Fire Chief

BlueSteps Connect; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

BlueSteps Connect seeks a Fire Chief to lead an all-hazards fire and emergency services organization. The role emphasizes people-first, collaborative leadership, building strong teams, and fostering transparency, trust, and accountability while pursuing professional growth.

The Fire Chief will oversee fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, hazmat, fire prevention, and public education, and will implement an operations-aligned training program to ensure readiness and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Fire Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of fire service experience, including three years in a management or administrative role.
• Command-level experience that demonstrates leadership capability.
• Preferred master's degree in Public Administration or related field.
• Experience in fire prevention and wildland fire management.
• Prior experience serving as Fire Chief or senior command staff leader.

Responsibilities

• Oversee fire suppression, EMS, technical rescue, hazmat, fire prevention, and public education.
• Build an operations-aligned training program to support readiness and continual improvement.
• Align people, training, and resources to achieve organizational goals with accountability.
• Balance operational credibility with strategic leadership and mission focus.

Skills

Leadership

Emotional intelligence

Clear communication

People-first leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Fire Administration

Bachelor's degree in Public Administration

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

Fire Chief role with responsibility for leading an all-hazards fire and emergency services organization and serving as a people-first, collaborative leader. The position emphasizes building strong teams, developing future leaders, and fostering a culture of trust and accountability, with a focus on transparency and professional growth. The chief is expected to balance operational credibility with strategic leadership and communicate clearly while applying strong emotional intelligence to empower teams responsibly.

The Fire Chief will oversee comprehensive emergency response and related functions, including fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and public education. The role also includes building an operations-aligned training program to support readiness and continual improvement. The chief is expected to align people, training, and resources to achieve organizational goals while maintaining accountability and a strong sense of mission and purpose.

Required qualifications include a bachelor's degree in Fire Administration, Public Administration, or a related field, along with at least 10 years of fire service experience, including three years in a management or administrative role. The candidate should have command-level experience that demonstrates leadership capability. Preferred qualifications may include a master's degree in Public Administration or a related field, experience in fire prevention and wildland fire management, and prior experience serving as a Fire Chief or senior command staff leader.