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FIRE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION OFFICER

 
Full Salary Range:    $82,970.94 - $136,902.06 annually ($39.8898/hr - $65.8182/hr)

Starting Salary Range:$82,970.94 - $109,936.50 annually ($39.8898/hr - $52.8540/hr)

Job Type:Full-time, Non-Exempt, Civil Service

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Position Summary:

Under general direction, the Fire Prevention and Education Officer position is primarily responsible for code enforcement and field operations of the Community Risk Reduction (CRR)Division. Responsibilities include conducting code enforcement inspections, coordinating public safety education, fire prevention activities, and CRR program functions and projects as assigned. This position is responsible for enforcement and education activities pertaining to the entire Urbana community, with jurisdictional focus on either the City of Urbana or the University of Illinois campus, as assigned by the Deputy Fire Chief of CRR.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Actively supports and upholds the City's mission and values.

• Performs fire and life safety code inspections in City and University of Illinois commercial and residential buildings; enforces fire and life safety codes for City properties and reports code violations for the University of Illinois properties to appropriate University staff.

• Reviews building plans to assure compliance with building and fire codes and provides recommendations to the University of Illinois on fire suppression and detection systems, as well as operational concerns relating to the delivery of fire and emergency services on the UIUC campus.

• Liaises with property owners to provide information and education on fire safety risk mitigation; provides guidance to motivate compliance with fire code regulations; reports or escalates repeated non-compliance and complex safety issues as required. 

• Coordinates and presents public fire and life safety prevention programs with various agencies to ensure the most effective use of community resources.

• Actively supports and upholds the City's mission and values.

• Performs fire and life safety code inspections in City and University of Illinois commercial and residential buildings; enforces fire and life safety codes for City properties and reports code violations for the University of Illinois properties to appropriate University staff.

• Reviews building plans to assure compliance with building and fire codes and provides recommendations to the University of Illinois on fire suppression and detection systems, as well as operational concerns relating to the delivery of fire and emergency services on the UIUC campus.

• Liaises with property owners to provide information and education on fire safety risk mitigation; provides guidance to motivate compliance with fire code regulations; reports or escalates repeated non-compliance and complex safety issues as required. 

• Coordinates and presents public fire and life safety prevention programs with various agencies to ensure the most effective use of community resources.

• Responds to and resolves citizen complaints of alleged code violations or hazards.
• Prepares and presents reports on various public safety issues related to areas of responsibility to community stakeholders, City staff, and members of the public as assigned or required.
• Issues fire prevention permits as required by fire code.

• Prepares fire safety announcements for media; works closely with City of Urbana or  University of Illinois staff to promote fire safety activities and awareness.

• Assists in coordinating activities of staff during public information, education, and community relations programs and events related to CRR.

• Assists in coordinating operational analysis of data and program evaluation on services, programs, and projects assigned to the CRR Division, including but not limited to fire prevention, and public safety education.

• Assists in coordinating the Public Safety Education and Fire Prevention programs with numerous other agencies, including but not limited to the University of Illinois and the City of Champaign.

• Provides input and makes recommendations for long-range risk reduction planning to establish future departmental and division needs.

• Presents and facilitates fire safety classes and workshops for various school and community groups.

• Identifies and tracks CRR trends, developments, and public education needs and opportunities in the area of fire service risk reduction; develops applicable education programs and materials or makes recommendations as required.

• Trains fire department staff in fire code, public education, public information dissemination, and community relations programs, activities, requirements, and best practices. 

• Disseminates information concerning special fire department events and other departmental operations to the department, the community, and other agencies.

• Prepares lists of pre-incident plans, Knox Box information, and walkthroughs for City and campus buildings.
• Completes department assigned training.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Required / Minimum Qualifications:

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: 

