Kernersville, NC – Fire Rescue Chief

The Town of Kernersville, North Carolina, operating under a Council-Manager form of government, seeks an outstanding leader to be their next Fire Rescue Chief.  The successful candidate has a track record of strong, consistent leadership with abilities in energizing the Department, continuously seeking performance excellence while leveraging resources in a tight budget climate.  This Fire Rescue Chief will be engaged within the department but will also be visible and collaborative across Town departments and the community with the goal of meeting the safety needs of the Town.

The Community

The Town of Kernersville with an origin dating back to the 1700’s, is centrally located among the Cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem in Forsyth and Guilford Counties.  The Triad metro is home to over 1.6M residents.  With a population of 23,567, Kernersville offers the charm of a small, historic Southern town with easy proximity to larger urban environments and access to 18 colleges and universities within a 30 minute drive, major medical centers and entertainment in the form of collegiate sports, minor league baseball, NASCAR and pro teams (e.g. Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers) as well as performing arts with easy reach.  

Position description and responsibilities:  Reporting to the Town Manager, the Fire Rescue Chief will lead the Kernersville Fire Rescue Department (KFRD) which consists of 70 FTE staff across three divisions:  Fire Administration, Fire Operations and Fire Prevention.  The Chief will supervise a $5,714,329 budget and four fire stations.  All KFRD uniformed personnel are certified Level II Fire Fighters, Emergency Medical Technicians and Technical Rescuers.  There are four Engine Companies and one Truck Squad Company who responds to over 2000 incidents per year.  Additionally, the Fire Prevention division provides extensive inspection and education activities to keep the community informed and safe.  The Kernersville Fire Rescue Department serves the Town and a fire district beyond the Town and engages in mutual aid agreements to ensure adequate resource and response needs are met.  The Kernersville Fire Rescue Department carries an ISO rating of 4 for residential and commercial properties.  The Chief is expected to be visible, trusting his/her staff to manage incidents but engaged with fire fighters, citizens, and partners in multiple jurisdictional agreements.

The successful candidate:

• has a track record in creating camaraderie and common values across companies and shifts;

• understands and demonstrates the value of public initiatives that educate and brands the Department as an essential community builder not just emergency responder;

• collaborates with other municipal organizations to create partnerships and maximize resources such as training, equipment, mutual aid, etc.,

• has a proven track record in policy development and consistency of application;

• is skilled at engaging collaboratively and diplomatically with a variety of stakeholders such as fire department staff, other Town employees, individual citizens, community groups, Town Alderman, and regional, state and federal authorities in order to leverage department opportunities and manage challenges;

• is committed to continued training, professional development and succession planning for staff in order to build skills, achieve performance excellence and develop staff for promotional opportunities and varied job assignments;

• is an individual with the highest level of integrity and a proven record of consistency and reliable performance;

• has experience working in council-manager form of government and skills to both advocate for the department and partner to meet strategic goals of the Board of Alderman and Town Manager;

• has held multiple assignments across functional areas such as suppression, prevention, EMS, and administration leading to a rich understanding of breadth and depth of roles that fire fighters assume.

• demonstrates knowledge and familiarity with all areas of fire suppression, rescue , 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.

• communicates well both verbally and in writing and possesses excellent interpersonal skills and abilities.

Qualifications and Pay:   

The Town seeks a fire service leader with 5 or more years of progressive experience at the rank of Battalion Chief or higher and a minimum of 5 years of cross-functional and progressively responsible experience including fire suppression, prevention, EMS and administrative work; a BA/BS degree highly preferred. The hiring range is $76,725- $94,000, depending on qualifications and experience.    

To apply, you must complete an online application via Developmental Associates’ online system (or copy and paste https://www.developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/ into your browser).  Resumes may be uploaded to the system but will not be accepted in lieu of a fully completed application.    All inquiries should be emailed to Kernersvillehiring@developmentalassociates.com.  The application closing date is October 31st and an assessment center will be held in Kernersville on December 1-2 for selected finalists. The Town of Kernersville is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.