Requirements
Purpose
The charming, southern City of Savannah, GA seeks a passionate and experienced fire professional to serve as its next Fire Chief. Savannah desires a confident and humble leader who will propel the organization forward while demonstrating impeccable communication and interpersonal skills in uniting a team of fire professionals around the strategic vision of the department. The next Fire Chief will hold themselves and others to high standards of excellence and ensure compliance and quality in service delivery. This position is for the trustworthy leader who functions extremely well under pressure in a fast-paced environment. Being visible in the community while building and strengthening relationships within the department, across the organization and within the community are a priority for this leader. The next Fire Chief will have the honor to serve as the department?s 36th Chief and will focus on bringing stability and continuity to the department as they lead the department through a season of change ? adapting the department to meet the complex needs of the growing City of Savannah.
About the Community:
As America?s first planned city, Savannah boasts historic architecture, luxurious parks and a government culture that aims to build upon its early success in providing superior planning, infrastructure, and services for its citizens and visitors.
In addition to its assets as a city, Savannah offers great weather, nearby beaches, and a tradition of hospitality and cultural offerings. Savannah is home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene that plays host to over 200 festivals each year focused on a variety of themes including music, food, and film. A growing Savannah Music Festival has garnered international acclaim as performers from Savannah and all over the world showcase talent in a variety of musical genres. The City is committed to promoting numerous festivals and special events throughout the year and is particularly known for its St. Patrick?s Day celebration.
Savannah has a diverse economy consisting of manufacturing, one of the fastest growing seaports in the nation, tourism, regional medical services, and the military. Retail and service businesses are also important factors. Savannah?s warm weather allows participation in outdoor activities year-round. The city has more than 100 public recreational neighborhood parks, 13 swimming pools, more than 70 athletic fields, more than 75 basketball courts, 50 tennis courts, 2 public golf courses, and a marina. For boating, fishing and swimming enthusiasts, Savannah offers marinas throughout the 420 miles of navigable waters and 87,000 acres of tidal marshland, as well as the Intercoastal Waterway. Tybee Island is Savannah?s public beach and is located approximately 20 minutes east of the downtown area.
With its well-preserved history, fascinating architecture, natural beauty, unique squares and mild climate, Savannah is a splendid spot for sightseeing. We boast the nation?s largest National Historic Landmark District. Recognized as one of the ?World?s 30 Friendliest Cities,? Savannah?s accolades include:
?One of the best employers and top local government in the State of Georgia? ? Forbes
?Top 10 Most Beautiful Places in America? - USA Weekend Magazine
?World?s Top Ten Trendy Travel Hot Spots? ? NY Times
?Top 10 U.S City to Visit? and fifth on the ?Best Small City in the United States? list - Conde Nast Traveler
Placed second on Southern Living?s ?Best Southern City? list.
?Top 25 Places to Live and Work? - Outlook Magazine
With over 146,000 year-round residents, the population of Savannah also includes the students of four colleges and universities offering bachelor`s, master`s, and professional or doctoral degree programs: Georgia Southern University-Armstrong Campus, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Savannah State University, and South University. With six distinct historic districts, coastal beaches, and a globally recognized food and art scene, tourism is a major driver in the economy. Home to the Port of Savannah, nearby Fort Stewart ? Hunter Air Base, International Paper, Gulfstream Aerospace, Titlemax, and others; Savannah?s economy is diverse and robust.
Essential Job Functions
Duties/Responsibilities
About the Organization, Department and Position:
The City of Savannah operates under a Council/Manager form of government with a budget of $479M and over 2400 employees working across 26 departments. The City?s Budget Plan highlights priorities of Housing, Homelessness, and Community Support, Investing in Public Safety, Investing in Neighborhood Revitalization, and Investing in Team Savannah as they execute their vision to be an extraordinary place to live, learn, and prosper.
The Savannah Fire Department (SFD), steeped in history like the community it serves, was established in 1759 and was one of the first fully mechanized departments in the nation. With an ISO Class 1 rating, the fire department has received accreditation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence and was the first in the nation to receive the BOAT accreditation.
The City of Savannah has the second highest per-capita fire rate in the country. As a result, SFD, an "All Hazards" career department, has changed its stance to be more proactive by focusing on community risk reduction. Savannah Fire Department (SFD) is committed to identifying and prioritizing local risks, followed by an integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce the occurrence and impact of emergencies. Emergency Planning focuses on city-wide emergency management preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery operations during our community`s high-risk events.
