Details
12/17/2024
Assistant Fire Chief
Washington Township
The Assistant Fire Chief serves the Fire Department and the community as a whole. This position reports directly to the Fire Chief. The position’s direct reports include three battalion chiefs, training/safety manager, and an EMS manager. The Assistant Fire Chief also supervises areas assigned by the Fire Chief, including additional personnel and functional assignment duties. The Assistant Fire Chief serves as the Acting Fire Chief in the absence of the Fire Chief. This position will open for Washington Township as the current Fire Chief is retiring in February 2025 and the Assistant Fire Chief will be promoted to Fire Chief. The Township is seeking an Assistant Fire Chief that will be well-positioned to compete for the Fire Chief position as part of our succession planning.
The Assistant Fire Chief assists with providing leadership and administrative direction for the Fire Department’s operations, functions, and personnel, including fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical response services, emergency preparedness planning, public fire safety education, and related code enforcement, with accountability for results in terms of cost, personnel, and methods. Additionally, the Assistant Fire Chief assists in ensuring open and professional communications with the public in matters of safety and concern related to departmental activities.
Some specific responsibilities for this position include assisting with planning, directing, and prioritizing strategic goals and operations of the Fire Department and ensuring total operational effectiveness of the Fire Department. The Assistant Fire Chief is also expected to assist with developing and maintaining professional relationships with community members, community leaders, community organizations, staff, Board of Trustees, other fire departments and agencies, and the general public.
Further responsibilities include assisting with planning, directing, and controlling department activities such as the recruitment of personnel, purchase of equipment, assignment of officers and equipment, accreditation requirements, and budgeting and control of expenditures. The Assistant Fire Chief must be able to assist with developing and implementing policies and procedures applicable to administrative functions and provide policy guidance and leadership. Finally, the position needs to be able to coach, instruct, and guide assigned unit personnel in all facets of Department operations and leadership ideologies.
Priorities:
* Build and maintain positive relationships in the Fire Department, with the Township administration, and the City of Dublin and NRECC leadership.
* Develop positive relationships with the community by attending stakeholder meetings for residents and build relationships with the Trustees through attendance to those meetings with the Chief.
*Continue to execute on the department’s strategic plan and ensure alignment with Township’s vision and critical success factors.
*Focus on software programs to assist with the efficiency and effectiveness of the Fire Department.
*Support ongoing succession planning initiatives. Provide leadership development and professional growth opportunities to prepare personnel for advancement and increased responsibility as well as prepare staff members to step into roles in anticipation of retirements.
Successful Candidate:
The next Assistant Fire Chief is operationally focused, knows how to be the chief of operations, and is able to decipher what is running smoothly currently, and what needs improvement. The successful candidate is a great relationship builder and will be able to continue to strengthen and retain a special relationship with the community. The Assistant Fire Chief leads by example, is committed to excellence, and effectively advocates for the Fire Department, its personnel, and the community.
The ideal candidate possesses strong leadership skills and can listen to and connect with others. Through strong decision-making skills, the successful candidate will be diplomatic and politically savvy. They also need to be firm with their employees and be able to command presence respectfully and communicate information effectively while also understanding the importance of saying “no”. Considered a proactive leader, the Assistant Fire Chief creates a forward-thinking culture and vision that supports collaboration and fosters a welcoming environment based on inclusion, trust, and empowerment. The ideal candidate possesses strong emotional intelligence and can be an excellent representative for the community and partners.
The Assistant Fire Chief will have EMS experience, budget and HR experience, and Executive level experience to be able to run Fire Department operations well. Professional experience in the State of Ohio is highly encouraged for this position. The next Assistant Fire Chief will be technologically savvy, dedicated to the department’s ISO-1 rating and Accreditation with strong skills in using data analytics to identify the community’s future needs for service and goals for the department.
Qualifications:
Minimum requirements:
* Bachelor’s Degree in related field
* Ten (10) years of progressive responsibility in fire service at officer level
* Two (2) years direct supervisory experience
* Valid Ohio driver’s license and insurable on Washington Township’s auto insurance
* State of Ohio Firefighter Level II
* State of Ohio Paramedic certification
* ICS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800
Preferred qualifications:
* Ohio Fire Executive Officer / Executive Fire Officer
* State of Ohio Fire Officer III and IV
* State of Ohio Fire Safety Inspector
* State of Ohio EMS or Fire Instructor certification
Compensation & Benefits:
The salary is $161,795, with an excellent benefits package. Benefits include a High Deductible Healthcare Plan (HDHP) accompanied with Heath Savings Account (HSA), Dental and Vision coverage, Life / Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance - all funded by the Township. Additionally, the Township offers supplemental voluntary accident insurance, disability insurance, cancer insurance, hospital indemnity insurance and more. Plus the option of contributing to either or both traditional and Roth 457 plans. This position qualifies for the Ohio Police & Fire Pension.
How to Apply:
Interested qualified candidates should send their resume and cover letter electronically in either a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format to Catherine Grossman at cgrossman@wtwp.com. The position is open until filled, with a first review date of January 27, 2025. All application materials are subject to Ohio’s public information laws. Candidates will be informed if an information request is made.
Deadline 01/24/2025
