Fire Chief

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Under the general direction and supervision of the City Manager, the Fire Chief provides administrative direction and leadership for all Fire Department functions, operations, and personnel. The work includes determining the current and future needs of the Department, maintaining good public relations, managing a budget, personnel administration, and developing and implementing policies and procedures.  The position includes daily contact with the public and outside agencies.  The Chief responds to calls for service and emergencies as the Department’s workload requires.  Leadership is critical to this work.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Direct all Fire department functions, operations, and personnel performing fire inspection, prevention, suppression, emergency medical and administrative services.
2. Develop and direct the implementation of goals, objectives, work plan, site-specific safety manual, and budget of the Fire Department to maximize fire and emergency medical services.
3. Prepare annual budget requests for operation and monitor the expenditures of Department funds to ensure compliance with the adopted budget, grant funds, and City policy. Apply for grant funding when applicable.
4. Develop and implement department policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that they meet changing requirements in local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
5. Oversee resources to provide aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) services for the Kenai Municipal Airport and ensure adequate staffing and training of personnel to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 139 requirements.
6. Select, train, supervise, evaluate and schedule the work of employees in accordance with City personnel policies. Maintain proficiency in the operation of Department equipment and maintain certifications to perform the work of a Firefighter, Engineer, or Captain as necessary.
7. Meet and communicate with the general public and with members of civic, community, and business groups regarding the Department’s activities. Generally promote positive public relations. Attend meetings of community organizations and prepare verbal and written presentations before public groups related to Fire Department operations.
8. Collaborate with City department heads as needed in order to effectively maximize the City’s preparedness/response to disasters, emergencies, and special events.
9. Maintain records and prepare reports for the variety of matters handled by the Department.  Maintain strict confidentiality of privileged communications and information and assure Department compliance with privacy laws and regulations.
10. Ensure revisions are made and incorporated into the City Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Provide orientation of the EOP to new department heads in City.  Periodically plan and facilitate exercises in which City personnel can test utilization of the plan. Participate with required updates and revisions to City All Hazard Mitigation plan.
11. Attend City Council meetings and work sessions as requested by City Manager, often at hours outside the normal work hours of the City.
12. At the request and direction of the City Manager, represent the Department to the City Council, Borough, legislators or various other governmental agencies, and the general public. Exhibit high standards of integrity and ethics, a neutral and businesslike demeanor, and strong leadership ability.
13. Maintain familiarity with the standard rating schedule of the Insurance Services Office (ISO) and prepare plans for improving the City’s rating.
14. Participate in Department training programs and ensures that Department personnel receive periodic training as required.  Attend conferences and meetings to keep current with respect to trends in the field.
15. Perform job duties with minimal or no supervision.
16. Have regular, reliable, and predictable attendance at work.
17. Perform other duties as assigned by the City Manager.

 Minimum Qualifications:
1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Fire Science, Public Administration, or a closely related field; or an associate’s degree in Fire Science, Emergency Medical Science or Para-Medicine and ten (10) years of increasingly responsible leadership roles.
2. Ten (10) years of firefighting/EMS experience, five (5) years of which are at or above the rank of Fire Captain. This experience must include extensive command and control on emergency scenes, personnel management, and demonstrated experience with incident command systems.
3. Possess or obtain a valid Alaska driver’s license within thirty (30) days of employment and prior to operating a City vehicle.  Applicants will be required to submit a Division of Motor Vehicles record upon request.
4. The applicant (or employee after hire) must pass a drug screening test, medical examination, criminal background check, and other background investigations. Semi-annual physicals will be required to meet Department physical fitness standards.
5. Within six (6) months from the date of hire, the Fire Chief must establish residence within at least a 20-minute response time by roadway to the Kenai Fire Department in order to respond to emergency call outs at odd and/or inconvenient times. This residency must be maintained during the period of appointment.
6. The employee must be available to work varying schedules, including weekend days and evenings, holidays, and shift extensions; the schedule may vary seasonally, and the employee may be asked to respond to emergency call-outs when available.
7. Will be required to submit current immunization records upon placement into this position.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

1. Experience negotiating and administering mutual aid or automatic aid agreements with other agencies.
2. Experience providing aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) services and assuring adequate staffing and training of personnel to meet FAA requirements for operators of Part 139 airports.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT Duties are performed both indoors and outdoors in varied working environments. Inside work is usually in buildings or vehicles that are adequately heated, lighted, and ventilated.  The employee must be able to do strenuous work in all kinds of weather, during day and night, and often in inclement weather. (e.g., high temp., low temp., winds, snow, ice, fog, direct sunlight and on surfaces at, above, or below floor level). The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is exposed to risk of electrical shock and vibration. The employee may be exposed to smoke, fumes, airborne particles, radiation, noxious odors, dust and ash, chemicals (dry and liquid), solvents, oils, and other irritants and toxic/poisonous substances. The employee is required to drive a vehicle and perform work inside a vehicle, including operating radios and computer equipment. Personal protective equipment is provided and must be used in accordance with best practices, federal and state laws, and City/Department policies and operating procedures. Some work is performed in emergency and stressful situations. The employee is exposed to sirens and hazards associated with fighting fires and rendering emergency medical assistance. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, except during certain firefighting or EMS activities when noise levels may be loud.

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS This position requires a high level of physical ability including vision, smell, hearing, speaking, flexibility, and strength. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use hands and fingers dexterously (e.g., operate computers, radios, and other equipment and tools); is required to climb ladders and stairs; is required to perform general duties that may include, but not be limited to standing, walking, running, sitting for extended periods of time, climbing, pushing, pulling, reaching, dragging, carrying, jumping, balancing, and crouching; is required to exert in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force frequently; is required to work in stressful environments and make quick decisions under stress.  The employee is required to be able to function in and wear fire department personal protective equipment that weighs approximately 40 pounds. Specific vision requirements include close, distance, color and peripheral vision, the ability to adjust focus, and the ability to judge distances and spatial relationships.  The employee must be able to hear and to talk and communicate verbally in-person as well as on a radio and telephone.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
The City of Kenai is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is based on qualifications free of personal and political considerations, with equal opportunity for all with no discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by law.

Department Head Service: This position is included in the Department Head Service, and positions in the Department Head Service are established by the annual budget or classification plan and serve at will. Salaries of employees in the Department Head Service are set by the City Manager within the range approved by the City Council as approved through the budget process.

**Upon initial appointment to a position, the employee will receive the minimum compensation for the position except in cases when unusually difficulty in filling the vacancy is experienced or when the appointee is exceptionally qualified. When an employee is exceptionally qualified, the City Manager may approve compensation at a level above the minimum but not more than the maximum range. An exceptionally qualified applicant will have greater than ten (10) years firefighting/EMS experience and more than five years at the rank of Captain or higher, or prior FAA Part 139 AARF management experience, or experience managing or negotiating mutual and auto aide agreements.

**Relocation Assistance may be available for exceptionally qualified candidates.