety requirements including means of egress, occupancy loads, and crowd management.
Provides fire safety training for faculty, staff, and students, including fire extinguisher usage, evacuation procedures, and fire safety awareness.
Supports campus fire safety outreach initiatives.
Responds as needed to fire and hazardous materials incidents.
Assists in responding fire departments by providing facility information, pre-planning support, and system knowledge during emergency situations.
Evaluates hazardous conditions in buildings, labs, and operations.
Recommends and implements corrective actions to eliminate or reduce fire and life safety hazards.
Assist other EH&S programs when needed, contributing to department-wide safety initiatives.
Assist and conduct fire code compliance inspections as needed, walk-throughs, and re-inspections for university buildings.
Consults with departments on corrective actions and timelines to resolve identified fire code violations.
Documents deficiencies and provides expert guidance to ensure compliance with university, state, and national fire codes.
Supports the inspection, testing, troubleshooting, and maintenance of fire alarms, sprinklers, smoke evacuation systems, fire/smoke dampers, fire doors, emergency lighting, exit signage, and extinguisher programs.
Provides field support for vendors performing inspection, testing, and maintenance activities.
Enables/disables fire alarm systems to support maintenance, testing, and construction activities.
Performs advanced diagnostics using blueprints, wiring diagrams, and equipment manuals to identify system failures and assist in resolution.
Ensures adherence to NFPA standards, the Florida Fire Prevention Code, and university policies.
Maintains accurate inspection reports, service records, and equipment inventories within the CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System).
Provides guidance, mentorship, and technical directions to fire safety technicians or student employees assigned.
Participate in on-call rotation and emergency response assignments including hurricane preparedness and fire watch coverage.
Maintains workspaces, vehicles, and tools to ensure operational readiness.