City of Greensboro, North Carolina

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Fire Chief
City of Greensboro,
North Carolina
To be considered, please visit the City of Greensboro’s
website and our jobs page to learn more about the
position, to complete an application and to submit a
cover letter, résumé with salary history and five (5)
professional references.
Application Deadline: November 11, 2015
The City of Greensboro
Situated in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, Greensboro is a growing, vibrant city with
numerous opportunities and challenges. The third largest city in the state of North Carolina,
Greensboro encompasses 133 square miles of land area and has a population of over 282,000,
according to the U.S. Census Bureau 2014
estimate. The City has seen a 25 percent increase in
population since 2000. In addition, the City has a
growingly more diverse population, with
distribution ratios indicating the racial make-up of
the city to be approximately 48 percent white, 40.6
percent black, 7.5 percent Hispanic, 4.0 percent
Asian and 2.6 percent multi-racial.
Playing a significant role throughout American
history, the area was first inhabited by American
Indians and later settled by the English, receiving
its name from Nathanael Greene, a General in the
Revolutionary War who led American forces in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781. In the
early 1800s, the area was first mapped out as a 42-acre plot and elected officials paid $98 for the
land, naming it “Greensborough”. Through the industrial era and well into the 1900s, the City
thrived as a “textile town” that was filled with various mills and factories, and once was home to
the largest producer of denim – Cone Mills. Today, the area is a thriving “chosen center” for
educational and economic opportunities and remains a prosperous urban location. Greensboro
offers a unique geographical setting that provides the best of downtown living and quaint
suburban neighborhoods –with settings that appeal to all.
Local Economy
The economy in Greensboro is driven by the numerous corporate citizens that choose to call the
City home. Some of the world’s largest companies have a presence in Greensboro, with Fortune
500 organizations such as Citigroup, Procter & Gamble, UPS, AT&T and UnitedHealth Group
finding success and having deep roots in the area. In addition, the City is corporate headquarters
for VF Corporation, a Fortune 500 leader in apparel; Qorvo, the nation’s largest manufacturer of
amplifier chips and integrated circuits for wireless
communications; Honda Aircraft Company, which placed
its world manufacturing hub for its HondaJet in
Greensboro; and HAECO Americas, the nation’s largest
independent third-party aircraft maintenance, repair and
overhaul provider. Worldwide companies such as UPS
and FedEx house significant facilities that employ over
4,000 employees within the city as well.
Life sciences are also developing a strong base in
Greensboro due to the city’s location in relation to major
research universities and medical facilities. In 2015, the
City of Greensboro was rated one of the Top 10 Best cities
for Job Seekers nationally by nerdwallet.com as well.
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
Educational Opportunities
School age children in the City of Greensboro attend Guilford County Schools (GCS), which serve
over 72,300 students across 127 school locations. The GCS system is nationally recognized as a
leader in public education, being named a 2013 National District of Character and earning the
2013 and 2014 United Way Spirit of North Carolina Award, among several notable
accomplishments. In 2013, GCS reported an on-time graduation rate of 89.3%, the highest it has
ever been. Meanwhile, GCS has also recently been recognized for individual employee
accomplishment with the 2013 North Carolina Teacher of the Year and the 2012 North Carolina
Principal of the Year.
A wide range of higher education opportunities exist in the City, with five colleges and
universities, a growing two-year community college, a law school and a collaborative joint college
campus operated by two Greensboro universities. Institutions located in the City include the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, an internationally renowned research university;
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro College, Guilford College
and Bennett College for Women, a small, private, historically black liberal arts college for women.
In addition, Guilford Technical Community College offers an extensive selection of associate
degree and certificate programs and is fully accredited by the State of North Carolina.
The Early College at Guilford is unique to the area. This institution selects 100 talented students
who are high school juniors and seniors and provides them the opportunity to earn high school
and college credits concurrently. This one-of-a-kind program has been ranked a top U.S. high
school by US News and Newsweek magazines and has seen great success in the area.
Medical Care
City residents are served by the nationally recognized Moses Cone Health System, which provides
patients access to world-class medical care through all stages of life. In addition, the City also has
five additional hospitals, two medical centers, three urgent care centers and 55 physician practice
sites.
