Fairfax, VA – Fire Chief

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

About Fairfax City

Fairfax City is located inNorthern Virginia, approximately 14 miles west of Washington, D.C. The city serves more than 26,000 residents and is known for its small-town character, strong neighborhoods, and proximity to the educational, cultural, and economic opportunities of the metropolitan region. Fairfax operates under a council-manager form of government and continues to invest in infrastructure, economic development, transportation, sustainability, and quality-of-life initiatives.

The Fire Department

The City of Fairfax Fire Department is a combination career and volunteer organization providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, code enforcement, emergency management, and community risk-reduction services. The department serves Fairfax City, surrounding response areas, and the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University through a strong regional automatic-aid system.

The department operates from two fire stations and includes approximately 85 full-time-equivalent personnel, including 63 career members assigned across three shifts. Daily staffing includes two engine companies, a tower ladder, two advanced life support transport units, and a Battalion Chief. The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department remains an essential partner in service delivery and community support.

The department maintains an ISO Class 1 rating and earned accreditation through the Center for Public Safety Excellence in 2020, with reaccreditation achieved in 2025. Recent initiatives include EMS blood administration, development of an in-house EMS pharmacy program, apparatus replacement, and continued investment in training, technical rescue readiness, and community risk reduction.

The Position

The Fire Chief serves as a key member of the City’s executive leadership team and is responsible for providing strategic, administrative, operational, and cultural leadership for a high-performing combination fire and rescue organization. The successful candidate will be a visible, engaged, and hands-on leader capable of balancing executive responsibilities with operational credibility.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Providing leadership for fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, emergency management, fire prevention, code administration, training, and community risk-reduction programs.


• Leading, developing, and supporting career and volunteer personnel while maintaining a culture of professionalism, accountability, safety, and service excellence.


• Managing departmental budgets, staffing, capital planning, apparatus and equipment replacement, facilities, and long-range operational planning.


• Ensuring operational readiness through training, professional development, incident command capability, and performance evaluation.


• Advancing EMS quality, clinical readiness, and innovative service-delivery practices that improve community outcomes.


• Serving as a collaborative member of the City Manager’s leadership team and working closely with elected officials, city departments, regional public safety partners, George Mason University, employee groups, and community stakeholders.


• Maintaining a productive working relationship with the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department while supporting its unique governance structure and ensuring accountability for department-wide operations and safety.

Qualifications

Qualified candidates must possess:

• A bachelor’s degree in fire service administration, public administration, emergency management, public safety, management, or a closely related field; a master’s degree is preferred.


• Significant progressively responsible fire and EMS leadership experience, including command-level experience in a public fire and rescue organization.


• Experience managing fire suppression, EMS, training, fire prevention, emergency management, budgeting, personnel, and capital planning functions.


• Demonstrated leadership in a combination career/volunteer environment or the ability to build strong collaborative relationships with volunteer organizations and community partners.


• Exceptional communication, integrity, judgment, and leadership skills.

Preferred qualifications include completion of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, Chief Fire Officer designation, or comparable executive-level credential, as well as knowledge of accreditation, ISO standards, community risk reduction, deployment analysis, labor relations, FLSA, and public-sector budgeting.

Salary and Application

Salary range: $117,373–$252,649, dependent upon qualifications and experience. No residency requirement.

• TheCityoffers a comprehensive benefits package.

Application Deadline: September 7, 2026

The City of Fairfax is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.