THE TOWN OF NAGS HEAD NORTH CAROLINA SEEKS
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF

About Us:  The Town of Nags Head is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Fire Chief.  We are a municipality that operates under a Council/Manager form of government.

The Community:  Located along the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina, the Town of Nags Head is a safe resort town that offers a wide range of recreational activities, arts and culture.  We are committed to providing great customer service to its citizens and the successful candidate will embrace these organizational values.

The Nags Head Fire Department:   The Town of Nags Head Fire Department is a full-service municipal fire department comprised of two stations with an ISO rating of 2. The Nags Head Fire Department provides high quality emergency services, education, and prevention that protect the community through professional employees who are focused on customer service, compassion, commitment, and innovation.

The Nags Head Fire Department has one Engine Company and one Quint Company that are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additional apparatus includes 2 reserve engines, 1 brush unit, 1 rescue boat and several support vehicles.  Each fire company conducts fire inspections for business occupancies in the Town of Nags Head. Fire companies are also responsible for fire hydrant flow testing of the town’s fire hydrants. The Nags Head Fire Department is a first responder agency in support of Dare County EMS and responds to all medical calls within the town.  Nags Head Fire Department trains and operates at the EMT level. Personnel receive, as a minimum, 36 hours of medical education annually.  

The fire department is also responsible for the plan review process regarding new or renovated commercial occupancies ensuring the requirements of the North Carolina Fire Prevention code are met.

In addition, the Fire Department employs 40+ ocean rescue lifeguards for our 11 miles of beach each year from April –October.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Position Overview:   Reporting to the Town Manager, the Fire Chief is the CEO for all fire-related services in the Town of Nags Head. The Chief is assisted by a Deputy Fire Chief and one administrative support personnel as direct reports.   The Fire Chief is responsible for the development and management of a FY 2019 Operating budget of $3.4M and a $800,000 Capital budget. A total of 26 full-time fire personnel serve the community.   

QUALIFICATIONS/COMPENSATION/BENEFITS:

Required Qualifications:  The Fire Chief must possess a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 7 years of progressive municipal, career fire service experience and hold the rank of Fire Battalion Chief position or higher at the time of initial employment. In addition, the following certifications, or recognized equivalent, are required:

• NC Firefighter 2
• NC Fire Officer 1
• NC Fire Instructor, Level 2
• Emergency Management experience in managing significant severe weather emergency incidents

Preferred Qualifications: The successful Fire Chief candidate is desired to possess the following, or obtain within twelve (12) months of employment:

• North Carolina “Non-commercial Class B” driver’s license
• Executive Fire Officer (EFO) and/or Chief Fire Officer Designation (CFO)
• NC Level 3 Standard Fire Inspector required within 2 years of hire date
• NC Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
• NIMS/ICS Certifications 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, 800
• OSHA Institute certification

The anticipated hiring range is $70,007 - $90,000 depending on qualifications and experience with a full salary range of $70,007 - $105,010.  This job is classified as essential and is an FLSA Executive Exempt position.

Benefits: The Town of Nags Head comprehensive benefits package includes health, dental, life, dependent life and short-term disability, at very attractive rates.  Nags Heads’ benefits package also includes 12 holidays, sick leave and vacation leave.  Town employees are members of the NC Local Government Employee Retirement System, one of the three best-rated governmental retirement systems in the US.

More information on employee benefits can be found at: https://www.nagsheadnc.gov/844/Employee-Benefits

Residency Requirement: All department directors, Including the Fire Chief, must establish their primary residence in Dare County within 6 months of employment.

The Successful Candidate:

• is committed to transparency in dealings with fire department and city personnel, elected officials, and the residents;
• is an advocate for resource and personnel needs of the fire department;
• is a creative and innovative thinker committed to implementing best practices in the fire service;
• has conducted fire department assessments to evaluate current operations and future needs and direction;
• possesses excellent interpersonal skills;
• has fire operational and management experience in a growing community;
• is committed to identifying employee recruitment and retention best practices;
• has engaged in successful marketing campaigns, including social media, to effectively brand fire department operations and services;
• understands fire department accreditation programs and requirements;
• is knowledgeable in the technology impacting the fire service;
• is committed to building effective working relationships and agreements with area fire departments;
• has developed and managed mutual assistance agreements with volunteer and municipal fire departments;
• has delivered accurate and detailed presentations and/or briefings outlining operational activities, facilitated discussions and led event debriefings;
• has directed and trained subordinates to comply with agency procedures;
• attends and presents information at community and professional meetings as required;
• responds to community and media information inquiries as necessary;
• facilitates career development and succession planning for subordinate personnel, communicates agency goals and objectives, and conducts departmental staff meetings;
• collaborates with other Town departments to ensure effective community services, and
• possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• inspects and evaluates the environment, equipment and processes in working areas to ensure compliance with government safety regulations and industry standards.  Goal is to protect the employees, customers and the environment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Application and Selection Process:

To apply for the Fire Chief position, visit our website www.nagsheadnc.gov/jobs  and click on the Fire Chief link.  All applications must be fully completed and submitted online via this portal.  Closing date for this position is June 28, 2019.  Semi-Finalists will participate in an assessment center process in Nags Head on Monday, July 22, 2019.  The Town of Nags Head is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity at all levels of its workforce.