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Home My WebLink AboutFire ChiefUpdated: August 2025 (Admin Review) CITY OF IOWA CITY – JOB DESCRIPTION Position Title: Fire Chief Department: Fire Division: Fire Administration Supervisor: City Manager FLSA: Exempt Civil Service: Yes Pay Grade: 33 Job Number: 3301 Job Summary Plans, organizes, manages and directs the activities of the Fire Department, ensuring the prevention or minimization of loss of life and property by ﬁre, medical emergencies, or natural/man-made disasters and maintaining a state of preparedness for other forms of catastrophe. Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned. • Establishes all policies, procedures and regulations for ﬁreﬁghting, emergency, operational and prevention standards in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. • Develops and recommends all ﬁre code regulations to Council for adoption. • Performs short range and long-range planning regarding departmental operations with respect to personnel, apparatus, equipment and emergency operations. • Supervises and directs the implementation of such goals, objectives and plans that align with the City’s strategic values. • Appraises conditions of work in the department and takes necessary actions to improve ﬁre and other emergency operations. • Plans, develops, conducts and supervises the operation of departmental in-service training of personnel. • Plans and directs public education, ﬁre prevention and community risk reduction programs. • Performs various public relations functions to include contact with the media, public, private organizations, schools, area ﬁre departments and state and national organizations. • Prepares, coordinates and monitors the annual budget and controls approves the expenditure of budgeted funds. • Assists in the preparation of bids on major pieces of equipment and makes recommendations to the City Manager on Capital Improvement Program purchases regarding apparatus, equipment, advancements in technology, new stations, etc. Updated: August 2025 (Admin Review) • Supervises the inspections of buildings and other properties for ﬁre hazards; enforces ﬁre prevention regulations and works to attain abatement of ﬁre hazards. • Conducts brieﬁngs with Chief Oﬃcers to review daily work schedules and discuss staﬀ activities. • Supervises the operations of the ﬁre suppression program and coordinates activities with Johnson County ﬁre oﬃcials. • Supervises the operations of emergency medical services program and coordinates activities with local ambulance services and hospitals. • Supervises the operations of the hazardous materials response program and coordinates activities with Johnson County oﬃcials. • Supervises the operations of the technical rescue program and coordinates activities with Johnson County ﬁre oﬃcials. • Responds to major ﬁre alarms and emergencies and exercises overall supervision at the scene. • Works collaboratively with local, state and federal emergency management oﬃcials to help Iowa City prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters, public health crises and other emergent circumstances. • Works with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the investigation into cause, origin and circumstances of ﬁres. • Participates in the operations of the Joint Emergency Communications Center as a member of the User Advisory Committee. • Oversees the maintenance of department records and prepares reports for the City Manager and City Council, as required. • Conducts self in a professional manner which demonstrates courtesy and respect for all community members and coworkers. • Performs other related duties as assigned. Minimum Education, Experience, Certification/Licensure, Other • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution and six years of related experience; or ten years of related experience and/or equivalent combination of education and experience. Supervisory experience in fire and rescue management. • Instructor I certiﬁcation. Iowa or National EMT certiﬁcation. Valid State of Iowa driver's license with satisfactory driving record. Must be 18 years of age. Must pass criminal background check. Must live within 17 miles of the corporate limits of Iowa City, Iowa within one year of appointment to the position. Preferred Education, Experience, Certification/Licensure, Other • Master’s degree from an accredited educational institution and seven years of related experience; and/or equivalent combination of education and experience. Degree in Public Administration or Fire Science emphasis. • Oﬃcer I, Instructor II and Inspector I certiﬁcations. NFA Executive Fire Oﬃcer and CPC (Commission on Professional Credentialing) Chief Fire Oﬃcer Designation. Updated: August 2025 (Admin Review) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Ability to achieve goals, anticipate problems and barriers, and devise ways to work around or through them. • Ability to analyze, plan, and carry out long-term programs in Fire Department administration, training, suppression, emergency medical services, and ﬁre prevention. • Ability to be a motivator and leader to his/her staﬀ and be candid and willing to advise the City Council and City staﬀ in an honest and forthright fashion. • Ability to communicate eﬀectively and maintain working relationships with Battalion Chiefs, other City employees, supervisory personnel, state, and local elected oﬃcials, labor oﬃcials, professional consultants, and the public, both orally and in writing, using both technical and non-technical language • Ability to deﬁne problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. • Ability to demonstrate ingenuity and inventiveness in the performance of assigned tasks. • Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. • Ability to operate a computer using standard word processing, spreadsheet, database applications, and ﬁre service software appropriate to assigned duties and responsibilities. • Ability to participate in physical requirements, must be in good physical condition and participates in the department physical fitness program. • Ability to perform mathematical calculations in ﬁre prevention activities, code compliance, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume; ability to comprehend mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis. • Ability to plan, develop and evaluate purchasing speciﬁcations and contracts • Ability to plan, organize and manage ﬁre operational and administrative projects. • Ability to prepare accurate and reliable reports containing ﬁndings, conclusions, recommendations for a variety of reports containing ﬁre suppression terminology, purchasing proposals and speciﬁcations, and labor contract processes and terminology. • Ability to present well to a wide range of audiences and be comfortable in a highly engaged community with a high education level. • Ability to quickly learn and put to use new skills and knowledge brought about by rapidly changing information and/or technology. • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, speciﬁcations, and contracts; ability to read and analyze, and interpret common scientiﬁc and technical journals, ﬁnancial reports, and contracts. • Ability to reliably and predictably carry out duties. • Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. • Ability to train, assign, motivate, supervise, and evaluate the work of others. Updated: August 2025 (Admin Review) • Ability to value diversity, respect diﬀering views and opinions, understand the process of consensus-building, and be relied upon to provide his/her best professional recommendation at all times. • Knowledge at advanced level of current applicable federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations for emergency response management and operations. • Knowledge at advanced level of personnel principles and practices for collective bargaining and personnel grievance administration. • Knowledge at advanced level of station location principles, practices and techniques. • Knowledge at advanced level of the principles and practices of ﬁre department business management, including strategic planning, budgeting, personnel administration, accreditation, and homeland security initiatives. • Skill in ﬁre service management, policy-planning, goal-setting and employee supervision. • Skill in interacting well with other governing bodies and act in a positive fashion with the University and other local oﬃcials. • Skill in using computers and applicable software applications (Microsoft Oﬃce – Word, Excel, Outlook). Supervision Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of a department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include supervising subordinate supervisors and direct reports including interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; writing and delivering performance reviews; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems; and terminating employees. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Participates in the department physical fitness program. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties and responsibilities. Updated: August 2025 (Admin Review) While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to moving mechanical parts, high or precarious places, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, vibration, and traffic hazards. The employee is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions, dampness, direct sunlight, dust, pollen, insect stings, and animals. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. Employee may be exposed to dangerous situations, dangerous fumes while engaged in firefighting or cause determination activities, exposed to atmospheric conditions that affect the respiratory system, and use of Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus. Involves some exposure to stress due to the work environment and/or crisis situations. Iowa City is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. Reviewed/Approved by: Scott Lyon, Fire Chief (4/2024) I have read and understand the duties and requirements of this job description, and I agree that I can perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. Employee Date ________________________________ __________________