# Fire Inspectors and Investigators

> Inspect buildings to detect fire hazards and enforce local ordinances and state laws, or investigate and gather facts to determine cause of fires and explosions.

- **SOC code:** 33-2021.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2021-00
- **Also known as:** Arson Investigator, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, Fire Prevention Inspector, Fire Code Inspector, Fire Official, Fire Prevention Specialist, Fire Protection Specialist
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Prepare and maintain reports of investigation results, and records of convicted arsonists and arson suspects.
- Testify in court cases involving fires, suspected arson, and false alarms.
- Package collected pieces of evidence in securely closed containers, such as bags, crates, or boxes, to protect them.
- Conduct inspections and acceptance testing of newly installed fire protection systems.
- Analyze evidence and other information to determine probable cause of fire or explosion.
- Subpoena and interview witnesses, property owners, and building occupants to obtain information and sworn testimony.
- Photograph damage and evidence related to causes of fires or explosions to document investigation findings.
- Examine fire sites and collect evidence such as glass, metal fragments, charred wood, and accelerant residue for use in determining the cause of a fire.
- Inspect buildings to locate hazardous conditions and fire code violations, such as accumulations of combustible material, electrical wiring problems, and inadequate or non-functional fire exits.
- Instruct children about the dangers of fire.
- Conduct fire code compliance follow-ups to ensure that corrective actions have been taken in cases where violations were found.
- Inspect properties that store, handle, and use hazardous materials to ensure compliance with laws, codes, and regulations, and issue hazardous materials permits to facilities found in compliance.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Public Safety and Security _(knowledge)_
- Customer and Personal Service _(knowledge)_
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Problem Sensitivity _(ability)_
- Law and Government _(knowledge)_
- Oral Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Comprehension _(ability)_
- Written Expression _(ability)_
- Education and Training _(knowledge)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(ability)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Active Listening _(Common Skill)_
- Writing _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Excel _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Social Perceptiveness _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Excel _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Outlook _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology, in demand)_
- Microsoft Access _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft PowerPoint _(hot technology)_
- Code database software
- Consolidated Model of Fire and Smoke Transport CFAST
- Email software
- Fire Dynamics Software FDS
- National Fire Incident Reporting System NFIRS
- Web browser software

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 39th percentile (Moderate) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 49th percentile (Moderate) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 40th percentile (Moderate) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 35th percentile (Moderate) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 46th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 3.8% growth (About average); 1.5k annual openings; 14.7k → 15.2k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $78,060; 14,050 employed.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-33-2021-00_