Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction / Fire Marshal

The Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction is a tactical level position which provides leadership, direction, and coordination of the Community Risk Reduction program. This highly visible position requires significant interaction with various levels of public and private stakeholders which could have a significant impact on the public perception of the City. Additionally, the person in this position performs a critical role in the future development of the City. The employee must stay abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of Community Risk Reduction.  The hiring range for this full-time, exempt position is $119,000-$130,000/annually (DOQ).

Position Responsibilities 

• Leads and manages the Community Risk Reduction Division.  Plans and directs the day-to-day fire prevention activities including inspections, plan reviews, and permits.  Supervises fire inspection personnel, including scheduling, training, coaching, and evaluating staff.
• Develops knowledge of adopted codes, standards, and other regulations to perform interpretation and develop enforcement guidelines for residents, professional organizations, and department personnel.  Provides technical assistance and guidance to architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building owners, city staff, and fire department personnel by providing technical interpretations of fire code.
• Reviews civil, architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection system plans, specifications, and calculations to ensure compliance.
• Conducts fire and life safety inspections of new and existing buildings, hazardous activities or operations, and witnesses final acceptance testing of fire protection systems to evaluate fire code compliance.
• Develops, reviews, and evaluates permit processes to ensure streamlined efforts in enforcing and issuing permits required by the adopted fire code.
• Conducts origin and cause investigations, fire scene reconstruction, system failure analysis, and evaluating structures or systems for fire code compliance. Serves as the department’s evidence custodian. Testifies in court proceedings as an expert witness when required.
• Assists in the training of fire department personnel in topics related to fire behavior, protection, prevention, inspections, and code requirements.
• Ensures accuracy of records relating to commercial occupancies, plan reviews, inspections, and permit data; assists in collecting and inputting data to support pre-incident planning efforts.
• Administers various departmental software platforms related to community risk reduction.
• Establishes and maintains contact with the appropriate federal, state, county, and regional associations. Cooperates with the State Fire Marshal's office regarding inspections, re-inspections and inquiries. 
• Responds to public inquiries, provides information, and resolves complaints. Represents the City and Fire Department at meetings with the public, other City departments and outside agencies as required.
• Supervises and takes part in the development and implementation of educational programs for schools, businesses, community groups and the public.
• Communicates effectively in both formal and informal situations; modifies information, media, and presentation style to fit the needs of the group.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university is required.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of fire service experience is required. Progressively responsible supervisory experience is preferred.
• Certification as a Kansas Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Basic, Advanced, or Paramedic or National Registry with the ability to obtain Kansas upon hire.
• Successful completion of the following National Board on Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board) OR International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) certifications: 
  • HAZMAT Awareness
  • HAZMAT Operations
  • Firefighter I
  • Firefighter II
• Fire Inspector and Fire Plan Review Certifications from International Code Council (ICC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC), Pro Board, or other approved certifying entity are required within one (1) year of appointment.

Any combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the responsibilities identified in this job posting may also be considered.

Work Schedule

The base schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, regular office hours; however, this exempt position will occasionally be involved in, and required to be available for or attend activities and events that occur in the evening, and on weekends and holidays. This exempt position is essentially on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make administrative and management decisions and/or to assist with emergencies and other issues. 

Additional Statements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work performed by employees assigned to this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. The City of Shawnee reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities of job descriptions to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. The job description is not a contract or guarantee of employment.

 The City of Shawnee complies with federal and state equal opportunity laws. It is the City's policy to provide an equal employment opportunity for all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to ancestry, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, socioeconomic status, genetic information, citizenship, veteran status or familial status, or any other basis protected by state or federal law, in regard to hire, training, promotion, transfer, layoff, dismissal, discipline and other conditions of employment. If reasonable accommodation is necessary to apply or further information if needed, please contact Human Resources at (913) 742-6253.