The Fire Marshal supports fire prevention, life safety, emergency preparedness and response, and production operations across the Sony Pictures Studios lot and associated properties. Working as part of a small, highly collaborative Fire team, this role helps maintain a safe and production-ready studio environment through inspections, risk assessment, operational support, emergency response, training, documentation, and coordination with internal and external partners.
The Fire Marshal serves as a knowledgeable fire/life-safety resource and trusted liaison among productions, studio departments, and the Culver City Fire Department (CCFD). The role supports early identification and mitigation of fire/life-safety issues, facilitates CCFD permitting and regulatory processes, and provides on-lot oversight within SPE’s established responsibilities. CCFD remains the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) and retains governmental permitting, regulatory, and fire-response authority.
Key Responsibilities
Under the guidance of the Director of Enterprise Corporate Safety and in collaboration with the co-Fire Marshal:
- Conduct fire and life-safety inspections of production stages, sets, buildings, assembly spaces, events, construction activities, means of egress, fire department access, and other studio operations.
- Review production activities to identify potential fire/life-safety hazards and determine appropriate internal controls, Fire team support, or escalation to CCFD and other qualified specialists.
- Support productions with fire/life-safety planning involving special effects, pyrotechnics, fire effects, stunts, atmospheric effects, hot work, temporary structures, electrical activities, fuels and gases, vehicles, generators, and other higher-risk activities.
- Serve as a liaison among productions, studio departments, and CCFD, helping teams understand requirements, prepare for inspections and permitting, and resolve fire/life-safety issues.
- Facilitate CCFD permitting, inspections, approvals, and Fire Safety Officer requirements as applicable, while maintaining clear understanding of the boundaries between SPE responsibilities and AHJ authority.
- As needed, provide on-lot fire/life-safety monitoring, fire watch, production standby, and other coverage within SPE’s established scope and as permitted by applicable requirements and CCFD.
- As needed, monitor means of egress, occupant loads, fire lanes, emergency access, temporary occupancies, and other conditions that may affect fire/life safety.
- Support fire/life-safety assessment of fire protection system impairments and coordination of appropriate compensatory measures, while partnering with Facilities on infrastructure maintenance, testing, repair, and restoration.
- Maintain working knowledge of fire alarms, suppression systems, fire pumps, risers, extinguishers, hydrants, standpipes, and other fire/life-safety systems necessary to identify deficiencies and support appropriate escalation.
- Respond within the team's established scope to fire alarms, reported smoke or fire, suspicious odors, medical emergencies, hazardous conditions, gas leaks, elevator incidents, seismic events, and other emergencies.
- Support incident command and coordination during emergencies, including interface with CCFD, Security, GSOC, Facilities, medical resources, and other responding personnel.
- Assist with conducting and documenting fire/life-safety risk assessments, inspections, corrective actions, incident reports, permits and approvals, and other required program records.
- Support emergency preparedness activities, drills, exercises, first-responder readiness, and maintenance of emergency equipment, PPE, and supplies.
- Develop, maintain, and follow operating procedures, response protocols, inspection standards, checklists, and other fire/life-safety documentation.
- Support special events, temporary structures, location activity, construction projects, and other non-routine operations requiring fire/life-safety review or coverage.
- Participate in incident and near-miss reviews and help translate lessons learned into corrective actions, improved procedures, training, and program improvements.
- Maintain effective working relationships with CCFD and other external partners and contribute to maintaining the confidence and credibility of SPE’s internal studio fire/life-safety capability.
- Exercise sound professional judgment and escalate issues, including recognizing when an issue exceeds SPE authority or individual competency and requires escalation to CCFD or another authority.
- Work collaboratively across the Fire team, providing cross-coverage and support across responsibilities as operational needs require.
Qualifications
- High school diploma
- 1-5 years of progressively responsible experience in fire prevention, fire/life safety, fire inspection, emergency response, production safety, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated ability to recognize fire/life-safety hazards, assess risk, apply appropriate controls, and understand when an issue requires escalation.
- Ability to respond effectively to emergencies and operate calmly and professionally under changing or high-pressure conditions.
- Ability to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, or extended production schedules when operationally required.
- Ability to work effectively with fire departments and regulatory authorities.
- Education and credentials in fire science, emergency management, occupational safety, public administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of relevant education, professional experience, training, and certifications may be considered.
- Demonstrated knowledge of fire prevention and life-safety principles, inspections, fire protection systems, emergency response, and applicable codes and standards.
- Working knowledge of fire/life-safety considerations that may impact productions, including stages and sets, special effects, pyrotechnics, hot work, temporary assemblies, electrical systems, fuels and gases, vehicles, generators, and atmospheric effects preferred.
- Ability to communicate clearly and demonstrate appropriate problem-solving skills in a fast-paced production environment.
- Ability to perform the physical requirements associated with inspections, emergency response, production environments, and fire/life-safety operations.
Required Certifications, Skills, and Knowledge
- Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Working knowledge of California Fire and Building Codes, NFPA codes, fire suppression and detection systems, and basic firefighting techniques and skills.
- EMT I certification, at minimum.
- NFPA Fire Inspector certification.
- California State Fire Marshal Fire Safety Officer certification.
Success Profile
The successful candidate is an experienced, practical, and service-oriented fire/life-safety professional who combines technical competence with strong operational judgment and an understanding of the unique demands of a working studio.
They know how to identify hazards early, work constructively with productions to develop safe solutions, and recognize when an issue requires CCFD or another specialist.
Above all, the Fire Marshal works within the studio Fire Dept to help preserve a competent, credible, and well-documented studio fire/life-safety capability that facilitates safe production, maintains emergency readiness, and supports a strong and trusted relationship with CCFD.
The anticipated base salary for this position is $71,900 - $89,900. This role may also qualify for annual incentive and/or comprehensive benefits. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.
SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.
Sony Pictures does not allow audio recording, video recording or use of AI note-taking tools during interviews. Please be aware these tools may be enabled as a default and can be difficult to disable once the interview has started, so we recommend you check your device and disable these tools prior to the start of your interview. If recording or the use of the tools occurs during the interview and cannot be promptly turned off or disabled, the interviewer may end the interview.
To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at SPE_Accommodation_Assistance@spe.sony.com.
