FIRE BATTALION CHIEF

Minimum Qualifications:
Associate’s degree in Fire Science or related field from an accredited institution; supplemented by five (5) years of progressively responsible fire service experience as a paid firefighter to include three (3) years of supervisory experience at the Battalion Chief level or above within a municipal city/county fire department; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.  

Preferred: One year of active experience as a Chief Officer at a municipal city/county fire department within the last three (3) years. Additionally, experience in Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) and as a Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Technician is highly desirable. 

Specific License or Certification Required: Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver’s license or obtain within 30 days of employment. Must hold a Certified Firefighter status in the State of Georgia and possess National Board of Fire Service Professional Qualifications (Pro Board or IFSAC – NPQ Firefighter I and NPQ Firefighter II). Must possess a State of Georgia Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or National Registry Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) certification. Must possess Incident Command System (ICS) courses 100, 200, 700, and 800. Must obtain the following certifications within twelve (12) months of hire: ICS courses G191, 300, and 400; Fire Officer III certification as outlined in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1021 Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications; and Basic Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) certification.

Preferred certifications: Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Executive Fire Officer (EFO); EMT-Paramedic; Hazardous Materials (HazMat) Technician, State of Georgia, or National Registry Paramedic certification.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

 Necessary Special Requirements:

• A comprehensive background investigation is required, including a local, state, and federal criminal history check, financial background check, and sex offender registry check.
• Satisfactory results from a high-risk medical evaluation and pre-employment substance abuse testing are required, with the possibility of random controlled substance testing.
• Must meet minimum physical agility requirements established by the Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training Council and minimum medical fitness requirements of NFPA 1582, Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments.

Veterans’ Preference:

Qualifying veterans will be given preference in the form of a guaranteed invitation to interview for any position to which they applied and have been found to have met the minimum qualifications. Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only. To see the full Fulton County Veterans’ Preference Policy and Procedure, please click here

EXAMINATION:
The examination will consist of a review of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application.  Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as eligible. If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.  

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN FULL BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED. PLEASE REVIEW ALL APPLICATIONS FOR ACCURACY AND MAKE ALL CORRECTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTAL BECAUSE ERRORS CAN RESULT IN NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER ALLOCATIONS ARE RECEIVED BY THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT. Purpose of Classification:

The purpose of this classification is to provide managerial oversight for the day-to-day operations of the Fire Division within the Emergency Management Department of Fulton County. This is the fourth level within a five- level fire classification series, which encompasses response to emergency calls, operation of fire apparatus and equipment, fire suppression, rescue operations, provision of emergency medical treatment, and other related firefighting activities. The Fire Battalion Chief position is distinguished from the Fire Division Chief in that the former is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the fire division within the Emergency Management Department, whereas the latter is responsible for planning and programming of duties related to directing the operations and activities of the fire division within the Emergency Management Department.

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Essential Functions: 
The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Supervises, directs, and evaluates assigned staff, developing and overseeing employee work schedules to ensure adequate coverage and control; reviews and approves timesheets; approves and processes employee concerns/ problems, and counsels or disciplines as appropriate; assists with or completes employee performance appraisals, directs work, acts as a liaison between employees and management, observes/evaluate performance; and trains staff in operations and reviews training levels.

Organizes, prioritizes, and assigns work activities in order to meet objectives; ensures that subordinates have the proper resources needed to complete the assigned work; monitors  the status of work in progress and inspects completed work; consults with assigned staff to assist with complex/problem situations and provide technical expertise; provides progress and activity reports to management; and assists with the revision of procedure manuals as appropriate.

Supervises activities of the Fire Division, including firefighting operations, technical rescue, hazardous materials incidents, emergency medical operations, natural disasters, and other emergency incidents; assigns vehicles and equipment to personnel; ensures personnel receive adequate training; ensures personnel maintains adequate level of physical fitness to perform job duties; and ensures that equipment is properly maintained for response to emergency calls.

Consults with County executives, the Fire Division Chief, supervisory personnel, other public safety agencies, and other officials to gather/ exchange information, review operations/activities, review/resolve problems, receive advice/direction, and provide recommendations; communicates directly with the Fire Division Chief, as required, on matters involving strategic decisions, operational oversight, or policy implementation.

Formulates and develops work methods and practices, policies, standard operating procedures, training programs, and general orders; implements departmental rules and regulations; and maintains current manuals, policies, procedures, bulletins, and map books for training, reference, and review.

Ensures the Fire Division’s compliance with all applicable codes, laws, rules, regulations, standards,  policies, and procedures; ensures adherence to established safety procedures; monitors work environment and use of safety equipment to ensure safety of employees and other individuals; initiates any actions necessary to correct deviations or violations.

