Battalion Chief - Training

Akima, LLC•Barstow, CA

3h•Onsite

About The Position

The Battalion Chief is a bargaining-unit leadership position responsible for leading, coordinating, and delivering fire and emergency services across Operations, Training, and Fire Prevention. Battalion Chiefs share the same qualifications, professional competencies, and operational responsibilities and may be assigned to any functional area based on departmental needs. The position supports compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, and the Army Directorate of Emergency Services (DES) Performance Work Statement (PWS). Battalion Chiefs ensure personnel readiness, operational effectiveness, fire prevention compliance, and training proficiency. They provide incident command and emergency response, lead crew performance, support NFPA-required training, coordinate inspections and code compliance, manage administrative reporting, and provide command-level support during DES/EOC activations and major incidents. The role has a flexible 40-hour schedule, with hours varying by assignment and mission requirements. Battalion Chiefs are hourly employees and receive overtime after 40 hours per week. Overtime may arise from emergency and non-emergency duties, required training, readiness exercises, reporting deadlines, or other mission-essential needs. They may also be assigned overtime to maintain contractual 24/7/365 coverage during vacancies, leave, or staffing shortages.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. citizen.
Must have a valid driver's license.
At least six years of experience as a Fire Captain.
Must pass Battalion Chief promotional evaluations as defined in the CBA and departmental promotional procedures.
Must possess required DoD/NFPA/Army DES certifications for Battalion Chief rank or equivalent in Appendix C, including HazMat Incident Commander, Fire Officer III, Fire Inspector II, Fire Instructor III, EMT-1 or Paramedic, CPR BLS Provider, and ICS/NIMS proficiency at the 100/200/300/400/700/800 levels or equivalent.
Must read, write, and speak fluent English.
Strong verbal and written communication skills for briefings, reports, and coordination with DES, DPW, and installation partners.
Ability to explain operational directives, training requirements, and code-compliance expectations to crews, leadership, and stakeholders.
Ability to lead, supervise, mentor, and evaluate fire department personnel.
Demonstrated professionalism and judgment in incidents, personnel matters, and high-stress situations.
Ability to maintain productive working relationships with bargaining-unit personnel, management, DES officials, and external agencies.
Ability to interpret NFPA standards applicable to emergency operations and training.
Ability to function effectively during emergency incidents, investigations, training evolutions, and other mission-critical activities.
Must pass physical and medical requirements for emergency operations under PWS 19.24.00 and department medical standards.
Strong decision-making under pressure and ability to manage multiple priorities in dynamic operational environments.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and the Teams platform.
Ability to prepare and submit NFIRS, DoD ER, PWS-required monthly activity reports, training documentation, inspection logs, and other time-sensitive deliverables.
Strong organizational and time-management skills to manage inspection cycles, training calendars, emergency-readiness activities, and shift staffing requirements.

Responsibilities

Respond to fire, rescue, medical, hazardous-materials, aircraft, technical-rescue, and all-hazard emergencies; assume command or command-level functions as required.
Provide operational oversight, tactical decision-making, and coordination of multi-company or multi-agency incidents under FIRESCOPE ICS and NFPA incident-management standards.
Support DES/EOC activations during emergencies, including after-hours incident support as directed.
Direct, supervise, mentor, and evaluate personnel assigned to suppression, training, and prevention functions.
Ensure required company and departmental training, documentation, and competency maintenance.
Manage staffing, daily assignments, resource readiness, and coordination with Captains and the Fire Chief.
Plan, develop, coordinate, and deliver quarterly, semiannual, and annual training to meet PWS and NFPA standards.
Conduct or supervise live-fire, rescue, hazardous-materials, ARFF, wildland, and technical-rescue training evolutions, including those outside normal administrative hours when required.
Coordinate Haz-Mat/CBRNE response and post-incident activities, oversee hazard mitigation and documentation, and conduct after-action reports and analysis of training deficiencies.
Prepare NFIRS entries in First Due and monthly PWS-required reports covering training, inspections, alarm testing, staffing, deficiencies, operational concerns, and significant events.
Complete time-sensitive documentation, including NFIRS entries subject to 72-hour deadlines, regardless of incident timing.
Fill overtime for Operations positions and manage Fire Inspector schedules as required by the CBA.
Develop, coordinate, and participate in scheduled and unscheduled emergency-response exercises required by the PWS.
Provide Battalion Chief-level leadership and readiness coordination, including activities that may occur during evenings or weekends.
Participate in fire-prevention outreach, special events, high-hazard occupancy education, and other community risk-reduction activities, including off-hour events when required.
Ensure department resources, apparatus, and personnel remain ready in accordance with NFPA and PWS requirements.
Support the Fire Chief and Deputy Fire Chief with planning, policy development, and mission-support coordination.
Perform other duties as assigned.