Providence, Rhode Island, Offers an Exciting
Opportunity to Become the City’s Next Fire Chief
THE COMMUNITY
The City of Providence is the capital of Rhode Island and the third largest
city in New England. Founded in 1636, Providence is one of the oldest
cities in the United States, rich in history, culture, and tradition. The City
combines the accessibility and friendliness of a small town with the culture
and sophistication of a large city. Providence occupies approximately
20 square miles with a population of over 178,000. The City has vibrant
and diverse neighborhoods, outstanding hotels, numerous historical
landmarks and universities, and a renowned restaurant scene.
Roger Williams, a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony,
founded Providence. He named the area in honor of “God’s merciful
Providence.” After becoming one of the first cities in the country to
industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware
industry. Today, the City of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven
institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city’s economy into
service industries.
Once nicknamed the “Beehive of Industry,” Providence began rebranding
itself as the “Creative Capital” in 2009 to emphasize its educational
resources and arts community. The Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory
Company and the Providence Performing Arts Center are not only historic
landmarks, but also feature Broadway musicals, children’s performances,
popular seasonal ballets, opera, plays and musical concerts. Students and
alumni of Brown University, Providence College and Rhode Island College
Providence combines
the accessibility and
friendliness of a small
town with the culture
and sophistication
of a large city.
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bring vitality to the city’s intellectual life. The famous Rhode Island School
of Design lends the city a hipster cool, with many young artists coming
to study and staying to begin their careers. The world’s largest culinary
educator, Johnson & Wales University, has had a tremendous impact on
Providence’s much-lauded restaurant scene.
Education is at the center of Providence’s historical
culture and plays a key role throughout New England.
The number of postsecondary students in the city is
approximately 44,000. This, combined with Brown
University being the second-largest employer in
the city, demonstrates that higher education exerts
a considerable presence in the city’s politics and
economy.
The flagship campuses of five of Rhode Island’s
colleges and universities are in Providence–Brown
University, an Ivy League university and one of nine colonial colleges in
the nation; Johnson & Wales University; Providence College; Rhode Island
College, the state’s oldest public college; and the Rhode Island School of
Design (RISD).
In addition, the Community College of Rhode Island (Downcity and Liston
campuses), Roger Williams University (Providence campus) and University
of Rhode Island (Providence campus) have satellite campuses in the city.
The Providence Public School District serves about 30,000 students from
pre-Kindergarten to grade 12. The district has 25 elementary schools, nine
middle schools, and thirteen high schools. The Providence Public School
District features magnet schools at the middle and high school level. The
State of Rhode Island operates two public schools in Providence—a public
high school that offers individualized curriculum and real world learning
to more than 800 students from around the state, and The Rhode
Island School for the Deaf, a critical, strategic and responsive
educational center with a commitment to educational excellence
for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
In addition to public schools, several private schools, public
charter schools and a private community preparatory school also
operate in the city.
The weather in Providence has no particular “rainy” or “dry”
season. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the
year with the first measurable snowfall of winter generally toward
the end of November, but may be as late as January. The month
with the heaviest snowfall is typically February. The average
temperature for the entire year is nearly 50 degrees, with April
through June, and September through mid-November being the
most delightfully moderate seasons. January and February are the
coldest months, with a mean temperature near 29 degrees, and
July and August are the warmest, with a mean close to 72 degrees.
Providence has vibrant and
diverse neighborhoods,
outstanding hotels, numerous
historical landmarks and
universities, and a renowned
restaurant scene.
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GOVERNANCE & ORGANIZATION
Providence’s city government has a Mayor-Council form of
government. Mayor Jorge O. Elorza, Providence’s 38th Mayor,
is the chief executive officer, centralizing executive power
and supervising, directing and controlling the activities of all
departments and agencies of city government to the extent and in
the manner provided by the city’s Home Rule Charter and by the
ordinances of the city, and the laws of the state. The mayor directs
the administrative structure, appointing and removing department
heads, preparing and implementing the city budget, declaring a
state of emergency and exercising veto power over council actions
conferred upon the mayor by the Charter.
The Providence City Council consists of 15 city councilors, one for
each of the city’s wards. The city council is vested with the legislative
powers of the City of Providence. Two major responsibilities of the
council are enacting ordinances necessary to ensure the welfare and
good order of the city, and adopting the city’s annual budget.
Providence’s Mayor Jorge O. Elorza
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT
The mission of the Providence Fire Department is to
provide for the protection of human life and property from
fire and other disasters, either natural or manmade, through
fire safety education, the development and enforcement of
fire codes, provision of emergency medical services and
suppression of fire.
Established in 1854, the Providence Fire Department is
the second oldest continuously operating professional fire
department in the country. The Department is a full-service
fire and emergency medical service agency that provides
basic and advanced life support, fire prevention, fire suppression,
technical rescue, and hazardous material response. In addition,
the Department conducts arson investigations and building plan
reviews, enforces state and local fire and life safety codes, and
administers public fire education programs.
In Omnia Paratus
In All Things Ready
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The Department is composed of 486 budgeted sworn
personnel and 22 civilian employees with an annual
budget of $74.3 million. From an operational standpoint,
Providence Fire consists of 7 Advanced Life Support
Rescue Companies, 14 Engine Companies, 8 Ladder
Companies, and 1 Special Hazard Unit, all strategically
located in Providence neighborhoods. The Department
is equipped to respond to all fire, medical emergency,
natural disaster, hazmat, and terroristic events that occur
within Providence and its surrounding communities.
Each year, Providence firefighters and emergency
medical technicians faithfully respond to over 40,000
emergency calls for service.
