Fire & Life Safety Compliance Coordinator

Brief Summary:

The Fire & Life Safety Compliance Coordinator develops and maintains critical elements of the Environment of Care and Fire/Life Safety programs to ensure regulatory compliance and a safe environment at Samuel Simmonds Memorial Hospital (SSMH) and other ASNA facilities.

Essential Job Functions:

• Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, with surveyors, inspectors, and internal partners in a manner that ensures compliance but also takes complex regulatory concepts and makes them accessible.
• Coordinates compliance related to Environment of Care, Disaster Preparedness and Safety Committee functions. This includes: data entry for Environment of Care Reports, maintenance of the safety inspection process, meeting preparation, agenda development, recording and documentation of meeting minutes and maintenance of action logs for the essential Environment of Care/Safety Committees.
• Coordinates the Environment of Care rounds process for SSMH/ASNA facilities. Serves as the Fire/Life Safety evaluator for the inspection process.
• Coordinates and monitors Fire and Life Safety program elements in compliance with Federal, State and Local regulations.
• Manages the SSMH/ASNA fire drill process, including development of scenarios, scheduling and implementation of drills, to include proper documentation of the exercises. Monitors and reports compliance to operational leaders.
• Coordinates with Quality to lead/facilitates regulatory survey reviews with the Joint Commission, Fire inspectors, OSHA inspectors, and CMS surveyors.
• Coordinates and monitors progress of all action items resulting from survey activity. Escalates concerns to the appropriate department/leader.
• Under the direction of the Facilities Executive Team serves as the primary fire/life safety code interpreter for SSMH/ASNA. Validates regulatory findings before investing in changes or corrective actions. Collaborates with local and State fire officials, Facilities Managers and Construction team members to evaluate new codes/code changes that will impact ASNA facilities.
• Conducts Pre-Construction Risk Assessments to evaluate for life safety deficiencies during construction and renovation projects. Develops mitigation plans, including education of clinical teams, on the impacts of the life safety deficiencies.
• Prepares and presents effective employee training on proper fire/life safety response procedures; documents training dates.
• Oversees Hazardous Materials/Hazardous Waste Management Plan, and ensures compliance with all accrediting and regulatory agencies.
• Conducts periodic assessments of hazardous substance generation and storage areas, and evaluates hazardous materials handling procedures.
• Coordinates with departments regarding the proper in-house transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous materials.
• Responsible for the Hazardous Waste Program to ensure that hazardous waste properly handled, contained, stored, and labeled, in compliance with federal, state and local regulatory requirements.
• Represents SSMH/ASNA when coordinating with licensed hazardous waste haulers and other related service providers, and maintain manifests.
• Conducts the mandatory Fire inspection reports to document hazardous materials that may impact response teams during a fire event.
• Maintains Safety Data Sheet database for all facilities.

• Coordinates monitoring process for introduction of new chemicals into SSMH/ASNA facilities.
• Prepares and presents effective employee training on safe management of hazardous materials and emergency responses, including spill response team and patient/victim decontamination team; documents training dates.
• Supports the vision, mission and values of the organization in all respects.
• Provides and maintains a safe environment for caregivers, patients and guests.
• Conducts all activities with the highest standards of professionalism and complies with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures, supporting the organization’s integrity of applicable rules, and cooperating fully with all organizational investigations and proceedings.
• Delivers customer service and/or patient care in a manner that promotes goodwill, is timely, efficient and accurate.
• May perform additional duties of similar complexity within the organization, as required to assigned.

Education & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED, required.
• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare or safety related field preferred
• Valid Alaska driver’s license within 90 days hire.
• Certification as a Fire Inspector (level 1 or 2), RCRA, HASWOPER and Environmental Manager required within 6 months of hire.
• Certification as a Life Safety Specialist for Healthcare (CLSS-HC), NFPA 101: Life Safety Code (2012) Essentials for Health Care Occupancies, and Fire Plans Examiner Certification required within one year of hire.
• Two (2) years’ experience as a healthcare safety professional, with one (1) year experience in fire prevention and life safety management.
• Experience communicating directly with Joint Commission surveyors preferred.
• Knowledge of compiling and documenting safety related statistics. Background in safety audits both external (regulatory agencies) and internal. Health care experience preferred.
• Demonstrated professional knowledge of NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) and Joint Commission Fire/Safety Standards.