All about the profession of fire alarm engineer

The profession of security and fire alarm engineer (OPS) is a very important technical specialty and is well in demand in the modern labor market. The position is considered to be very responsible and requires special knowledge from the employee, on the depth of which not only the performance of fire systems, but also the life of the employees of the enterprise depends.

OPS complexes are installed at many civil and industrial facilities and are the most important electronic-mechanical systems responsible for the safety of workers and the safety of property of enterprises. As a rule, several employees are engaged in servicing such a system, including an electrician, a service specialist, an installer, and an adjuster, each of whom is responsible only for his or her work area.

At the same time, overall control of both the equipment and the actions of technical specialists is entrusted to the OPS engineer, which not only coordinates their work, but also thoroughly understands all the intricacies of the functioning, repair and modernization of signal systems. Moreover, OPS engineers independently design modern fire alarm systems and control their installation, as well as develop projects for other security mechanisms, including checkpoint complexes and video surveillance systems of enterprises.

The advantages of the specialty include high salary and the prestige of the profession of engineer, and by cons - quite complicated training, the need to be well versed in physics, electronics and radio electronics, as well as high moral and material responsibility.

According to the job description, the specialist in OPS has a number of functional responsibilities, on the fair execution of which the safety of the enterprise depends.

• An OPS engineer must be well aware of the content of regulatory and methodological documents, governing the operation, modernization and repair of security and fire systems, as well as operational systems for video surveillance and communications.
• The specialist is required well versed in the design and operation of technical equipment and if necessary, be able to independently repair any module.
• Engineer must possess deep knowledge in the field of radio and be able to protect the complex from acts of unlawful interference.
• The specialist must be able to make estimates to carry out preventive and repair work, in time to submit applications for the replacement of units and assemblies with an expiring service life and to control this replacement.
• The duty of an OPS engineer is to monitor strict compliance with fire safety regulations. and the internal routine of the enterprise, making comments to violators with the obligatory notification of management.
• The engineer is obliged to monitor the accuracy of filling out technical data sheets and forms of serviced equipment and timely make changes to the technical documentation. In addition, the specialist’s tasks include the development of advanced fire warning methods and their consistent implementation.
• OPS Engineer should be engaged in continuing education and actively monitor the innovative methods of fire warning systems. The specialist is obliged to take an active part in seminars in this area, as well as attend senior management meetings, where, if necessary, he must strictly comply with safety and labor protection rules.

In the case of neglect of his official duties, which entailed harm to the health of employees or damage to production equipment, an OPS engineer may be held administratively and criminally liable, depending on the degree of harm caused to people, as well as the degree of material damage.

To work as an engineer in OPS, persons who have been trained in a higher educational institution of a technical orientation in the undergraduate or specialty system, in the specialty “Fire and Security Alarm Engineer” or other related disciplines related to the operation of security systems, as well as young specialists who have graduated, are allowed magistracy.

At the end of the university, graduates can be admitted to the position of an engineer at an educational institution without the requirement for length of service, and after working in this specialty for 3 years, the employee is assigned the III category. After working as an engineer of category III for more than 3 years, a specialist is assigned category II, and after another 3 years - the first.