Fire Chief
Fire Chief
Spokane County Fire District 9
Mead, Washington
Salary: $196,639 - $212,848 DOQ
Named as one of the Best Places to Live in America by Outside Magazine, Spokane, Washington, is the second-largest city in the state and home to approximately 210,000 residents. Located in the eastern portion of the state, approximately 20 miles from the Washington-Idaho border, the Spokane MSA has a population of over 670,000. Spokane is a major commercial, industrial, educational and transportation hub for an approximately 80,000 square mile area encompassing three states and two provinces. Recreation abounds in Spokane County with prevalent opportunities for fishing, hiking, camping, golfing, skiing and more.
Spokane County Fire District #9 (Fire 9) is an all-hazards agency providing fire suppression, technical rescue, BLS and ALS EMS response, hazardous material response, and fire investigation services. Patient transport services are provided by a private contractor via a countywide ground ambulance transport agreement. Fire 9 services an area of approximately 122 square miles with a population of about 51,000, and responded to 7,800 incidents in 2023. The areas served by Fire 9 include urban, suburban, rural, and wildland environments. Fire 9 is a combination department that operates on a 2024 budget of $18,630,000 with 81 career personnel and 38 volunteers. The District is governed by three Fire Commissioners. Service is provided from 5 fire stations staffed by career personnel 24 hours a day, as well as four community-based volunteer fire stations. The department is organized into several divisions, which include Emergency Medical Services, Operations, Administration/Human Resources, Prevention/Code Management, Fleet and Facilities, and Wildfire/Fuels. Fire 9 shares boundaries and responds via automatic aid agreements with the City of Spokane Fire Department, Spokane Valley Fire Department, and Spokane County Fire Districts 4 and 10.
The Fire Chief is responsible for the overall operation of the Fire District, guided by the Board of Fire Commissioners. Duties include commanding all personnel, drafting and enforcing policies, making staffing decisions, and overseeing fire suppression and life support services. The Chief manages the budget, maintenance of equipment and facilities, contract administration, and personnel policies. Additionally, the Fire Chief supervises district operations, evaluates staff, directs administrative functions, participates in training, ensures legal compliance, and performs other assigned duties, including serving as a duty chief.
Candidates must possess a minimum of an AAS degree in Fire Science, Command, Public Administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, and at least five (5) years of experience at the rank of Battalion Chief or higher. A bachelor's degree is preferred, and a combination of training, education, and experience will be considered. Candidates must have demonstrated experience in fire service management at increasingly responsible levels, such as firefighter, company officer, or battalion chief.
Benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, life and AD&D, and long term disability insurance; Washington Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Retirement System (LEOFF) Plan II; sick leave; vacation accrual; 12 paid holidays not including an additional paid day off for employee holiday; bereavement leave; take-home vehicle for official business; all or a portion of relocation expenses may be repaid at the sole discretion of the Board.
For a complete position profile, full job description and to apply online, visit Prothman at
https://www.prothman.com/ and click on "Open Recruitments". For questions, call 206-368-0050. Spokane County Fire District 9 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. First review of applications:
October 6, 2024 (open until filled).
