Brief

The Mayor has requested a civil service exemption for the Process Safety Engineer position (7962) at the Los Angeles Fire Department. The exemption would allow the department to hire for this specialized role without following standard civil service examination and appointment procedures. The request was referred to the Personnel and Hiring Committee on May 21, 2026, and remains pending committee action.

Full summary

Mayor Karen Bass has approved and forwarded to the City Council a request from the Los Angeles Fire Department to exempt one Process Safety Engineer position from civil service under Charter Section 1001(b), which allows the city to designate up to 150 positions as exempt for management, professional, scientific, or expert roles. With 130 already approved and three pending, this would be the 134th exemption if the Council concurs. The Process Safety Engineer will focus on chemical accident prevention, primarily at petroleum refineries. Duties include auditing and inspecting risk management and safety plans, ensuring compliance with the California Accidental Release Prevention Program (CalARP), developing chemical release prevention policies, advising on hazardous materials management, and supporting community alert systems. The role sits within the Fire Department's Risk Management Prevention Program and its Certified Unified Program Agency section, which oversees a range of environmental safety programs. The position requires a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or a closely related field plus at least two to three years of relevant professional experience, depending on the specific background. Preferred certifications — including HAZWOPER-40, APSA Inspector Certification, and CA UST Inspector ICC — will be required before the probationary period ends. The Mayor's memo notes that exempting the position will give the LAFD flexibility to recruit the most qualified specialist rather than being constrained by standard civil service lists. If the position is not filled within six months of the Mayor's approval, her authorization to fill it may lapse. The file was referred to the Personnel and Hiring Committee on May 21, 2026, the day after it was submitted, and remains pending committee review. The full City Council must ultimately approve the exemption for it to take effect.

Activity (2)

• 2026-05-21 Mayor document(s) referred to Personnel and Hiring Committee.
• 2026-05-20 Document submitted by Mayor, dated May 20, 2026.

Documents (1)

• 2026-05-20 Report from Mayor · report