When inspecting an apartment building, Justin D. Trefsger, the City of Pottsville's new code enforcement officer, said he checks the smoke detectors first, then the windows.
"You have to see if they have smoke detectors in and if they're working. You have to see if windows open properly and means of egress. You have to check the stairs and make sure fire escapes are in place," Trefsger, Ashland, said Monday.
There are roughly 2,500 rental properties in Pottsville and each one is inspected every five years, according to Donald J. "Donny" Chescavage, the city's code enforcement officer since 2001, who is retiring April 17.
"So, he'll be doing about 500 inspections a year," Chescavage said.
Before he leaves, he's been working with Trefsger to prepare him for the challenges ahead.
"With code, there's always a challenge because you're trying to ensure that everything is safe and you have to deal with a lot of different buildings," Trefsger said.
On March 10, the city council hired Trefsger to fill one of the two seats in the city's code enforcement office. For the past two weeks, he's been shadowing Chescavage and Deputy Code Enforcement Officer David J. Petravich.
Since 2007, the city has had two full-time workers in the code office: Chescavage and Petravich, who was hired that year.
City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said city officials decided to change the titles of the two employees in the code office. Rather than emphasize rank, they would describe their job duties.
On March 10, the council promoted Petravich to building code officer and gave him a $5,000 annual salary increase, making Petravich's 2014 salary $33,706.74. Petravich will focus on zoning issues, Palamar said.
The council hired Trefsger as code enforcement officer with a 2014 salary of $30,000. He'll concentrate on the duties Petravich had done, building maintenance and rental inspection, Palamar said.
There were 11 applications for the code enforcement officer job and four of the applicants were interviewed, Palamar said.
Born in Ashland, July 23, 1987, Trefsger is the son of borough residents Dan and Romaine Trefsger.
He graduated from North Schuylkill High School, Fountain Springs, in 2005.
During high school, he gained experience working as a carpenter and concrete worker for Kenninitz Construction Co., Mount Carmel, according to his resume.
He earned two degrees from Pennsylvania College of Technology, Williamsport: an associate's degree in architectural technology in 2008 and a bachelor's degree in residential construction management in 2010.
During college, he worked for Heim Construction Co., Saint Clair, as a carpenter, concrete worker, architectural draftsman, estimator and project manager, according to his resume.
In 2010, he worked as an inspector and manager for Manorwood Homes in Pine Grove and oversaw the construction of five to 10 homes per week, according to his resume.
The job required him to be aware of code enforcement issues and follow the International Building Code and the Northeastern States Supplements to the code, according to his resume.
"When I worked for Manorwood homes, I was doing quality control and started getting into code. We had to work with 13 different states where we built homes and you had to keep up with the codes in all those states to make sure they were homes that were built to spec and they were safe. And I enjoyed it," Trefsger said Monday.
In 2012, he took a job as an architectural draftsman, estimator and project manager with Robert Koppenhaver Building and Construction, Spring Glen.
His family includes his wife, Rebecca.