Recreation, Leisure and Entertainment
The City offers over 90 acres of trails and greenways that residents have access to in addition to
six major parks and numerous neighborhood parks. For water activities, three lakes are located
nearby (Higgins, Brandt and Townsend) and offer boating, fishing and paddling excursions.
Center City Park is located nearly in the center of downtown and offers a scenic location for
residents to enjoy grassy spaces, beautiful landscaping and other amenities.
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
Additionally, NewBridge Bank Park is home to the
Greensboro Grasshoppers, a single-A affiliate of the
Miami Marlins, and is a popular attraction for
residents and visitors, with the team consistently
setting records for minor league attendance. The
Greensboro Coliseum has also hosted events such
as the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments, and
the US Figure Skating Championships while the
city is also home to the PGA Tour’s Wyndham
Championship.
Downtown Greensboro serves as a popular urban center in the region, offering a wide range of
activities in an effort to be a prominent location for commerce, culture and connectivity. Nearly
$350 million in new investment, including LeBauer Park, the Tanger Center for the Performing
Arts, Union Square Campus is planned for the downtown area over the next several years.
Throughout downtown Greensboro nearly every quadrant boasts a strong selection of new
restaurants, galleries, pubs, and taverns in addition to museums, elegant architecture and a
growing residential presence.
Transportation
Greensboro has the advantage of being situated in a prime geographic location and supported by
key transportation infrastructure which enhances the City’s position. Interstates 85 and 40
provide ease of access to major markets nearby as well as Interstates 77 and 95. Piedmont Triad
International Airport (GSO), located in the City, links the area to the rest of the world, offering
over 60 domestic direct flights daily and many connecting domestic and international flights as
well.
City of Greensboro Government
Greensboro is governed under the council-manager form of government, with the council serving
as the legislative body of City government. City council is comprised of a mayor and eight council
members who serve two year terms. The mayor and three council members are elected at-large
and the remaining five council members are elected from districts, with elections being held on
odd years. The council is responsible for setting and directing policy regarding operations of City
government as well as approving the City’s budget. The city manager serves as the chief executive
officer of the City and is responsible for the execution of council policy and for the management
of day to day operations of City government. The City holds a “Aaa” bond rating by Moody’s, a
“AAA” rating by Standard & Poor’s and a “AAA” rating by Fitch, a coveted honor which few
entities throughout the nation possess. For fiscal year 2015-2016, the City operates with a budget
of $488 million.
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
The City of Greensboro Fire Department
Mission: “To protect life, property and the environment for all people
entrusted to our care.”
The City operates a full service fire department
that provides comprehensive fire protection,
emergency medical first responder, hazardous
materials and technical rescue services as well as
being responsible for enforcing state fire codes,
conducting fire investigations and providing
public fire injury prevention education programs
for at-risk groups and businesses. The
department follows a set of four operating
priorities for which it aims to provide: Safety,
Courtesy, Excellent Service and Continuous
Improvement.
Greensboro’s fire department operates as a nationally acclaimed organization and has been
recognized as a Nationally Accredited Agency by the Commission on Fire Accreditation
International. The Department is rated Class 1 by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) as well and
houses one of just seven Governor-appointed Regional Response Hazardous Materials Teams,
responsible for managing hazardous material accidents for 14 neighboring counties in the area.
In total, Greensboro houses 25 fire stations, 24
engine companies and 11 ladder companies. In
fiscal year 2014-2015, the department responded to
over 33,000 calls, including over 1,000 fires and
22,000 emergency medical calls. The department
employs approximately 575 personnel and is
operating with a fiscal year 2015-2016 budget of
$44 million.
The Fire Chief’s Position
Greensboro’s fire chief, appointed by and under the direction of the assistant city manager for
public safety, is responsible for all aspects of fire and related emergency service operations in the
city and its designated service area. The primary responsibility of the chief is to assure that the
department’s current high level of service and professionalism is maintained and improved. The
chief provides executive level leadership and is responsible for planning, directing and managing
all programs and functions of the department including but not limited to: personnel, vehicle and
equipment maintenance, safety and training, emergency response in all designated service areas,
records and reporting requirements, program development and planning and budgeting. The fire
chief also plans, evaluates, recommends, implements, controls and directs the fire and emergency
service functions of the department under the broad direction provided by applicable laws,
policies, ordinances, rules and regulations adopted by the City, the State or other authorities.
