The Town of Morrisville, North Carolina, is seeking a charismatic, visionary leader to be their next Fire Chief in an accredited and service-oriented department.  The successful candidate has a track record of extensive suppression and operational experience, progressive thinking regarding fire service delivery, and excellent interdepartmental, Council and community relationship skills in order to meet strategic initiatives for community safety.  This Fire Chief is the face of the department in this fast growing community and the region. The position is open due to the promotion of the Fire Chief to Assistant Town Manager.

The Community:  A community of approximately 10 square miles that has experienced rapid population growth, Morrisville has successfully retained its small town appeal.  Located in Wake County midway between Raleigh and Durham in the Research Triangle region, Morrisville is nestled between the beaches and the mountains of NC with a year-round temperate climate.  The region routinely ranks at the top of the nation's "best of" lists offering multiple universities and colleges, major corporations, medical centers, museums, theater and outdoor activities. Morrisville is in the heart of the region, with great access to employment centers like Research Triangle Park and major transportation hubs like Interstates 40 and 540, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and the State Capital. Morrisville's location is its defined uniqueness, which sets the Town apart from all others.  The demographics of Morrisville are 44% White; 38% Indian/Asian, 10% African American, 3% from another race and Hispanic of any race is 5%. The median income is $80,000 per year.  The Town employs 170 FTE and 41 part-time and is home to almost 24,000 residents.  

Position description and responsibilities:  Reporting to the Assistant Town Manager, the Fire Chief will lead the Morrisville Fire Rescue Department (MFRD) which consists of 49 FTE staff and 15 volunteers across three divisions:  Fire Administration, Fire Operations, and Fire Inspections. The department handled 2230 calls in 2015 and has handled 1350 to date in 2016. Approximately 50% of emergency responses are medical calls.  The Department oversees a Community Emergency Response Team and an engaged Explorers program.    The Chief will manage a $5.1M operational budget and three fire stations (one cohabited with Cary Fire Department).  The current budget includes funds to conduct a fire station location study and jointly fund a study for a local public safety training facility with the Towns of Cary and Apex.   Apparatus include two engines, two ladder trucks, two rescues, one pumper, one bush truck, and two command vehicles.    Additionally, the Fire Prevention division provides extensive inspection and education activities to keep the community informed and safe.  The Morrisville Fire Rescue Department serves the Town and surrounding unincorporated area by working proactively with mutual aid partners to ensure adequate resource and response needs are met.  The Morrisville Fire Rescue Department carries an ISO rating of 3/9. The department was initially accredited in 2011 and successfully completed the process to maintain the accreditation status in August 2016.  The Chief is expected to be visible, trusting his/her staff to manage incidents but able to step in for critical incident command when needed. More details about the MFRD can be found at: http://www.ci.morrisville.nc.us/index.aspx?NID=130.

The successful candidate:

• 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 with extensive fire suppression and operational experience that is current and up to date;
• is committed to developing progressive fire service strategies and advancing the department within budget parameters
• has worked in a high growth community where planning and strategizing for excellent response times has been a collaborative and successful process;
• is knowledgeable and experienced in the Quint concept, improving ISO ratings, accreditation, building/ renovating fire stations and mixed use developments;
• is skilled in evaluating equipment and personnel needs, planning for same and is a passionate advocate for strategically acquiring resources to meet fire service needs;
• 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 Council, 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;
• 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 Town Council and Town Manager;
• is skilled in budget development and management, policy development and application;
• communicates well both verbally and in writing and possesses excellent interpersonal skills and abilities;
• has experience with fire service performance analysis with a commitment toward continuous improvement;
• has proven track record of working with mutual aid agencies;
• is knowledgeable and experienced with regional emergency communications center operations.  

Qualifications and Pay:   

The Town seeks a fire service leader with a minimum of 5 years at the Battalion Chief Rank or higher with progressive fire service experience and a minimum of 10 years of cross-functional and progressively responsible experience including fire suppression, prevention, EMS and administrative work; a BA/BS degree is required with a Master's degree and EFO certification highly preferred. The salary range is $83,837-$134,139, depending on qualifications and experience. 

To apply, you must complete an online application via Developmental Associates' online system (or copy and pastehttps://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 Morrisvillehiring@developmentalassociates.com.  The application closing date is September 19, 2016 and an assessment center will be held in Morrisville on October 27-28, 2016 for selected finalists. The Town of Morrisville is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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

For more information, click here.