• Completion of a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in fire code enforcement, fire prevention, public safety, and/or commercial building inspection, or comparable related experience. Professional experience refers to full-time, paid employment.
• Must possess and maintain an State of Illinois driver's license within 15 days of hire.
• Must possess and maintain State of Illinois Fire Inspector I certification, NFPA 1030 Fire Inspector, IFSAC Fire Inspector I, ProBoard Fire Inspector I, or International Code Council Fire Inspector I certification.
• Must possess or acquire within two years of hire and maintain:
  • State of Illinois certification as Fire Inspector II.
  • NFPA 1030 Fire Inspector
  • IFSAC Fire Inspector II
  • ProBoard Fire Inspector II, or International Code Council Fire Inspector II
  • State of Illinois certification as Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I, IFSAC Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I, or ProBoard Public Fire and Life Safety Educator I. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) or more years of professional experience coordinating or facilitating fire service Community Risk Reduction programs or activities, to include fire code enforcement, public education, and/or fire prevention activities.
• An associate's or higher degree in fire science, fire protection technology, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• State of Illinois Certification as Basic Fire Prevention Officer

For a complete list of duties and qualifications, please refer to the job description.

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To Apply:

Applicants must submit a current resume and an online application. Click the red "Apply" button on the upper-right hand side of this page. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled, however initial application review will occur after Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply prior to this date for priority consideration. 

Selection Process:

The application will serve as the Civil Service exam; applicants meeting or exceeding the passing score will be placed on an open competitive register to fill current and/or future vacancies that may occur within approximately the next two years; this register may be extended or voided as needed by the Civil Service Commission. Questions may be directed to Ranija Turner, Human Resources Coordinator, at: jobs@urbanail.gov or call (217) 384-6295. The City of Urbana provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; if you need information, please contact the Human Resources Division at the number or e-mail address above.     

What happens after I submit my application?

You will be contacted by e-mail regarding your status once a decision has been made in the selection process. Once you apply, almost all communication regarding the status of your application will be by email through the City's applicant management platform, so please add the domain "@applitrack.com" to your address book to prevent any emails from going to your Spam/Junk folder.

The Organization

The City of Urbana, founded in 1833 and the county seat of Champaign County, is a home-rule municipality situated in east central Illinois, approximately 135 miles south of Chicago and 45 miles west of the Indiana border. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the state's flagship university, is located in both Urbana and Urbana's twin city of Champaign. Urbana's population is estimated at 38,336 and 11.9 square miles are within the City boundaries. The City is led by Mayor DeShawn Williams and operates under the mayor-aldermanic form of government. On average, Urbana employs 260 full-time personnel. For more information about the City of Urbana, visit: www.urbanaillinois.us.

About the Urbana Community

Award-winning dining. Cutting-edge technology. World-class education. Gigabit-speed fiber network. Urbana is a city where artists, thinkers, and innovators thrive. And we're just getting started!

Urbana boasts a history built on innovation. From the famed Morrow Plots, a National Historic Landmark, to the groundbreaking research conducted every day on the flagship campus of the University of Illinois, Urbana embraces creative thinking and diversity to drive innovation and advancement. We're connected to each other and the world thanks to an award-winning mass transit district, Amtrak rail, a regional airport, and three major interstates. Prefer to get around on two wheels? We are proud to be the first Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community in Illinois. Our West Urbana neighborhood has been named of the 10 Great Neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association, and together with our twin city Champaign, we've been recognized as the Greatest Food Town in the Midwest by Midwest Living Magazine, as well as an AARP Age-Friendly Community. Led by Mayor DeShawn Williams, Urbana's progressive values include civic engagement, celebrating entrepreneurs and innovators, smart growth, and transparent governance. Award-winning schools, outstanding parks, a mosaic of diverse and engaged neighborhoods, a robust array of businesses located throughout the city, and reliable public services committed to the best possible quality of life for residents serve to make Urbana a great place for all to thrive.

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Compensation and Benefits
The City of Urbana offers competitive compensation and benefits to our employees.  The full salary range for this position is $82,970.94 - $136,902.06 per year; the starting annual range is $82,970.94 - $109,936.50 . The City of Urbana provides its employees with a robust benefits package that includes the following options:

• Health insurance through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, including a no-cost premium option for employees
• Dental insurance options through Delta Dental
• Vision, Voluntary Life, Short/Long-term Disability, Accident, and Critical Illness insurance options
• Flexible Spending Plan option
• Paid holidays
• Generous vacation and unlimited sick leave accruals

For more information about City benefits for this position, please visit Non-Union Benefits | City of Urbana Careers | Urbana, Illinois.

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The City of Urbana Welcomes Diversity!

We foster an environment that values and encourages mutual respect, inclusion of all people, and utilizing differences and similarities as an organizational asset. EOE.