Performs incident command functions at fire and emergency scenes; responds to calls involving fire, hazardous materials, natural and man-made disasters, aircraft emergencies, evacuation and/or sheltering, rescue, and other critical incidents; assumes incident command of fire/emergency scenes until relieved by commanding officer; assesses and evaluates on scene conditions; determines strategy and tactics; provides direction and coordination of manpower and resources; directs firefighting and/or rescue activities;  ensures utilization of proper methods to suppress/control fires and preserve evidence; and supervises fire communications.

Conduct station visits to inspect/review equipment, apparatus, protective clothing, and facilities; oversees general maintenance work necessary to keep vehicles, buildings, quarters, hydrants, apparatus, equipment, and tools in operable condition; ensures station and personnel maintain a state of readiness/preparation for emergency response; and maintains related documentation.

Maintains a comprehensive, current knowledge and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; maintains an awareness of new equipment, procedures, trends, and advances in the profession; participates in and conducts physical fitness training, training drills, and other continuing education activities; and attends shift meetings, workshops, and seminars as appropriate.

PerformsadministrativefunctionsassociatedwithFireDivisionoperations;reviewsincidentreports,patientcare reports, computer data input, and other documentation prepared by staff members; reviews/investigates all accidents and damage to Fire Division vehicles/equipment; and prepares, maintains, and submits associated reports and records.

Assists with the development and administration of the annual Fire Division budget, monitoring expenditures to ensure compliance with the approved budget.

Processes a variety of documentation associated with Fire Division operations within designated timeframes and per established procedures; receives and reviews various documentation, including general orders, inspection forms, incident reports, disciplinary forms, and employee grievance forms; reviews, completes,

and processes, forwards, or retains as appropriate; prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondences, and other documentations, including performance appraisals, staffing reports, training documentation, general orders, and disciplinary actions; compiles data for further processing or for use in the preparation of Fire Division reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records.

Operates or uses various equipment, power tools, hand tools, and supplies in order to complete work assignments; operates and maintains a command vehicle, communication equipment, medical equipment, and other power or motorized equipment; operates a personal computer to enter, retrieve, review or modify data, utilizing word processing, spreadsheet, Internet, e-mail, or other software; and operates general office or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions.

Communicates with supervisor, subordinates, other employees, law enforcement, airport personnel, other public safety agencies, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review work status, exchange information, or resolve problems.

Ensures compliance with the Airport Emergency Plan (AEP) and airport safety matters as outlined in Federal Air Regulations (FAR) Part 139.

Additional Functions:
Performs the duty of the Fire Division Chief in his/her absence as required.
Performs other related duties as required.

For Applicants With Prior Military Service: We strongly encourage veterans, prior military and transitioning service members to apply. Many of the competencies and transferable skills developed through military service directly support success in this role, including:

• Leadership Under Pressure – Experience leading personnel, making critical decisions, and maintaining accountability during emergency and high-risk operations.
• Incident Command & Operational Management – Proven ability to plan, coordinate, and oversee complex missions while effectively managing personnel and resources.
• Emergency Response & Crisis Management – Skilled in assessing rapidly evolving situations, prioritizing actions, and implementing effective response strategies.
• Team Leadership & Communication – Strong experience building cohesive teams, mentoring personnel, and communicating effectively across multiple agencies and stakeholders.
• Safety & Risk Management – Commitment to enforcing safety protocols, identifying hazards, mitigating risk, and protecting personnel and the public.
• Technical & Tactical Proficiency – Experience operating specialized equipment, utilizing emergency response technologies, and applying standard operating procedures in dynamic environments.
• Strategic Planning & Resource Coordination – Ability to allocate personnel and equipment, manage logistics, and ensure operational readiness during routine and emergency incidents.

Performance Aptitudes:
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to coordinate, manage, and/or correlate data.  Includes exercising judgment in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations, referencing data analyses to determine necessity for revision of organizational components, and in the formulation of operational strategy.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to work with others to coordinate the more complex programs and more complex problems associated with the responsibilities of the job. Often represents the department and/or organization when dealing with others. Requires the ability to act as a first-line supervisor, including instructing, assigning and reviewing work, maintaining standards, coordinating activities, and evaluating employee job performance.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference and descriptive data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform moderately complex algebraic and geometric operations; ability to utilize principles of basic probability and statistical inference.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to resolve problems.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving broader aspects of organizational programs and operations, moderately unstable situations, or the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.

Other Requirements:

Physical Ability: Tasks require the ability to exert heavy physical effort in heavy work, with greater emphasis on climbing and balancing, but typically also involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of moderately heavy objects and materials (20-50 pounds); may occasionally involve heavier objects and materials (up to 100 pounds).

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, odor, depth, texture, and visual cues or signals.  Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, fumes, smoke, temperature and noise extremes, hazardous materials, fire, unsafe structures, heights, confined spaces, machinery, vibrations, traffic hazards, bright/dim lights, toxic agents, explosives, disease, pathogenic substances, or rude/irate customers.    

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, genetics, age, disability or sexual orientation