Asheboro, NC – Fire Chief

The City of Asheboro, North Carolina, operating under a Council-Manager form of government, seeks an outstanding teambuilding leader to be their next Fire Chief.  The successful candidate has a track record of role modeling a passion for their work, a commitment to building professionalism and commitment through training, recognizing those who wish to thrive through engagement and service, and a history of building a strong team of engaged staff.  The community desires their Fire Chief to be a strong, consistent leader with abilities in energizing the Department, continuously seeking performance excellence while leveraging resources in a tight budget climate.  The next Fire Chief will be engaged within the department but will also be visible and collaborative across City departments and the community with the goal of meeting the safety needs of the City.

The Community

Founded as a small village in 1780, the City of Asheboro, is now the largest city in Randolph County and part of the Piedmont -Triad region which includes Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem.  Located in the heart of North Carolina, Asheboro offers rich economic, natural and cultural resources and is the proud home of the North Carolina Zoo, one of the world's largest natural habitat zoos and home to over one thousand animals representing the continents of North America and Africa.  With a population of 26,141,  Asheboro offers the charm of a historic Southern City with a thriving Downtown that is host to a historic theatre, a community that offers unique recreational opportunities such as a zipline tour, museums for Classic Motorcycles and Aviation, local artisans and potters and easy proximity to larger urban environments of Greensboro and Raleigh.  Major employers in Asheboro include Randolph Hospital, Energizer, Klaussner Furniture, MAS-Acme, Technimark, Asheboro City Schools and Post Consumer Brands.  

About the department and position:

Reporting to the City Manager, the Fire Chief will lead the Asheboro Fire Department (AFD) which consists of 53 FTE staff and three volunteer departments. There are two divisions: Fire Administration and Fire Operations.  Fire inspections are conducted by staff in the Community Development Division thus collaboration and effective interdepartmental communication are critical skills needed in the next to meet the needs of the community.  Community outreach includes fire fighters available to assist with selection and placement of heat, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and may in some cases provide detectors and battery replacements, especially to the elderly, disabled persons or persons with other special needs.

The Chief will supervise a $4.4M budget and two fire stations.  Apparatus include two engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue, pumper and bush vehicles. The AFD responded to over 2500 calls in 2017.   The AFD serves the City, engages in mutual aid agreements to ensure adequate resource and response needs are met and carries an ISO rating of 3 for residential and commercial properties.  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.  

The successful candidate:

• is a strategic problem solver who seeks information from multiple sources, communicates ideas and decisions and evaluates results;
• effectively and proactively communicates one to one, in groups, and with individuals of all backgrounds;
• role models and supports collaborative community engagement;
• 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 City employees, individual citizens, community groups, City 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;
• 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 City Council and City 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 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 and Pay:   

The City seeks a fire safety leader with a minimum of 5 years at the Battalion Chief Rank with progressive fire safety experience 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 required. The hiring range is $79,927 to $89,918, 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 hiring@developmentalassociates.com.  Resume review begins July 3rd and interviews and onsite skill assessments will be held in Asheboro on July 31-August 1 2018 for selected finalists. The City of Asheboro is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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