Operating with a $36M budget, the SFD provides services over a 108 square mile territory for the City of Savannah. With five direct reports ? AC Operations, AC Logistics, EM Director, PIO, and an Executive Assistant, the Fire Chief will oversee Operations, Fire Marshal, Logistics, Training, Planning and Research (accreditation), Quartermaster (logistics), EMS Chief (operations), Special Operations (operations).The SFD provides fire suppression/prevention, specialized rescue and emergency medical care, hazardous materials incident response, technical rescue, code enforcement, fire investigation, and public fire safety education to the citizens of Savannah. With a team of 338 uniformed and civilian personnel, the department?s mission is accomplished through the deployment of 15 engines and 5 ladder companies, 2 heavy rescue units, a marine division staffed with the following: 50? All Hazards Fire Storm vessel, 28? metal craft vessel and john boats for flooding, water rescue and dive, along with a Technical Rescue Team, Regional Hazardous material team and mobile rehab support unit from station 15. The Fire Department maintains mutual aid agreements with departments in the region.
In December 2020, the Fire Operations unit started providing emergency medical service response. As a result, SFD is able to educate community members on first aid and CPR skills, stop-the-bleed practices, medical alert devices, environmental/climate illness prevention, and in-home trip/fall hazard prevention. All members of SFD are trained to be emergency medical responders, with 145 emergency medical technicians and nine paramedics. To learn more about the SFD, click here.
Key Position Priorities:
Execute the Savannah Fire Department?s current strategic plan (2020 ? 2024) with priority given to the goals of improving department equipment and facilities, revising employee professional development plans, and working with others to enhance employee benefits and compensation to aid recruitment and retention.
Assess service delivery and response times and implement proven strategies to address concerns efficiently and effectively while also overseeing the planning of two additional fire stations to meet the service delivery needs of the community.
Prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in the department through targeted efforts that help ensure diversity in the hiring process and inclusion throughout daily interactions.
Modernize the department with current standard operating guidelines and procedures while also embracing technology and continuously seeking methods to improve service delivery using new technologies, new methods, and best practices.
Minimum Qualifications
Qualifications: A minimum of 10 years of progressive fire safety experience, as well as progressively responsible experience at the rank of Battalion Chief or higher is required. Savannah expects a leader with an operational understanding and direct experience in fire suppression, special operations, technical rescue, hazmat, training, logistics, fire prevention, emergency management, accreditation, community risk reduction, administration, and all other aspects of service delivery. A BA/BS degree, or equivalent years of experience, is required. A Master?s degree and/or NFA certification is preferred. Graduation from the Executive Fire Officer Program is preferred, as well as the designation of Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety.
The Successful Candidate is:
effective in navigating the unique and complex culture of a governing body and will prioritize establishing trusting relationships with Savannah?s City Council while also advocating for the SFD and ensuring the needs of the community are met;
adept in evaluating and implementing changes to staffing, compensation, and equipment to improve quality, consistency, and transparency across operations while making well-informed policy decisions regarding staffing levels in consideration of the impact of insurance ratings;
has a track record in creating camaraderie and common values across stations and shifts;
a principled leader who values accountability while holding realistic and fair expectations of self and others with the demonstrated ability to supervise the work of skilled, semiskilled or unskilled workers on a large scale over a wide area;
an effective listener who seeks input from relevant parties, realistically assesses plans and consistently communicates;
an excellent and effective communicator, including one on one, small groups and public speaking, who confidently and persuasively engages community members and groups, staff, and Council;
is a strategic problem solver who seeks information from multiple sources, communicates ideas and decisions effectively, and evaluates results;
expertly uses data and metrics to propose solutions and make decisions;
eliminates silos and seeks commonality across functions intradepartmentally and works effectively interdepartmentally to build relationships in service to public safety goals;
is skilled at engaging collaboratively and diplomatically with a variety of stakeholders including the local IAFF, fire department staff, City leadership and employees, community members and groups, other fire departments and regional, state and federal authorities in order to leverage department opportunities, manage challenges, and maximize resources such as training, equipment, mutual aid, etc.;
has held multiple assignments across functional areas such as suppression, prevention, and administration leading to a rich understanding of breadth and depth of roles that fire fighters assume;
demonstrates knowledge and familiarity with the CPSE accreditation process and all areas of fire and rescue, suppression, operations, and prevention as well as technology supporting these functions; and,
is skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application, effective personnel management, and development.
Additional Information
Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for the position is $165,000 ? 178,000 depending on qualifications and experience. The City offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement options, and relocation expenses. which can be found here.
To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the Fire Chief ? City of Savannah, GA title. To learn more about the selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/, select ?Client Openings? and scroll down to ?Important Information for Applicants.? All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal ? NOT the City Employment Application portal, nor any other external website; it is not sufficient to send only a resume. Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application. Applicants must apply by September 10th, 2022. Successful semi-finalists will be invited to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluation on September 29th ? 30th, 2022. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate. All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.
The City of Savannah is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.
http://www.developmentalassociates.com
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