THE FIRE CHIEF
The Fire Chief reports to the Providence Public Safety
Commissioner and serves as the Fire Department’s Chief
Executive Officer and directs, through subordinates, all
departmental operations and activities and enforcement
of Fire Codes to ensure proper and efficient operation of
the department and protection of the lives and property
in the City of Providence. The Fire Chief is expected to
enforce all policies and effectuate directives of the Public
Safety Commissioner; plan the future direction of the
Department and manage it in accordance with the standards set forth by the National Fire Protection
Association; develop and implement a department-wide strategy using performance metrics to
assess staffing patterns, service demands, and equipment allocations; plan, coordinate, supervise, and
periodically evaluate fire and emergency medical service capability; and embrace new and innovative
means of providing all-hazards emergency preparedness, prevention, response and recovery.
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THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
standards and dedicated to achieving individual and
departmental goals, objectives and expectations.
1 The ideal candidate MUST share Mayor Elorza’s
commitment to build the new Providence—a city
that works for all of its residents; a city committed
to innovation; and a city that provides opportunity
for all.
4 The ideal candidate will be expected to implement
2 The ideal candidate must demonstrate superior
strategic planning, fiscal and budget management
and collaborative labor relations/collective bargaining
skills with an articulated vision and superior
leadership, management and decision-making skills.
A comprehensive understanding of all aspects of
incident management, fire prevention and education
programs, hazardous materials response, special
tactical response and EMS is required.
3 The ideal candidate must demonstrate strong
collaboration and relationship-building skills with
proven experience in working within all aspects of
the organization and within the community. The
Fire Chief must be committed to being an active
and visible member of the community, personally
taking part in civic activities and events, with the
skill to develop and promote effective stakeholder
partnerships. The ideal candidate is required to
possess advanced written and oral communication
skills, and be politically astute, without being
political. This individual must embrace transparency
and be able to adhere to the highest ethical and moral
innovative training, technologies, practices, public
fire education and fire prevention programs; oversee
the inspection of buildings and other properties
for potential fire hazards and enforce the Rhode
Island Fire Safety Code as well as applicable National
Fire Protection Association standards and City of
Providence fire prevention and life safety ordinances;
lead the Department to national accreditation
status in accordance with the standards set forth
by the Center for Public Safety Excellence; lead the
Department towards a Class I rating in accordance
with the standards set forth by the Insurance
Service Organization (ISO); manage and oversee the
Department’s recruitment, promotion, disciplinary
and grievance processes; interact with the public in
a professional, effective, and compassionate manner;
and, serve on the Mayor’s Emergency Advisory Board.
5 Th
e selected candidate must be available for full-
time duty within sixty (60) days of notification of
hire, and is expected to be available twenty-four (24)
hours per day, 365 days per year, with the exception
of scheduled vacation time and/or approved leaves of
absence. The selected candidate must live within 30
minutes of the City of Providence.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s Degree in fire science, public administration or related field with a Graduate Degree preferred
• Successful completion of a National Fire Academy sponsored or equivalent Executive Fire Officer Program and be
certified as a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence
• Twelve (12) years of progressively responsible supervisory experience in the fire service and a minimum of three (3)
years of command staff level management, financial, and administrative experience in a municipal fire department
• Experience in developing and maintaining positive management/labor working relationships based on mutual trust,
respect, and transparency
• Experience in developing and expanding working community partnerships
• Experience in formulating and managing department-wide personnel, training, facility, capital, and equipment budgets
• Experience in developing, maintaining, and expanding interagency cooperation agreements
• Experience leading a fire-based EMS delivery fire department
• Experience leading personnel and developing and utilizing comprehensive professional development approaches and
tools to develop future leaders
Or, ANY combination of education, management experience and training that clearly demonstrates the applicant’s ability
to excel in the functions of this position
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KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• In-depth knowledge of the nationally recognized standards, procedures, techniques, and equipment used in
modern fire suppression, fire prevention, emergency medical services, emergency management, and hazard
mitigation
• Familiarity or obtain familiarity with all applicable City of Providence and State of Rhode Island fire prevention
and life safety ordinances, statutes, and codes
• Possess and maintain all National Incident Management System certificates commensurate with the position of
Fire Chief
• Possess or obtain a Hazardous Materials Incident Commander Certification (OSHA 1910.120)
• Proven managerial skills to develop, execute, and operate within an approved budget
• Demonstrated experience in contract negotiations, grievance settlement, and rights/interest arbitration hearings • Sound ability to evaluate situations, make prudent decisions, and build consensus among management and
labor organizations
• Proficient ability to read, write, and speak the English language
• Possess personal integrity and the proven ability to provide effective leadership to build trust and confidence
throughout the Department and the Providence community
• Possess strong computer skills and an operational understanding of computerized information management
systems
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to assess emergency situations quickly and coordinate and manage an appropriate response
• Ability to conceptualize, develop, implement, and evaluate both short-and long-term strategic plans
• Ability to create and build effective working relationships with command staff, supervisory personnel, rank and
file firefighters, fire and civilian labor organizations, civilian staff, city officials, community and civic leaders,
news media, external public safety and community agencies • Possess or obtain a complete and thorough understanding of a fire-based emergency medical service delivery
system in accordance with the standards set forth by the Rhode Island Department of Health
• Must possess, or obtain by time of hire, a valid Rhode Island driver’s license
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The City of Providence is offering a competitive salary
commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance will be
provided for the successful candidate.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and
comprehensive resume to: [email protected]
Fire Chief search being conducted by