Executive Fire Chief - EMS & Community Safety Leader

GovHRUSA; Fairfax (VA); On-site; USD 117,373 - 252,649; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

City of Fairfax is seeking a Fire Chief to lead a high-performing combination fire and rescue organization. The role emphasizes strategic, administrative, and hands-on leadership to balance executive duties with operational credibility.

Responsibilities include directing fire suppression, EMS, training, and community risk reduction while managing budgets, staffing, and long-range planning. Collaboration with city officials and partners is essential to success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in fire service/related field; master’s preferred.
• Significant fire/EMS leadership experience, including command-level responsibility.
• Experience managing fire suppression, EMS, training, fire prevention, emergency management, budgeting, personnel, and capital planning.
• Demonstrated leadership in a career/volunteer environment or with partners.
• Strong communication, integrity, judgment, and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership for fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, emergency management, fire prevention, code administration, training, and community risk-reduction programs.
• Lead, develop, and support career and volunteer personnel while maintaining professionalism, accountability, safety, and service excellence.
• Manage departmental budgets, staffing, capital planning, apparatus/equipment replacement, facilities, and long-range planning.
• Ensure operational readiness through training, incident command capability, and performance evaluation.
• Advance EMS quality, clinical readiness, and innovative service delivery to improve outcomes.
• Collaborate with City Manager’s leadership team, elected officials, city departments, regional partners, GMU, employee groups, and stakeholders.
• Maintain productive relations with Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department and ensure accountability.

Skills

Fire/EMS leadership

Budgeting

Staffing management

Strategic leadership

Communication skills

Public administration knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in fire service administration, public administration, emergency management, public safety, management, or related field

Master's degree preferred

Tools

ISO standards knowledge

Accreditation knowledge

Job description

City of Fairfax is seeking a Fire Chief to lead a high-performing combination fire and rescue organization. The role emphasizes strategic, administrative, and hands-on leadership to balance executive duties with operational credibility.

Responsibilities include directing fire suppression, EMS, training, and community risk reduction while managing budgets, staffing, and long-range planning. Collaboration with city officials and partners is essential to success.