Fire Battalion Chief

Clay Today; Patterson (CA); On-site; USD 128,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Patterson Fire Department is seeking a Fire Battalion Chief to plan, organize, direct, and supervise daily operations across divisions, including serving as on-scene incident commander and directing all emergency response activities. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, exceptional communication, and sound judgment.

Minimum qualifications include an associate degree in fire science or related field, California Chief Fire Officer courses, and six years of career

Qualifications

• Associate degree with major in fire science or related field; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Six years of full-time fire suppression and prevention experience.
• California State Board of Fire Services Chief Fire Officers courses completed.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, direct, and supervise daily operations of assigned divisions or shifts.
• Serve as on-scene incident commander and direct emergency response.
• Perform administrative duties and coordinate training programs.
• Respond to incidents for suppression and evaluation; lead firefighting activities.

Skills

Leadership

Communication skills

Decision-making

Team coordination

Education

Associate degree in fire science or related field

Bachelor’s degree (highly desirable)

Job description

Fire Battalion Chief

Annual Salary: $128,352.48 – $156,013.20

The City of Patterson's Fire Department is seeking to fill the position of Fire Battalion Chief. The Fire Battalion Chief is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and supervising the daily operations of the assigned division(s), or shift, including serving as on-scene incident commander, directing emergency response operations for all incident types, and exercising sound judgment and independent decision-making in accordance with established organizational policies and procedures.

The Fire Battalion Chief for the City of Patterson will respond to emergency incidents for both suppression and evaluation; commands the firefighting activities of fire companies in response to all emergency incidents; serves as Duty Officer for assigned shifts; performs a full range of administrative duties and tasks; develops, implements, and monitors all training activities and requirements; performs related duties as required and special projects assigned.

The ideal candidate leads by example; is a positive influencer and creates a sense of unity through a shared common vision; and by fostering trust, credibility, collaboration, and teamwork. Possesses a strong command presence with excellent verbal, written communication, listening, interpersonal and administrative skills.

Minimum Qualifications:

Associate degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in fire science, fire administration, business or public administration, or a related field; Bachelor’s degree is highly desirable. Completion of all courses of the California State Board of Fire Services Chief Fire Officerseries. Six (6) years of increasingly responsible full-time, career fire suppression and fire prevention experience in a professionally recognized fire agency; four (4) years of Company Officer experience equivalent to that of a Fire Captain with the City of Patterson.

Deadline to apply: September 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:

Assessments and Presentation - October 22, 2026

Fire Chief's Interview - November 4, 2026

To apply: For more information about the position and to apply, visit our website at www.pattersonca.gov under Employment.