Health Safety Officer

SUMMARY: The Health and Safety Officer (HSO) is responsible for the administration and management of the Douglas County Fire/EMS Department’s Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program. This position serves as the department’s primary manager of risk reduction, ensuring compliance with NFPA standards (including 1500, 1521, 1582, and 1851), OSHA and Georgia Department of Labor requirements, and departmental policies. The HSO works proactively to identify hazards, prevent accidents, and promote the physical, behavioral, and mental well-being of department personnel. The role may respond to major incidents to function as the Incident Safety Officer and provides leadership in health and safety training, wellness programs, and emergency scene risk mitigation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Duties include but are not limited to:

Risk Management & Policy Development

· Develop, implement, and manage the department’s Risk Management Plan.

· Review, revise, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Standard Operating Guidelines (SOGs) to ensure compliance with current safety standards.

· Chair the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Committee.

· Conduct internal safety audits and inspections of stations, facilities, apparatus, EMS units, tools, and equipment.

· Identify hazards, evaluate risks, and recommend corrective actions to reduce occupational injuries and exposures.

· Maintain and update department-wide safety programs to ensure alignment with NFPA 1500 and related standards.

Incident Safety & Investigation

· Respond to major incidents (2nd alarm or greater), large-scale emergencies, or high-risk events and serve as the Incident Safety Officer (ISO) or support the designated ISO.

· Observe on-scene operations to ensure safe practices, enforce hazard controls, and provide real-time safety recommendations.

· Investigate all departmental accidents, injuries, near-misses, and occupational illness exposures.

· Maintain and analyze incident and accident data to identify trends and recommend corrective or preventive actions.

· Manage the department’s Infection Control Program and function as the Designated Infection Control Officer (DICO).

· Participate in post-incident analysis and assist in developing lessons learned.

Health & Wellness Administration

· Oversee the department’s physical fitness, occupational wellness, and injury-prevention initiatives.

· Coordinate annual medical physicals in accordance with NFPA 1582 and manage medical surveillance programs.

· Manage the Behavioral Health/Peer Support Program and coordinate CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management) support following traumatic events.

· Monitor compliance with cancer-prevention protocols, including on-scene and post-fire gross decontamination, gear cleaning, and PPE inspections in accordance with NFPA 1851.

· Maintain confidential health, exposure, and wellness records in collaboration with HR.

Training & Compliance

· Collaborate with the Training Division to incorporate safety considerations into all training evolutions, drills, and live-fire exercises.

· Deliver safety-related training (e.g., driver safety, infection control, hazmat awareness, rehabilitation procedures).

· Ensure compliance with Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council (GFSTC) regulations as they relate to safety, PPE use, and operational readiness.

· Provide training and guidance on OSHA standards, hazard communication, respiratory protection, and risk reduction practices.

· Prepare annual safety reports, audits, and regulatory documentation for department leadership.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

MINIMUM EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

· Required: Associate degree in Fire Science, Occupational Safety, Public Administration, or a related field.

· Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in a related field.

· Required: Minimum 5–7 years of experience in fire service operations.

· Required: Experience serving as a Company Officer (Lieutenant, Captain, or higher).

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be 18 years of age or older
Must have no felony convictions within the past ten (10) years

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

· GFSTC Certified Firefighter II.

· NFPA 1521 Health and Safety Officer certification (or ability to obtain within 12 months).

· NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer certification.

· Valid Georgia Driver’s License (Class F or B).

· OSHA safety training, EMS licensure, or additional safety-related certifications (preferred but not required).

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

· Deep knowledge of NFPA 1500, 1521, 1582, and 1851 standards, OSHA regulations, and best practices in fire service safety.

· Strong understanding of fire and EMS operations, emergency incident management, and ICS roles.

· Ability to investigate accidents, write comprehensive reports, and present findings clearly.

· Strong interpersonal skills for navigating sensitive health issues, behavioral health concerns, and accident investigations.

· Ability to analyze safety data, identify trends, and make informed recommendations.

· Proficiency with risk-management software, Microsoft Office Suite, and exposure tracking systems.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms; to carry, pull or lift; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions.
• The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals.
The employee occasionally works with explosives and is occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock

The details listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various elements of this position and the work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements does not exclude them if their nature is similar, related, or a logical extension of the position.