Description

https://www.romulusgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/3579/Fire-Chief-Position-Packet-PDF?bidId=

CITY OF ROMULUS

JOB TITLE:  FIRE CHIEF

EXEMPT:  Yes               

DEPARTMENT:  Fire

SALARY RANGE:  $93,000-$110,000 Annual           

DIVISION:  Non-Union

BENEFITS:  Fully Benefitted Position      

LOCATION:  On-Site

 
SUMMARY:

The Fire Chief is the visionary leader of the Romulus Fire Department. Under the general direction of the Director of Community Safety and Development, the Fire Chief supervises and provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and mentorship for all department personnel. This role coordinates and directs all emergency and non-emergency operations and activities of the Romulus Fire Department and ensures that the department remains progressive, innovative, and prepared to meet the evolving needs of the community. The Fire Chief fosters a culture of excellence, inclusivity, and professional growth while maintaining the highest standards of public safety, emergency response, and community engagement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

Sets the long-term vision and strategic priorities for the Fire Department in alignment with City goals and community expectations.

Champions innovation by exploring and implementing modern fire suppression, emergency response, and prevention practices. Attends meetings, conferences and reviews publications to keep abreast of the latest fire prevention and firefighting techniques, enabling optimization of all department services to the community.

Anticipates future community growth and public safety needs, making recommendations for positioning the department to meet needs proactively, including personnel, facilities and equipment.

Mentorship & Workforce Development

Serves as a role model and mentor for officers and rank-and-file personnel, fostering leadership, professional growth, and succession planning at all levels.

Creates a supportive environment that values teamwork, inclusion, and open communication.

Invests in employee training, development, and wellness to ensure a skilled, motivated, and resilient workforce.

Operational Oversight

Directs and supervises all operations of the Romulus Fire Department, including fire suppression, EMS, prevention, investigation, training, and emergency management.

Assigns duties and determines work schedules for department personnel by direct order or by designating those tasks to command officers.  Considers availability of personnel and critical fire periods.

Provides clear direction to officers while empowering personnel at all levels to lead effectively within their scope of responsibility.

Oversees recruiting and hiring of all department staff, in conjunction with the Human Resources office.

Directs training, counseling, evaluating and discipline of Fire Department personnel.

Assures that firefighting equipment is at optimal working condition. Responsible for securement of new equipment as needed.

Prepares and oversees the preparation and retention of Departmental records and reports according to City of Romulus record retention policies and State of Michigan Laws.

Fiscal Responsibility & Resource Management

Prepares and administers the department’s budget with an emphasis on accountability and efficiency, and monitors expenditures throughout the year.

Ensures equipment, facilities, and technology are modernized, well-maintained, and aligned with operational needs.

Seeks grant funding, partnerships, and creative approaches to maximize resources.

Community Engagement & Collaboration

Maintains a highly visible and approachable presence in the community, building trust and strong relationships with residents, businesses, and civic organizations.

Acts as the Fire Department representative for the City of Romulus Police & Fire Safety Commission.

Acts as the lead and Fire Department representative for the City of Romulus Public Safety Foundation

Actively represents the Fire Department in regional and state associations, intergovernmental initiatives, and public safety coalitions.

Engages in transparent communication with the community through media, public presentations, and outreach programs.

Incident Command and Emergency Management 

Provides executive-level command during major incidents, ensuring effective coordination and safety of personnel.

Confers and coordinates with regional fire departments, law enforcement and emergency response agencies to strengthen mutual aid and disaster preparedness.  Coordinates efforts in regional fire and emergency response activities and ensures appropriate levels of mutual and automatic aid are available and offered.

Serves as the City Emergency Management Coordinator / Liaison and assuming responsibility for the development, maintenance and activation of the Wayne County Homeland Security Local Support Plan.

Executive Team & Policy Leadership

Supports the City’s executive leadership team, contributing to major municipal initiatives.  Plans, develops and implements policies and procedures and ensures compliance with municipal codes, state and federal regulations, and professional standards.

Advises City leadership on emerging risks, public safety priorities, and strategic investments in community resilience.

Other Duties

Performs the duties of lower-level fire personnel as workloads, temporary absences or emergencies dictate.  Performs related duties as required by the Director of Community Safety and Development, Chief of Staff, and/or Mayor.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Provides direct and indirect supervision for all Fire Department personnel including administrative staff.

Prepared in compliance with the Romulus Policies and Procedures Manual, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act

Requirements

https://www.romulusgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/3579/Fire-Chief-Position-Packet-PDF?bidId=

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science, Public Administration, Emergency Management, or a related field is  required.  A Master’s degree is preferred.

Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible fire service experience, including command-level leadership.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports and legal documents.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.  Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.  Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and /or board of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• State of Michigan Firefighter II Certification.
• Fire Officer Certification (NFPA-compliant).
• Michigan Fire Inspector Certification.
• Current Michigan Paramedic License.
• Valid Michigan Driver’s License.  Must be appropriately licensed to operate City-owned vehicles consistent with work assignment.
• Completion of advanced incident management training (NIMS/ICS 400 or equivalent).

OTHER SKILLS and ABILITIES:

• Proven record of visionary leadership, mentoring, and organizational development.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Expertise in budget management, resource allocation, and strategic planning.
• Commitment to innovation, diversity, and continuous improvement.
• Strong computer and technology abilities.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Consistent with fire service executive roles, the Fire Chief must be capable of performing incident command duties under emergency conditions and fulfilling the physical and mental requirements of the position. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear to specific standards (as established by NFPA 1582). The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and taste or smell.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts; in high, precarious places; in outside weather conditions; and with explosives and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and risk of electrical shock.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

COMMENTS:

The Fire Chief serves as both an executive leader and a community champion. This position requires a dynamic and forward-thinking leader who can inspire personnel, embrace innovation, and build trust within the community, while upholding the proud traditions of the Romulus Fire Department.  The qualifications above are guidelines.  Other combinations of education and experience which could provide the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the job will be considered.

Prepared in compliance with the Romulus Policies and Procedures Manual, Americans with Disabilities Act and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act