Fire Chief

The East Troy Area Emergency Services District seeks an experienced, approachable, and collaborative professional to serve as its next full-time Fire Chief. Located in Walworth County along the I-43 corridor southwest of Milwaukee, the Village of East Troy and the surrounding towns served by the District offer small-town charm, rural character and convenient regional access. The Village’s historic square, shops, restaurants, community events and electric railroad contribute to a distinctive downtown.

A business park, municipal airport, local schools and nearby lakes, parks and trails provide opportunities to live, work and enjoy southeastern Wisconsin.

The District provides fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services to the Village and Town of East Troy, and portions of Lafayette and Spring Prairie, and EMS to the Town of Troy. The Chief reports to the Joint Board and leads career, part-time, paid-on-call and volunteer personnel as one cohesive organization. Authority is exercised within the District’s governing agreement, adopted policies and Board direction.

This is a working chief position combining strong financial, personnel and administrative management with operational credibility and visible participation. The Chief responds to fire and EMS incidents, performs incident command or qualified crew assignments, operates authorized apparatus and provides patient care within current credentials and District authorization. Emergency participation must be balanced with timely completion of management responsibilities.

The next Chief will strengthen trust, morale, internal communication, recruitment and retention; apply fair and consistent personnel standards; develop officers and members; and establish clear expectations and accountability. Priorities include reviewing operating procedures, training, staffing and deployment; maintaining safe and reliable emergency coverage; and developing measurable goals with regular reports to the Joint Board.

The Chief will prepare and administer operating and capital budgets, oversee EMS billing and financial performance, develop long-range apparatus and facility plans, and ensure accurate records and regulatory compliance. Additional responsibilities include prevention and inspection programs, emergency preparedness, community engagement and cooperation with neighboring agencies. The Chief will evaluate regional cooperation and potential service integration and implement changes approved by the Board.

The District seeks an honest, consistent and decisive leader who listens, communicates clearly, resolves conflict and builds cooperation across personnel groups. Candidates should demonstrate sound emergency judgment, budgeting and analytical ability, effective personnel management and productive relationships with governing officials and municipal partners. Experience leading organizational improvements, regional cooperation, consolidation or service integration is strongly preferred.

• High school diploma or equivalent with substantial fire/EMS and management training. An associate or bachelor’s degree in a related field is preferred, but not required.
• Normally ten years of progressively responsible fire service experience, including five years in supervisory, command or management roles. Equivalent combinations of education, training and relevant career, combination, paid-on-call or volunteer leadership experience may be considered. Experience with combination departments and varied staffing arrangements is preferred. Candidates must demonstrate practical experience and competence in EMS operations, apparatus operation, incident command, personnel…