Fire Chief

Claycountygov; Town of Florida, Northern (NY, KY); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Clay County Fire Rescue seeks an experienced Fire Chief to lead all fire suppression, EMS, prevention and disaster operations across the county. You will provide strategic direction, executive oversight, and command leadership, reporting to the Board of County Commissioners and County Manager.

This role requires 24-hour availability, responsive emergency leadership, and a track record in budgeting, capital planning, regulatory compliance, and workforce development within a multi-station agency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Science or related field is required.
• Minimum 10 years in fire suppression, prevention and EMS operations.
• 5+ years in command-level leadership within a multi-station department.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic vision and executive leadership for the Fire Rescue department.
• Oversee emergency response, planning, and disaster operations countywide.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with NFPA, Florida statutes, and EMS rules.
• Direct budgeting, capital planning, and workforce development initiatives.
• Supervise senior leadership and coordinate with EOC during activations.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Incident command

Regulatory compliance

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, Emergency Management

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Emergency Management

Executive Fire Officer (EFO) designation

Florida Firefighter Certification

Florida Fire Officer Certification

Florida EMT or Paramedic Certification

Job description

Clay County - Small Towns. Big Passions. Pay: $151,807.21 - $193,045.75 PAY: $151,807.21 - $234,284.30

Job Summary

This is a highly responsible executive leadership position with the Public Safety Department, serving as the senior administrator and operational commander of Clay County Fire Rescue. The Fire Chief provides strategic direction, executive oversight, and command leadership for all fire suppression, emergency medical services, fire prevention, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, and disaster operations throughout Clay County. The Fire Chief directly supervises Division Chiefs and senior command staff and is responsible for ensuring effective emergency response, organizational readiness, fiscal stewardship, regulatory compliance, and alignment with the strategic priorities of the Board of County Commissioners and County Manager. The position requires 24-hour availability and executive-level decision-making during routine operations and declared emergencies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Leadership and Strategic Planning

Provides strategic vision and executive leadership for Clay County Fire Rescue consistent with County priorities and long-term growth planning. Develops and implements short- and long-range strategic plans addressing service delivery, station placement, staffing models, apparatus replacement, technology modernization, and capital improvements. Establishes measurable performance objectives including response time standards, ISO classification goals, EMS clinical benchmarks, and community risk reduction outcomes. Advises the County Manager and Board of County Commissioners on fire rescue policy, operational readiness, and public safety initiatives. Ensures alignment of departmental operations with the County’s Strategic Plan.

Operational Command and Emergency Management

Serves as Incident Commander or Unified Command representative for major emergencies, including structure fires, mass casualty incidents, hazardous materials events, hurricanes, floods, and other disasters. Ensures compliance with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). Maintains operational readiness across all stations, apparatus, EMS units, and specialty teams. Coordinates Fire Rescue operations with the County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC); serves in a leadership role during activations. Oversees disaster preparedness planning, continuity of operations planning, and after-action review processes.

Emergency Medical Services Oversight

Provides executive oversight of Advanced Life Support (ALS) transport and EMS operations. Ensures compliance with Florida Department of Health EMS regulations and state licensure requirements. Oversees EMS quality assurance, clinical performance improvement programs, and system-wide service delivery standards.

Fiscal and Resource Management

Develops, administers, and monitors the Fire Rescue operating and capital budgets. Forecasts long-term staffing, facility, apparatus, equipment, and technology needs. Leads capital improvement planning for fire stations and emergency response infrastructure. Identifies and pursues grant opportunities and alternative funding sources when appropriate. Implements data-driven deployment strategies to optimize staffing and resource allocation.

Personnel Leadership and Organizational Development

Directly supervises Division Chiefs and senior leadership staff. Establishes leadership expectations and accountability standards throughout the organization. Oversees recruitment, hiring, promotion, evaluation, discipline, and retention strategies. Promotes workforce development, succession planning, and leadership training. Fosters a culture of safety, wellness, and risk management consistent with NFPA standards and Florida Statutes. Engages in labor relations activities and collaborates with bargaining units, as applicable.

