FIRE CHIEF / The City of Batavia (NY)

Posted by Capt Craig Freeman on December 31st, 2016

The City of Batavia (NY) is accepting apps for FIRE CHIEF. Until January 31, 2017. Salary $75,146 – $91,144 annually. For details about this career and over 3,500 other fire departments looking to hire firefighters Join FireCareers.com today… Fill out your PROFILE and get access to thousands of career firefighter recruitment’s across the Country. FREE 7 Day Pass

The City of Batavia (NY)
is accepting applications for:

FIRE CHIEF

Fire Chief, City of Batavia, NY

Overview

The City of Batavia, New York, operating under a Council-Manager form of government, seeks an outstanding leader to be its next Fire Chief

The successful candidate will desire to be a part of the City’s vibrant and visionary culture. With recent high tech investments in the local Genesee County area and significant investment in the City’s downtown area by regional developers, the City is poised to take advantage of large incoming manufacturing, an expanding medical facility and a multi-million dollar addition to its neighboring Genesee Community College. The successful candidate will have a desire to be accessible and engage with the staff and community to reach shared community-wide goals. S/he will also be a strategic team builder who possesses the operational and tactical experience to lead the Fire Department.

The Community

The City of Batavia encompasses 5.2 square miles and is directly in between New York’s second and third largest cities, Rochester and Buffalo. The City, with a population of just over 15,000 is home to the Holland Land Office where Pennsylvania surveyor, Joseph Ellicott, surveyed and divided the 5 million acres that would become western New York. In the City’s vibrant downtown historical district can be found the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, Harvester 56 Regional Theatre, Richmond Memorial Library, Jackson Square Concert venue and the Batavia Cinema as well as many shops and restaurants. Recent investments in downtown also include upscale one- and 2-bedroom apartments with access to the City’s excellent parking lots and the newly expanded business headquarters of the Tompkins Insurance/Bank of Castile family of companies, operating in 27 communities across New York and Pennsylvania. Upcoming projects include the $17 million Ellicott Station Project bringing a mixed use facility with restaurants and office space on the first floor and upscale apartments on the second level and the addition of the area’s first local brew house and freshLab food court along its Main Street next fall. The City’s visitors and residents are able to take advantage of the five public parks and the Ellicott Trail which will offer a biking alternative from one corner of the city to the other is projected to open in 2017.

Position Description and Responsibilities

Reporting to the City Manager, the Fire Chief will lead a fully paid professional department consisting of 37 FTE including four captains, four lieutenants, 28 firefighters and one administrative support position while being responsible for a $3.9 million budget. The fire department operates out of one station consisting of two engines, one platform ladder, one special operations rescue truck and three support vehicles. The department provides first responder BLS-level care at emergency scenes but does not transport patients. The fire department is covered 24-7 by four platoons working 4 days on and 4 days off, consisting of 10-hour days and 14-hour nights. Batavia Fire responded to approximately 2,100 calls for emergency response with an additional 1,000 requests for service in 2015, including commercial building and multi-family fire and event inspections, over 150 car safety seat inspections, several EMT/CPR classes both in-house and public, and smoke detector installations. The department responds to neighboring towns when requested as part of the county mutual aid agreement. In 2015, the department also was awarded a water rescue grant and maintains water rescue equipment and conducts that training for all 19 county fire departments as well as Police and EMS agencies in the county. The Fire Chief also acts as the City’s Emergency Manager and is responsible for updating and planning training and exercises for the City’s Emergency Management Plan and according to FEMA’s requirement for the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System for which the City maintains a rating of a Level 7. In addition to emergency response and inspection, the department also participates in numerous public relations events including education/prevention activities at local schools and with various businesses.

Requirements:

The successful candidate:

Is a visionary, ready to move the department forward and willing to embrace change;
Has a proven track record in building and maintaining morale through effective teambuilding, advocacy and consistency of policy application;
Is strategic in assessing the needs and changes in City and adapting plans, technology and staffing as needed to meet the safety needs of the community;
Has outstanding interpersonal skills 1:1, and in small or large groups;
Has experience working with organized labor unions and maintains positive relationships;
Is skilled at engaging collaboratively and diplomatically with a variety of stakeholders such as fire department staff, other City employees, individual citizens, community groups, City Council members, County emergency management personnel, and regional, state and federal authorities in order to leverage department opportunities and manage challenges;
Is committed to continued training and professional development for staff in order to build skills, achieve performance excellence and develop staff for promotional opportunities and varied job assignments;
Has experience in developing and maintaining mutual aid relationships;
Has the ability to review and assess current operations and institute best practices;
Demonstrates knowledge and familiarity with all areas of fire and rescue suppression, operations, and prevention as well as technology supporting these functions;
Is skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application;
Is committed to developing progressive fire service strategies and advancing the department despite budget constraints, and;
Communicates well both verbally and in writing and possesses excellent interpersonal skills and abilities
Qualifications: Civil Service qualifications are graduation from high school or possession of an appropriate equivalency diploma AND either two (2) years’ experience as a Deputy Fire Chief, OR four (4) years’ experience as a Fire Captain, OR any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Salary and benefits:

The salary range for this position is $75,146 – $91,144 (DOQ). The City of Batavia offers a competitive benefits package including healthcare, life insurance, sick, vacation and personal leave and is part of the NYS Retirement System.

To apply:

Please submit resume, cover letter, civil service application , current and past salary history and five work related references to: Dawn Fairbanks, Human Resource Specialist, One Batavia City Centre, Batavia, NY 14020. Background check and drug testing required. EEO