Assistant Fire Chief

The City of Lakeville is seeking an Assistant Fire Chief to serve as a key leader in our Fire Department. This is a high-impact role for someone who can balance the big picture of city strategy with the day-to-day of fire operations.

The Assistant Fire Chief provides high-level administrative and operational leadership under the general direction of the Fire Chief. This role is responsible for overseeing departmental training, managing personnel and staffing, and assisting with complex budget preparation. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader who balances strategic long-term planning with active emergency response, ensuring the department meets all safety regulations while providing exceptional service to the community.

Applications must be received by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

First round interviews tentatively scheduled the week of February 2, 2026.

Second round interviews tentatively scheduled the week of February 9, 2026.

Timeline may be subject to change.

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• Plan, direct and evaluate the training and certification programs to ensure quality programs. Recommend and implement strategic goals and objectives including innovative ideas for improving and expanding service delivery.
• Assist with the preparation of operating, capital improvement and capital equipment budgets for the Fire Department. This includes construction and maintenance projects as well as equipment replacement and acquisition.
• Effectively supervise department operations as directed by the Chief ensuring conformance to established rules and regulations of the Fire Department and the City.
  • Directly supervise the duty crew operations.
  • Provide leadership/coaching and provide on‑going review and feedback concerning department goals, projects and priorities; and recommending employee discipline actions, if necessary, to the Fire Chief.
  • Oversee the scheduling and assignments to assure the best possible deployment of available equipment, materials and personnel.
• Evaluate ongoing personnel job assignments, programs, procedures and operations to identify potential improvements to operational performance goals and objectives and make recommendations to the Chief as appropriate.
• Participate in recruitment and retention efforts to ensure quality personnel. Serve as a mentor to department officers and firefighters by being a role model and ensuring the professional development of staff.
• Prepare and review Fire Department correspondence, reports, and records and take appropriate action to ensure quality customer service standards are maintained.
• Work with the Fire Chief to develop priorities for new and existing activities of the Fire Department; recommend strategic goals and objections with emphasis on providing quality service to meet citizen needs.
• Ensure Fire Department’s conformance with all state and federal statutes and regulations.
• Represent the City, as directed, to the public, media, and other government agencies.

• Is under the general direction of the Fire Chief.
• Keeps the chain of command informed of all department activities.
• Must be able to develop effective communication channels within the Fire Department to ensure a clear understanding and interpretation of departmental policies, practices and standards.
• Works cooperatively and collaboratively with other city departments.
• Involves considerable interaction with the public and maintains a customer service orientation.

• Subject to a variety of schedules which include a standard eight‑hour workday plus regularly responding emergency incidents and a variety of meetings of committees: i.e. City Council (monthly), commissions, public events and neighborhood groups held during the evenings and on weekends.

• Demonstrate effective public speaking skills, involvement in development of citizen services, and fire prevention programs.
• Have a solid administrative background, including budget analysis, preparation and presentation.
• Demonstrate experience in all phases of personnel management, including employee selection and termination, with an emphasis on employee…