Community Risk Reduction and Public Engagement

Oversees fire prevention, inspections, plan review, and fire code enforcement functions. Implements and advances a comprehensive Community Risk Reduction (CRR) strategy. Represents the Department before civic groups, professional organizations, community stakeholders, and media. Responds to complex or sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints.

Policy, Compliance, and Administration

Develops and maintains departmental policies, procedures, and standard operating guidelines. Ensures compliance with Florida Statutes Chapter 633, NFPA standards, OSHA requirements, EMS regulations, and other applicable laws. Maintains accurate reporting systems and performance metrics. Conducts operational research and evaluation to improve service delivery. Evaluates departmental structure and administrative systems; implements improvements with County Manager approval.

Emergency Assignment Requirement

In case of emergency or crisis (hurricane, flood, etc.) position is required to respond/perform emergency and recovery duties as assigned by the County Manager or designee. During an emergency or crisis situation, this position will be required to be present at the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) to provide assistance while activated. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Valid Florida Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record, or the ability to obtain a Florida Driver’s License within six months of hire.
• Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science, Public Administration, Business Administration, Emergency Management, or related field required.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in fire suppression, prevention, and EMS operations.
• Five (5) years of command-level leadership experience within a multi-station fire department.
• Current State of Florida Firefighter Certification, or ability to obtain within six months of hire.
• Current State of Florida Fire Officer Certification, or ability to obtain within six months of hire.
• Current Florida EMT or Paramedic Certification, or ability to obtain within six months of hire.
• Ability to successfully pass a Level II Background Screening.
• 24-hour on-call availability required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Emergency Management, or related discipline.
• Executive Fire Officer (EFO) designation or equivalent executive fire service credential.
• Experience in executive-level budgeting and capital planning.
• Experience in a growing Florida county or comparable jurisdiction.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge of operational characteristics of a comprehensive all-hazards fire rescue and EMS organization. Knowledge of modern fire suppression, prevention, emergency medical response, disaster management, and community risk reduction principles. Knowledge of public sector budgeting and capital improvement planning. Knowledge of NFPA standards, Florida Statutes Chapter 633, OSHA regulations, and EMS regulatory requirements. Knowledge of principles of executive leadership, organizational development, and labor relations. Provide decisive leadership in high-stress emergency environments. Supervise and evaluate executive-level staff. Develop and administer complex budgets. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, staff, partner agencies, and the public. Plan and organize work to meet strict timelines and operational demands.

Working Environment and Physical Demands

Meet the physical demands and requirements set out by Florida Statutes 633.34 and NFPA 1582. Some Sedentary work Exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, or pull otherwise move objects, including the human body. Hearing: Perceiving the nature of sounds with no less than a 40 db loss @ 55 HZ, 1,000 HZ and 2,000 HZ with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discriminations in sound, such as when making fine adjustments on machined parts. Work includes both office and field environments. Position may require exposure to extreme temperatures, hazardous conditions, smoke, chemicals, noise, and emergency scenes. Physical activities may include standing, walking, lifting, bending, kneeling, reaching, climbing, operating emergency equipment, and performing duties necessary to supervise emergency operations. May risk exposure to extreme temperatures, strong odors, toxic agents or chemicals, smoke, humidity, electrical current, noises extremes, etc.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Clay County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or age. Clay County is committed to providing veterans with preference in employment opportunities in accordance with Florida State Law and Federal Regulations. As part of our dedication to supporting veterans, we ensure that qualified veterans are given preferential treatment in our hiring process, in accordance with Florida Statute 295.07. Eligible Veterans who believe they were discriminated against may file a complaint with the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs within 60 days of receiving notice of non-selection.

Our growth is creating great opportunities! Our team is expanding, and we want to hire the most talented people we can. Continued success depends on it!

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.