Deputy Fire Chief - Fire Prevention

Deputy Fire Chief - Fire Prevention Recruitment

The Kirkland Fire Department is seeking to hire a Deputy Fire Chief - Fire Prevention!

Ranked as one of the most livable cities in America, Kirkland is an attractive and inviting place to live, work, and visit. We have a big‑city vision while maintaining a small‑town, community feel. If you are a candidate with the desire to join an organization looking to innovate into the future, the City of Kirkland is the place for you.

We also invest in you!

We strive to maintain competitive compensation packages and work to provide wages that meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our employees.

The City offers benefits that are unmatched by most other employers. Please click on the benefits tab above to view more details.

To help address the challenge of finding reliable childcare, the City of Kirkland reserves spots for City employees at local and regional providers, available at a discount. New employees gain access to Kirkland’s reserved spots as soon as they start employment. Learn more!

The City of Kirkland believes in developing its employees. You will have access to training opportunities designed for career development and advancement based on your position, skills, and interests.

Kirkland is seeking an experienced and knowledgeable individual to serve in the newly created position of Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention. The Deputy Chief is a civil service covered employee, reporting to the Fire Chief. The ideal candidate is a skilled leader with excellent oral and written communication skills. Knowledge of and experience in the application of International Fire Code (IFC), code enforcement, inspection programs, plans review and permitting, fire investigations, community risk reduction, and public education.

Experience working in the Northwest or similar labor climate is preferred. Familiarity with the code and policy issues associated with a similar sized City is preferred.

The Deputy Chief will provide high‑level management and maintain open lines of communication with the various functional units within the Fire Department and other City Departments. The ideal candidate will demonstrate support for other employees, which include uniformed staff and office staff. Important management attributes include the ability to make timely and informed decisions, skill in delegating assignments, approachableness, excellent customer service and maintaining accountability.

The Kirkland Fire Department has an excellent relationship with the Kirkland community, and this individual will be expected to maintain and advance that positive relationship. This individual should be an effective writer and presenter, and be comfortable speaking to various groups, elected officials, neighborhood/community groups, and the media.

The City of Kirkland provides an exceptional work environment that is marked by employee excellence, outstanding customer service and high levels of citizen satisfaction. The Kirkland community is a livable, walkable, sustainable and safe community. The successful candidate will bring a can‑do attitude, excellent communication skills, and an appropriate sense of humor.

• May serve as the Fire Chief in their absence.
• Attends meetings, training sessions, and other functions as applicable to keep abreast of modern fire service methods, techniques, and administrative procedures.
• Maintains availability to respond to large‑scale incidents to support field command at extended operations.
• Performs functions as assigned in the City’s emergency response plan in the event of an emergency.
• Responsible for developing measurable implementation plans that achieve the City’s initiatives in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Roadmap.

• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Knowledge of public disclosure laws, records management, project management, and grant writing.
• Knowledge of various forms of Fire/EMS related technologies.
• Skilled in public relations, negotiations, labor relations,…