Deputy Fire Chief

City-of-Sacrament; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Sacramento is seeking a Deputy Fire Chief to oversee multiple Fire Department divisions and drive strategic initiatives. You will coordinate with city officials, other agencies, and community partners to deliver high‑quality fire protection and customer service.

The role requires extensive sworn supervisory experience and a Bachelor’s degree in fire administration or related field, with strong leadership, budgeting, and regulatory compliance capabilities.

Qualifications

• Seven years of broad sworn supervisory experience in municipal fire service.
• Bachelor's degree in fire tech/science or public/business A/B. administration.
• Proof of education may be required at appointment.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and direct operations of one or more Fire Department divisions.
• Develop division goals aligned with department mission and values.
• administer budgets, analyze data, and recommend resource needs.
• Ensure compliance with fire and emergency service laws and codes.
• Provide leadership in training, performance management, and community relations.

Skills

Public administration

HR management

Public relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Admin/Management

Job description

Please Note:

A candidate must successfully pass a thorough background investigation, including a criminal history check, fingerprinting, polygraph test, psychological test, credit check, and a drug use history, to be considered for this position.

DEFINITION

Under minimal supervision, the Deputy Fire Chief performs responsible administrative and management duties in the Fire Department; manages and oversees the activities of one or more fire service Divisions responsible for operations, administrative/ personnel, support and/or other services; develops Division goals and objectives; coordinates activities with other Fire Department managers, City officials, and outside organizations; helps assure Department compliance with and enforcement of applicable Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances and codes.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is a senior-management sworn classification populated with multiple incumbents. The Deputy Fire Chief is assigned broad responsibility for overseeing one or more major Divisions within the Fire Department and may act in the absence of the Fire Chief. Duties are primarily administrative and managerial in nature, and incumbents perform work involving significant authority for various day-to-day operations within their assigned Division. Incumbents interface frequently with public officials, State/Federal/local agencies, other public/private organizations and the general public, and assist the Fire Chief in the development, proposal, and implementation of programs designed to provide quality fire protection services and maintain excellent customer service within the Department's jurisdiction. This classification is distinguished from the lower classification of Fire Assistant Chief in that the Deputy Fire Chief is responsible for Division activities, while the Fire Assistant Chief manages/supervises a section within a Division, serving as senior administrative officer only as required outside of normal business hours. This classification is distinguished from Fire Chief in that the latter class is responsible for all department activities.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Minimal direction is provided by the Fire Chief. Incumbents supervise a large and diverse group of sworn and civilian employees performing a full-range of fire service management, supervisory, professional, technical, and support duties.

TYPICAL DUTIES

• Selects, assigns, trains, directs, and evaluates subordinate managers, supervisors, professionals, and others; assures training and guidance for staff involved in various aspects of fire service; may be responsible for administering comprehensive training programs in fire suppression, emergency medical response, and other Department activities; recommends and implements disciplinary actions when necessary.
• Plans, organizes, manages, leads, and directs the operations of one or more Divisions within the Fire Department; develops, plans, and recommends Division goals and objectives in accordance with the core purpose, mission, vision, and values of the Fire Department as a whole; develops, recommends, and administers Division policies and procedures; establishes priorities; coordinates assigned activities with other Fire Department managers, other City officials/managers and/or outside organizations as appropriate; participates on committees and boards and in community activities; attends meetings, conferences, and workshops.
• Helps administer Department budget for assigned areas of responsibility; participates in budget development as assigned; analyzes data to identify and project resource needs; submits proposals for needed resources; recommends strategies to improve fiscal efficiency; may help develop and implement grant-funded programs; may monitor and approve budget expenditures within limits of authority; and prepares complex statistical and narrative reports, correspondence, and other documents.
• Monitors equipment, fleet, and/or facilities performance; assures equipment, fleet, and/or facilities readiness as assigned; researches and recommends new equipment/fleet purchases and/or facilities development/re-location as assigned; may participate in difficult fire, medical, and/or other emergency scenes as necessary to help manage and/or oversee operations; may provide administrative coverage for evening, night, and/or weekend shifts.
• Monitors legal requirements, trends, and issues in order to assure Division compliance with appropriate fire and emergency service-related laws, regulations, statutes, and codes; may develop, recommend, and/or manage enforcement programs and activities; monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of work products through quality control and related activities.
• Performs other or related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of modern public administration including planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling.
• Principles and practices of human resources management, supervision, and training.
• Public relations practices and techniques.
• Current principles, practices, methods, and techniques of fire and life safety, fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical response, emergency planning, hazardous materials response, and other fire service-related activities; operation, maintenance, and use of modern fire-fighting and rescue equipment.
• Current literature, laws, regulations, and developments, as well as various agencies, that impact fire service-related operations.
• Research methods; report writing techniques; statistical concepts and methods; principles and techniques of project management.

Skill in:

• Use of modern office equipment, including computers, computer applications and software.
• Use of modern communication devices including radios, pagers, and cell phones.
• Use of modern fire suppression equipment; familiarity with emergency medical response equipment.

Ability to:

• Manage one or more Divisions within a city Fire Department.
• Make command decisions in emergency situations.
• Maintain effective working relationships with Department staff, Federal/State/local agencies, various emergency services agencies, the general public, and others.
• Supervise subordinate personnel including managers, supervisors, and professional staff.
• Develop and implement fire and related service plans, policies, and procedures.
• Assist with the development, administration, and control of large budgets.
• Read and interpret complex laws and regulations affecting fire service-related functions.
• Establish effective working relationships with public officials, public/private agencies, and the general public on a variety of issues.
• Prepare complex narrative and statistical reports, correspondence, and other documents; communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Participate in or command difficult on-scene fire, rescue, or other emergency operations if required.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

Experience:

Seven years of broad and extensive sworn supervisory experience in municipal fire service-related work including at least two years at a level higher than or equal to the Sacramento City class of Fire Battalion Chief.

Education:

A Bachelor's degree in fire technology fire science or management, public or business administration, or a related field.

Substitution:

Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the required education on a year for year basis.

PROOF OF EDUCATION

Should education be used to qualify for this position, then proof of education such as, but not limited to, university/college transcripts and degrees should be submitted with your application and will be required at the time of appointment. Unofficial documents and/or copies are acceptable.

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due at time of appointment.

SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Driver's License:

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License at the time of appointment. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Background:

Must successfully complete a background investigation.

Please note, the City of Sacramento's preferred method of communication with applicants is via e-mail. As such, please ensure you verify the e-mail address on your application, and check your e-mail frequently, including your spam and junk folders. All e-mail notifications can also be accessed through the governmentjobs.com applicant inbox.