Fire Permit Technician at County of Riverside in Riverside, California

Job Description:

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Riverside County Fire Department is seeking to fill multiple Fire Permit Technician positions in Riverside and Palm Desert. The most competitive candidates will possess knowledge and experience with the Public and Land Use System (PLUS).

Under general supervision, performs a variety of administrative support duties and provides customer assistance and services for Riverside County Fire; responds to questions regarding Fire's permit application, procedures and fire code requirements as they relate to permit application and processes; receives and routes applicable documents to staff; performs other related duties as required.

The Fire Permit Technician is a journey level classification and reports to an appropriate supervisory or manager level position. The Fire Permit Technician is primarily engaged in issuing County Fire construction and fire code permits, processing fire protection and construction plans for residential, commercial, and industrial projects, performing code compliance reviews of minor fire protection projects, and scheduling appointments.

Meet the Team!

The Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD) is one of the largest integrated, cooperative, regional fire protection organizations in California. The Department, a unique partnership between State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the County of Riverside, serves 20 partner agencies and has five core values: Leadership, Competence, Integrity, Safety, and Customer Service.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

•Provide quality customer service to the public at a public counter; process construction plans, forms, and permit applications for issuance of development and construction permits for commercial, industrial, and residential projects; perform the more complex functions related to County Fire's development and permitting processes; resolve or assist in resolving difficult or complex permitting issues.

•Coordinate fire permit process; receive and review fire applications for completeness and compliance with related laws, codes, ordinances, and legislation; process plan check submittals, applications and other related documents; answer code related questions and supply information regarding permit processing policies and procedures.

•Receive and review applications for Fire Permits; approve and issue permits; calculate and collect fees and perform plan reviews for minor projects.

•Review, confirm and research invoices, verify encumbrances, and research discrepancies as they relate to County Fire vendors.

•Receive requests for inspection and schedule appropriately using specialized records management and permit software to create and maintain project files and check project status.

•Enter and update information in the computerized permit system to prepare a variety of forms, letters, reports, and other materials to include permit issuance database; maintain accurate and detailed records and files; verify accuracy of information; provide status reports, research discrepancies and records information; calculate and maintain statistical data and records and prepare a variety of reports as required.

•Recommend and participate in implementation and improvement of policies and procedures.

•Research, review and compile data for special projects and various reports.

•Build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other County employees and the public using principles of good customer service.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

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

OPTION IEducation:Graduation from high school or attainment of a satisfactory score on a G.E.D. test.

Experience: Two (2) years of performing clerical office duties and in reviewing, reading and understanding simple blueprints or interpreting and explaining simple planning or building regulations.

OPTION IIEducation: Graduation from high school or attainment of a satisfactory score on a G.E.D. test.

Experience:One (1) year in municipal planning, building or a related field comparable to that of a Building or Planning Permit Technician.

ALL OPTIONSKnowledge of: Principles and procedures of recordkeeping and reporting; modern office equipment and procedures including use of a variety of software applications related to fire prevention and plan review; California Fire Code and other applicable federal, state and local laws; principles and practices of customer service and public relations; English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Ability to: Learn, interpret, apply, and explain policies and procedures; intermittently review documents related to County Fire operations; observe, identify and problem solve procedural issues; receive, research and resolve questions from the public, outside agencies and other County departments; learn to review construction drawings and plans; learn to process fire inspections, new construction and life safety permits.

Other Requirements

License:Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of both a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment.)

Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference

The County has a Veteran's Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here .

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/ .

What's Next?

This recruitment is open to all applicants. Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Fire Department may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.

Competitive experience/education must be reflected on your application/resume.

Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County. Based on the number of applications received, this posting may close without notice.

For more information regarding the position, please contact the recruiter Joe Olivares at (951) 955-9554 or via email at jomendoz@rivco.org.

GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com . A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable LIUNA Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• 
  Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.


• 
  Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.


• 
  Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.
  

A new member is defined as any of the following:

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.

A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)

Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.

SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance)

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.

Apply Now