A fire inspector is responsible for performing inspections on buildings, in order to determine if there are any potential fire hazards or other factors that may attribute to a compromised fire safety in the building. Additionally, the fire inspector must ensure that the building offers adequate emergency evacuation routes, and that they’re not obstructed in any way and function properly. Fire inspectors will frequently pay special attention to the building’s electric installation, as faulty wiring has been reported as one of the most prominent causes of fire outbreaks in modern buildings.
To get a job as a fire inspector, a candidate will generally only need a high school diploma. The job requires deep, intricate knowledge of the systems that provide fire safety to buildings, such as the sprinkler installation, as well as theoretical knowledge of evacuation procedures (in order to be able to correctly determine if the building lacks in its fire safety in any substantial way). Additionally, some knowledge of the local laws related to fire safety and evacuation procedures must be possessed. Previous employment as a firefighter can be highly beneficial.
Fire inspectors earn moderately well, with their pay rate going up relative to their discovery of fire hazards in the buildings they’ve been tasked with. Generally, the annual salary ranges between $45,000 – $62,000, and the job offers some additional bonuses (not related to the ones mentioned above), further making it an attractive deal for many candidates.