DATE: August 20, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Fire Department
TITLE: RECLASSIFY THE EXISTING FIRE SAFETY SPECIALIST CLASSIFICATION AND FIRE PLANS EXAMINER CLASSIFICATION WITHIN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve the reclassification of the existing authorized Fire Safety Specialist classification to Deputy Fire Marshal I and the existing authorized Fire Plans Examiner classification to Deputy Fire Marshal II within the Fire Department.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Division of the Oceanside Fire Department (OFD) manages fire prevention personnel to ensure community safety and compliance with the California Fire Code. The Division's responsibilities include conducting fire inspections, investigating fires and hazardous materials, and reviewing construction plans for compliance with fire safety standards. These tasks are carried out by a team composed of two full-time Fire Safety Specialists, one 40-hour Firefighter, two full-time Fire Plans Examiners, and a part-time Plans Examiner/contractor.
The Fire Safety Specialists and the 40-hour Firefighter are responsible for conducting fire inspections and investigations, while the Fire Plans Examiners ensure that building plans meet both state and municipal fire codes. The Fire Safety Specialists frequently engage with the public in educational and enforcement capacities. However, their current job titles do not clearly reflect the authority under which they operate. Cal-Fire, California's state fire department, uses the title "Deputy Fire Marshal" for employees in similar roles. The North Zone Fire Marshals have recommended standardizing titles across fire agencies in the county. The Fire Safety Specialist position is part of the Oceanside Firefighters Association (OFA) bargaining unit, and renaming it to Deputy Fire Marshal I will not affect its status within the bargaining unit.
In June 2024, ...
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