Description

The City of Walker is seeking applicants for the position of Fire Chief. The chief operating and administrative officer for the department is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and staffing the work of the Fire Department, which includes policy development and implementation, development of departmental goals and objectives, budget management, and personnel management.

Department Details

The Walker Fire Department is a combination department consisting of both full-time and paid on call staff that are dedicated to being a proactive, community-focused all-hazards department that meets the ever-changing needs of the community through professional development, unity, and teamwork. The department is built upon the pillars of integrity, collaboration, public education, community engagement, and dedication to the community.

The department has three fire stations and an administrative team with 13 full-time staff and 17 paid on call firefighters. This includes both suppression and fire prevention teams with 9 front-line emergency vehicles (5 engines, 1 platform, 1 ladder, 1 tender, 1 support unit) and an annual budget of $2.89 million. The fire prevention program hosts over 100 public education events and conducts annual business inspections. Full-time suppression staff operates out of two stations seven days a week from 5:45 AM - 6:30 PM.

Community Details

The City of Walker is 26 square miles within Kent County sharing a border with the cities of Grand Rapids and Grandville, Ottawa County and Alpine Township. Walker is home to 25,132 (2020 census) residents with a thriving business community including commercial and industrial industry along Alpine Avenue and I-96 as well as home to the Standale Business District on M-45. A community of tree-lined streets, parks and trails, shopping districts, and elite school districts makes the City of Walker a great place to live, work, and grow!

Strategic Initiatives

The next Chief of the Walker Fire Department will lead the City through the following initiatives:

Develop a department staffing plan to address the current challenges with paid on call recruitment and retention and full-time staffing model to ensure appropriate service levels to Walker residents and businesses.
Work with the City Commission to create a strategic plan to align department priorities with overall City goals and objectives.

Requirements

Candidate Qualifications & Expected Experience:

Bachelor's Degree in Fire Science, or a closely related field.
Increasingly responsible experience with a Fire Department of similar or larger in size to the City of Walker; including a minimum of eight (8) years upper-level administrative responsibilities within a Fire Department/Public Safety Department.
Certification as a Firefighter Training Council Instructor and Fire Officer III required. Fire and Arson Investigator certification preferred or the ability to obtain certification as soon as possible after hiring.
Knowledge and familiarization of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and Building Official and Code Administrators (BOCA) codes and local, municipal and state ordinances pertaining to fire prevention.
Knowledge of current fire-fighting techniques and methodologies, first responder training and emergency extrication techniques. Knowledgeable in operating a wide variety of fire-fighting equipment and apparatus.
Requires a valid State of Michigan driver's license, satisfactory driving record and the ability to maintain one throughout employment.
Must be able to successfully pass a comprehensive background investigation, physical assessment, and psychological assessment.

Other Considerations:

Must be able to motivate and lead by example through honesty, integrity, openness, and transparency.
Knowledge of the professional public management techniques involved in budgeting, personnel administration, labor relations, purchasing and operations management.
Skill in assembling and communicating information to various city stakeholders, analyzing data, preparing comprehensive and accurate reports, and formulating policy and service recommendations.
Proven ability to foster effective and positive working relationships with external and internal stakeholders, including employees, residents, visitors, and city officials.

City of Walker Michigan

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