Enjoy this interview with Chris Moore, a fire inspector in Jackson County.
Interview By: Natalie Newman
Tell me a little about yourself, your education, and your experience.
My name is Chris Moore. I am originally from Halifax and Northampton Counties In eastern North Carolina and a graduate of Halifax Academy. My time in high school centered on athletics and keeping my grades up in order to one day attend college. Both of my parents never went beyond high school, so I was the first in my family to have an opportunity in attending college. I attended Western Carolina University where I majored in Parks and Recreation Management (Outdoor Leadership) and received a Bachelor of Science degree. I volunteered with the US Forest Service (Highlands Ranger District on the Nantahala National Forest) while fulfilling my internship requirements for my Degree. Upon graduation from college, I went on to work for the United States Forest Service (USFS) as a career employee in a primary wildland firefighter position (Forestry Technician/FIRE). These positions were funded under the National Fire Plan approved by the Clinton Administration around 2000. It was in this position that I was exposed to the Incident Command System and All Risk Incidents throughout the United States. I received specialized training that would advance my qualifications and allow me to become a national resource for incidents of all types ranging from wildfires, to hurricanes, to collecting shuttle parts and special events. I was assigned other duties in Recreation, Lands, and Timber Management with the USFS. We, as Forestry Technicians, had to be well diversified in a day’s time to meet the needs of a multi-use type agency. I was a 2004 member of the Asheville Interagency Hotshot Crew, in which prepares federal wildland firefighters for future leadership roles within a federal land management agency. I was with the USFS until the birth of my first child in 2010. It was then I made a choice to give up a career job in order to be a stay-at-home father. I have two daughters and was home with them for about 4 years. It was then I picked up the local newspaper and saw an opening for a Fire Inspector in Jackson County. I have a wife, Bethany. We have been married for about 15 years and she has been my rock since 2001. Like I mentioned, we have two daughters, Mattie, 7, and Lucie, 6. We are truly blessed.
Why did you choose to pursue a career as a fire marshal?
I must clarify in the fact that I am not a fire marshal. I am what the State of North Carolina recognizes as a fire code official. In order to be a fire code official, I must be given a jurisdiction to cover and allowed to enforce the provisions set forth in the North Carolina State Fire Prevention Code. The Jackson County Fire Prevention ordinance adopts the NC State Fire Prevention Code as an enforceable document within Jackson County. There is also an agreement in place with municipalities, such as Sylva, to allow for the enforcement of the fire code and other building codes, as Sylva does not have its own Department. As a designee under the fire marshal, and in-line with the Fire Prevention Ordinance, I’m allowed to perform the job of a NC Code Enforcement Official in Fire Prevention throughout Jackson County. A majority of the public know these positions to be that of a fire marshal, deputy fire marshal or assistant fire marshal. We have a fire marshal in Jackson County who works in Emergency Management, while I work in the Department of Permitting and Code Enforcement. I am responsible for the periodical inspections as outlined by the state general statutes covering the frequency in which we should be doing these inspections.
As the son of electrician, and having worked for the largest fire prevention organization in the world, I was compelled to put in for the Fire Inspector position here in Jackson County. I feel my skill set in the electrical field, coupled with my experiences in delivering fire prevention messages, along with delivering interpretive messages at recreation sites, would be of great benefit to the county and the people I would come to serve. I had experienced what is like to implement a program from the bottom up while with the US Forest Service. The recreation fee demonstration project had just begun at sites such as Whitewater Falls, Whiteside Mountain and Dry Falls. The agency had begun to charge a fee for such facilities, and I can attest to many days hearing what my fellow taxpayers felt about such fees. As a Forest Protection Officer, I was tasked with writing violation notices for those who failed to pay. It was experiences like this that has helped prepare me for my current position in dealing directly with people as a Fire Inspector Level II (currently a probationary Level III).
I have always felt a sense of public duty, and in order to fulfill this, I have taken on a public servant role as a career and the fire inspector job was another way to help quell this desire. It is my hope in a day to represent the least amongst us, and make it a safer place for all of us to enjoy in what we term as the Public Way. I would hope to limit the exposure rate of our first responders by educating those I serve in the term Life Safety. It is not always about the building being on fire, it is about our precious life, of which we cannot replace a life. As a member of the NC Fire Marshal Association, I am charged with “Protecting life and property.”
What does an average day look like in your position?
