Fire Battalion Chief (Promotional)

ONLINE APPLICATIONS ONLY

 

THE AGENCY

THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT (ACFD) provides all-risk emergency services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County (excluding Fairview), the cities of San Leandro, Dublin, Newark, Union City, Emeryville, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. With 28 fire stations and 34 companies serving a population of 394,000, the ACFD serves densely populated urban areas, waterways, industrialized centers, extensive urban interface, agricultural and wildland regions. Over 400 personnel and 100 Reserve Firefighters provide a wide variety of services to an ever expanding, dynamic and diverse community of roughly 508 square miles. These services include:

• Advanced Life Support
• Fire Suppression
• Hazardous Materials Response
• Urban Search & Rescue
• Water Rescue
• Community Outreach & Education
• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Prevention and Code Compliance
• Regional Dispatch

The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was formed on July 1, 1993 as a dependent special district with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors as its governing body. This consolidation brought together into a single jurisdiction the Castro Valley Fire Department, Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District and County Fire Patrol.

Subsequently, the following communities have contracted with the ACFD:

• July 1, 1995 City of San Leandro
• July 1, 1997 City of Dublin
• August 1, 2002 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• October 1, 2007 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• May 1, 2010 City of Newark
• July 1, 2010 City of Union City
• July 1, 2012 City of Emeryville

On January 20, 2008, the ACFD became responsible for the administration and operation of the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center (ACRECC). The dispatch center provides dispatch and regional communication center services for the ACFD, the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Camp Parks Combat Support Training Center, and the cities of Alameda, Fremont, Livermore and Pleasanton. ACRECC is also the Dispatch/System Status Management Center for Alameda County ambulance service.

THE POSITION

Under general direction, assigned as a shift commander over all fire stations in the battalion/district, responsible for fire suppression and the supervision of district station operations while on duty; and, performs other related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

Fire Battalion Chief is a safety classification located in the Alameda County Fire Department. This classification serves a one-year probationary period. This classification is distinguished from that of the next higher-level classification of Division Chief in that the latter has overall division program/project and/or shift responsibility, may supervise Fire Department Battalion Chiefs, and manages multiple complex programs. It is further distinguished from the class of Fire Captain in that the latter typically has shift responsibility for a station, which includes the supervision of Fire Engineers and Firefighters.

Please CLICK HERE for the full job description.

NOTE: The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

1. Responds to all structural fires and emergencies (e.g., mass casualty incidents, vehicle accidents, and hazmat), develops incident strategies, and assumes the role of incident commander.

2. Conducts preliminary investigations of fire cause and origin; preserves evidence and notifies proper authorities.

3. Ensures that notification to other agencies is provided, including but not limited to OSHA, Adult Protective Services, and Child Protective Services, as required by local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and laws.

4. Conducts investigations of public complaints (e.g. vehicle accidents/property damage) and prepares findings and recommendations.

5. Ensures that reporting personnel adhere to the ACFD rules, regulations, expectations, and safe work practices.

6. Monitors, supervises, and evaluates assigned personnel; provides mentoring for workforce development; provides training and professional development; conducts employee investigations and prepares Training Advice Memorandums; and, implements discipline as necessary.

7. Ensures assigned Fire Captains are current with the completion of all required reports (e.g., PCR, company inspections, training, and evaluations).

8. Establishes an accurate daily roster of all reporting personnel by updating Telestaff personnel and Sit/Stat on a daily basis.

9. Processes personnel transactions (e.g., workers’ compensation claims, family medical leave requests, vacation requests, and grievances) and conducts investigations, if needed, in a timely manner.

10. Manages employee work-related issues/problems; facilitates problem-solving and collaboration amongst assigned personnel.

11. Reviews and explains new/revised policies, procedures, and information to assigned personnel.

12. Works within approved budget and develops and implements cost-saving measures and improvements.

13. Participates in departmental meetings and committees, and makes public presentations as needed.

14. Prepares a variety of correspondence, reports, documents, policies, procedures, and other written materials.

15. Assigned as a manager of, and leads, conducts or participates in, special projects as assigned by the Fire Chief.

Experience:

The equivalent of two years of full-time paid experience as a Fire Captain in the Alameda County Fire Department.

Must be in possession of a valid California driver’s license, either Commercial or Class C, with the Firefighter Endorsement.

AND

Education:

Completion, by date of application close, of the following prerequisite training courses:

• Command 2A
• Command 2B
• Command 2C
• Command 2D
• Command 2E
• Management 2A
• Management 2B
• Management 2C
• Management 2D
• Management 2E
• ICS400

OR

• Chief Fire Officer 3A: Human Resources Management
• Chief Fire Officer 3B: Budget and Fiscal Responsibilities
• Chief Fire Officer 3C: General Administration Functions
• Chief Fire Officer 3D: Emergency Service Delivery Responsibilities
• ICS300

OR

• CSFM Chief Officer Certification


Special Requirements:

• Is subject to emergency recall while off duty

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Modern fire prevention practices and techniques
• Principles and practices of supervision
• Training practices and techniques
• Laws, ordinances, and regulations which govern the fire department
• Principles, practices, procedures and equipment used in fighting fires and in saving lives and property
• The operation and maintenance of fire and rescue apparatus and equipment
• Principles of hydraulics, chemistry, and physics as related to fire service
• Arson investigation
• Modern administrative, project management and budgetary principles and techniques
• Hazardous and flammable materials
• Effective methods of crowd control, building evacuation techniques and traffic rules
• State and Federal mutual aid systems


Ability to:

• Effectively convey Department philosophy, messages, and rationale to employees
• Direct and train subordinates
• Prepare clear and concise reports
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Recognize and appraise fire hazards
• Manage time in an effective manner
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees and the public
• Plan, organize, and implement effectively
• Perform analysis and problem solving
• Exercise sound judgment and make decisions
• Demonstrate management control
• Demonstrate flexibility
• Adapt to stress
• Work effectively with a diverse population
• Demonstrate interpersonal sensitivity

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps:

1) A review of candidates' applications to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.

2) An assessment center examination will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score and may consist of:

1. A tactical exercise, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score

2. An administrative exercise, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score

3. An administrative/presentation exercise, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score, and

4. An oral board interview, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score.

*A written situational exercise will be included in the assessment testing and will be part of the components stated percentage.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

PLEASE NOTE:
Competitors must achieve at least 70% in each of the assessment test components individually listed above in order to obtain an overall qualifying score in the entire examination process.

Competitors who score 70% or above in the entire process will have their names placed on the eligible list in order of final ranking.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components. Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statues. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date for filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

*** For benefit information, please refer to the recruitment brochure.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received, or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the bulletin for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Debra Robinson-Harris, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Debra.Robinson@acgov.org
(510) 272-6437

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.