Exam Bulletin - Fire and Life Safety Officer II, Division of SA

Department of General Services

Exam Code: EX-1721

Examination Plans Included:

  • FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT) - Open

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Classification Details

FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT): $10,015.00 - $12,538.00 per Month

View the FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT) classification specification.

Application Instructions

This is not a timed exam. If you request a Reasonable Accommodation your account will be locked and you will not be able to proceed with the exam until the request is processed.

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT) - Open

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

    1721

For FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT), once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-01721

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00104351 - FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT)

Either 1
Two years of experience in the California state service in a position equivalent to a Fire and Life Safety Officer I (Division of the State Architect).

Or 2
Experience: Four years of experience in either (1) building inspection in fire and life safety code compliance work, two years of which shall have been in one or a combination of the following: (a) the development and/or interpretation of code compliance policies and standards; or (b) the lead of a technical staff engaged in code compliance requiring the interpretation and application of fire and life safety codes, laws, rules and regulations; or (2) performing plan review, technical inspection and/or supervision of general construction projects including fire and life safety code compliance in a public agency such as building departments or fire departments for government agencies or a private company such as architectural and engineering firms. [Experience in the California state service applied toward this requirement must include at least two years with a level of responsibility equivalent to Fire and Life Safety Officer I (Division of the State Architect).]

Position Description

00104351 - FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT)

This is the full professional journey level. Under general direction, incumbents within an assigned geographical area are responsible for independently ensuring compliance with fire and life safety codes, regulations and standards as contained in Titles 19 and 24 of the California Code of Regulations; performing final plan review for fire and life safety compliance and personally resolving the most difficult fire and life safety problems encountered during plan and specification review. Incumbents review drawings and specifications for compliance with fire and life safety building regulations and standards as contained in Titles 19 and 24 of the California Code of Regulations; and perform inspection work on an as needed basis and advise building owners on alternate means of protection.

Incumbents in this class provide consultation and technical assistance to the DSA plan review and field inspection staff on fire and life safety building standards. Incumbents may act as lead persons for Fire and Life Safety Officer I (Division of the State Architect) staff.

Special Personal Characteristics
Willingness to travel throughout the State or an assigned area of the State; reliability; tact; and keenness of observation; good memory for details; physical stamina necessary to perform the duties of the position.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, or Edge for optimal performance when accessing the examination.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1CalHR Online ExamN/A100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of:
  1. Plan review code applications 
  2. General building code applications 
  3. Basic engineering, architectural and building design practices and procedures 
  4. Standards, methodology and terminology used in the building construction industry 
  5. Code compliance in fire and life safety 
  6. Fire protection equipment and systems 
  7. Exiting systems 
  8. Mechanical and electrical systems and components
  9. Standards and methods of construction 
  10. Construction documents and reports 
  11. Methods of conducting building construction inspections 
  12. Titles 19 and 24, California Code of Regulations 
  13. Fire Protection and Prevention standards established by nationally recognized agencies such as the National Fire Protection Association
  14. Building seismic components and installations
  15. Eevators and related components
  16. Emergency generating equipment 
  17. Building emergency planning and signing 
  18. Construction and operation of fire protection appliances and systems used in buildings 
  19. Plan review techniques 
  20. Construction and inspection of public or school buildings
Ability to:
  1. Analyze situations accurately, reason logically and take effective action 
  2. Check plans and specifications for design materials and code conformance 
  3. Inspect facilities for fire and life safety code compliance 
  4. Prepare clear and comprehensive correspondence and reports on investigations, inspections, and surveys 
  5. Communicate effectively and make presentations 
  6. Establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of those contacted in the work 
  7. Provide clarification and guidance regarding the application of codes, regulations, and laws
  8. Train lower level staff 
  9. Effective research and analytical reports 
  10. Perform more complex review and inspection work 
  11. Analyze alternate means of protection

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY OFFICER II (DIVISION OF THE STATE ARCHITECT) Classification will be established for:

  • Department of General Services

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies throughout the State of California.

Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

  • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
  • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Career Credits are not granted for examination(s) administered on an Open basis or a Promotional basis.

Testing Departments

  • Department of General Services

Contact Information

Technical questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

California Department of Human Resources
CalCareer Service Center
1810 16th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (866) 844-8671
CalCareer@CalHR.CA.GOV

Administrative questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

Department of General Services
Department of General Services - OHR
P.O. Box 989052
West Sacramento, CA 95798-9052
Phone: (916) 376-5400

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Drug Free Statement

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

General Information

Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

Department of General Services reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)