My day consists of fulfilling the requirements of the minimum fire inspection schedule, as set forth by the state of North Carolina, on existing buildings in Jackson County and its municipalities. This means I must be vigilant in conducting inspections and scheduling inspections. Different licensing agencies may require different inspection schedules. For example, the Department of Social Services requires foster homes to have a fire inspection during the licensing of such homes. The state of North Carolina requires public schools be inspected twice a year. Depending upon the type of occupancy directly relates to the frequency of inspection. The Department of Health and Human Services in North Carolina requires an annual inspection for daycares. So to say the least, it is much bigger than one man is, but I do my best in fulfilling my duties and obligations. Answering the phone, making appointments, conducting inspections (follow ups as well) and entering my work into a database are a typical day. I am the co-chair of Safe Kids Jackson County and help deliver injury prevention messages when time permits. I also help the fire marshal in fire prevention education when the opportunity arises. Then comes the unexpected in a day, along with emergencies, so it may be one adventure after another depending upon circumstance or as it is termed, other duties as assigned.
How does what you do relate to the services that fire safety companies offer?
Fire safety companies help maintain such things as fire extinguishers, fire suppression hood systems, sprinkler systems, and fire alarm systems. The general public has an expectation that these life safety and fire protection appurtenances are fully functional while being compliant, ready to deploy when a situation may warrant. Fire safety companies do an invaluable service by keeping the owners of such systems in compliance when it comes to installing, maintaining and testing them. Fire safety companies are the true professionals who take on training, while educating themselves to the proper protocols and procedures when it comes to installing and maintaining these fire/life safety components in buildings. As a fire code official, it is my job to ensure the owner of these systems have them installed correctly and are maintaining them to the minimum requirements set forth in the referenced materials and/or manufacturers guidelines. For example, the National Fire Protection Agency sets forth its minimum requirements in the maintenance and testing of such systems as fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire extinguishment systems.
What would you consider to be the most common fire code violation?
Please below Document A; under Top Ten Fire Code Violations.
What are some challenges that fire code officials face in their daily job?
We, as fire code officials, are faced with the task of educating, engineering, and enforcing a method of compliance that is consistent and representative of the fire code. In my current position, we are working in establishing these methods and maintaining an inspection schedule. In the last three plus years, we have ventured well into establishing a fire inspection program. Every situation or inspection is different, so there is never such a thing as a routine inspection. It is all about getting by in from the public we serve. Manpower, lack thereof, is a main issue facing our local jurisdiction when it comes to fire inspections. Funding, lack thereof, is another issue facing the fire inspection program. Career burnout can also arise from the lack of compliance and the lack of wiliness in building owners to work with the inspector.
How do you keep up with current regulations and changes within your industry?
As a code enforcement official for the state of North Carolina I am required to attend continuing education in order to keep my certification. I have attended the North Carolina Fire Prevention School for the last 4 years. We also do continuing education here in the county, as we are fortunate to have an instructor on the staff. I also must rely on the experience and knowledge of the building code official, along with the electrical code official. At the end of the day, it takes a team to represent the whole envelope of Fire and Life Safety.
What advice do you have for someone looking to get involved within your industry?
My advice for getting into this industry is simple, one must be willing to put others first and be willing to listen within their concerns or complaints. At the end of the day, it is not about a big paycheck. The motivation for doing these jobs in a public servant setting far exceeds the monetary gains. In major municipalities, in which paid fire departments exist, one may look to joining their local volunteer fire department, or putting in for positions within a paid fire department. Once within one of those agencies, one may look to build upon their skill set and pursue a fire inspection certification.
What certifications, education, and experience does someone need to become a fire code inspector?
See below Document B; How do I become a certified North Carolina Fire Prevention Code Inspector
What skills or attributes make someone a good fire marshal or inspector?
A good fire inspector must have great communication skills, as well as listening skills. Paying attention to details is another good attribute of a fire inspector. In order to represent the code with impartiality, one must be willing to be consistent in their approach of enforcing and educating the public they serve. Honesty, loyalty and integrity are all valued attributes when it comes to the role of a fire code enforcement official. A fire inspector must also be willing to bend and not break when it comes to enforcement during inspections. At the end of the day, a fire inspector must put the value of life, in the name of life safety, above any personal belief, ethic or conduct. One must also be willing to understand the political arena in which surrounds the fire inspector. The political arena takes some navigating, but through experience, it may be achieved.
