Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction / Fire Marshal
About The Position
The Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction is a tactical-level position providing leadership, direction, and coordination of the Community Risk Reduction program. This highly visible role interacts with public and private stakeholders and may affect public perception of the City. The position also contributes to the future development of the City and requires staying current with trends and innovations in Community Risk Reduction. The Division Chief leads and manages fire prevention work, including inspections, plan reviews, and permits; supervises fire inspection personnel; interprets and enforces adopted codes; reviews building and fire protection plans; and conducts fire and life safety inspections. The role also includes fire investigations, evidence custody, court testimony when required, personnel training, records and software administration, interagency coordination, public communication, and development of educational programs. This is a full-time, exempt position with a hiring range of $119,000–$130,000 annually, depending on qualifications. The base schedule is Monday through Friday during regular office hours. The employee must also be available for occasional evening, weekend, and holiday activities and is essentially on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for administrative decisions, emergencies, and other issues.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
- At least 10 years of fire service experience.
- Kansas EMT Basic, Advanced, or Paramedic certification, or National Registry certification with the ability to obtain Kansas certification upon hire.
- Successful completion of Pro Board or IFSAC certifications in HAZMAT Awareness, HAZMAT Operations, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II.
- Fire Inspector and Fire Plan Review certifications from ICC, NFPA, IFSAC, Pro Board, or another approved certifying entity, required within one year of appointment.
- Any combination of education and experience providing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the responsibilities may also be considered.
- Ability to be available for occasional evening, weekend, and holiday activities and events and to be essentially on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Nice To Haves
- Progressively responsible supervisory experience.
Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the Community Risk Reduction Division.
- Plan and direct day-to-day fire prevention activities, including inspections, plan reviews, and permits.
- Supervise fire inspection personnel, including scheduling, training, coaching, and evaluating staff.
- Interpret adopted codes, standards, and regulations and develop enforcement guidelines for residents, professional organizations, and department personnel.
- Provide technical assistance and fire-code interpretations to architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building owners, city staff, and fire department personnel.
- Review civil, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection system plans, specifications, and calculations for compliance.
- Conduct fire and life safety inspections of new and existing buildings and hazardous activities or operations; witness final acceptance testing of fire protection systems.
- Develop, review, and evaluate permit processes to streamline enforcement and issuance of permits required by the adopted fire code.
- Conduct origin and cause investigations, fire scene reconstruction, and system failure analysis; evaluate structures or systems for fire code compliance.
- Serve as the department’s evidence custodian and testify in court proceedings as an expert witness when required.
- Assist with training fire department personnel on fire behavior, protection, prevention, inspections, and code requirements.
- Ensure accurate records for commercial occupancies, plan reviews, inspections, and permits; assist in collecting and entering data for pre-incident planning.
- Administer departmental software platforms related to community risk reduction.
- Maintain contact with appropriate federal, state, county, and regional associations and cooperate with the State Fire Marshal’s office on inspections, re-inspections, and inquiries.
- Respond to public inquiries, provide information, and resolve complaints.
- Represent the City and Fire Department at meetings with the public, other City departments, and outside agencies as required.
- Supervise and participate in developing and implementing educational programs for schools, businesses, community groups, and the public.
- Communicate effectively in formal and informal settings and adapt information, media, and presentation style to the group.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