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
Education and Experience Necessary to Qualify
Candidates for Greensboro’s fire chief must possess a bachelor’s degree and ten or more years of
progressively responsible experience in senior level fire command positions equivalent to a fire
chief or a top deputy/assistant chief. An equivalent combination of education and experience will
be considered. A demonstrated progressive record of strong professional, executive and
administrative leadership is an important consideration. It is preferred that candidates
demonstrate past experience in a department serving a population in excess of 100,000
residents, which includes a successful record of collaborative team building with other City
departments, including successfully managing diversified recruitment and promotion, planning
for growth in services and service demand, capital planning and project management, training
and certifications, general management, finance and human resources related to fire services.
Experience in fire suppression, basic fire prevention, fire investigations, emergency medical
services, safety and training, hazardous materials, management information systems, emergency
response planning and exercises, and outreach and development of high performance functions
of a comparable department is a significant consideration. Designation as a Chief Fire Officer
(CFO) and/or Executive Fire Officer (EFO) are desirable.
Major duties of the position include:
 Building a strong department built upon a vision for the future and well-thought out,
participatory strategic plans
 Leading, planning, organizing, evaluating, and coordinating the development and
implementation of policies and procedures in accordance with applicable laws and
ordinances
 Assuring personal and departmental compliance with all applicable laws, ordinances,
certifications, regulations, and standards of good business practice in all department
activities and endeavors
 Leading, planning, organizing, evaluating, directing and coordinating the work of
subordinate personnel in conducting fire and related emergency service functions in
collaboration and cooperation with other City departments and neighboring communities.
Responding to emergency incidents and assuming direct command of large scale
operations
 Managing the recruitment, training and certification functions of the department
 Providing for accurate record keeping and ensuring training, safety, certification, incident
and other necessary records and reports are up complete and up to date
 Preparing and supervising development and management of the department’s annual
budget
 Researching and developing recommendations and implementing approved operational
policies, expenditures, plans and administrative matters as they effect the operation of the
department
 Providing oral and written presentations on behalf of the department to the city manager,
the city council, residents, public and private agencies, community groups, and the media
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
 Coordinating with appropriate internal and external agencies to develop strong mutual aid
agreements and ensures mitigation of emergency incidents
 Planning for long-term department staffing, program, training, equipment and facility
demands
 Engaging and interacting with department staff through staff meetings and visits to
various fire stations
 Supervising the City’s fire inspection and related fire safety programs
 Ensuring that all work is performed in accordance with OSHA and City safety standards
and policies
Candidates Should Possess a Wide Range of Qualities, Skills and Abilities which
include, but are not limited to, being:
 A strong leader who ‘leads from the front,’ demonstrates pride in the department and City
and who is ethical, honest, trustworthy, down to earth, open minded to new ideas, and
candid
 Engaged and passionate about fire and emergency medical services and the department’s
employees while also recognizing and effectively balancing his/her role as a member of the
City's executive leadership team
 A self starter, good listener, innovator, hard working, producer who is engaged and visible
with staff and in the community
 A team oriented visionary with the ability to understand the “big picture” related to fire,
emergency medical services, emergency management, and other City issues
 A steward of public resources who is mindful of fiscal constraints, adept at working
collaboratively with peers within and outside the department, and creative in using
available resources while seeking greater efficiencies in operations
 Mature and self confident
 An excellent communicator with the ability to relate to a wide variety of people throughout
the City
 Tactful, discrete, diplomatic and decisive
 Highly responsive, team and service oriented
 Strong and firm in dealing with all individuals
 A developer and mentor of staff who is familiar with succession planning
 Able to leverage local, regional and state relationships to the City’s advantage
 Successful in navigating difficult issues in a political environment in an apolitical manner
 A leader who builds and maintains diversity
For more information on the City of Greensboro Fire Department, please visit the Fire
department webpage
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief
City of Greensboro Fire Department Organizational Chart
Compensation and Benefits
The salary for the position is negotiable within a range of $119,972 - $148,280, dependent upon
the candidate’s qualifications and experience. The full salary range for this position is $101,100 $168,500. Benefits include, but are not limited to, participation in the North Carolina Retirement
System, vacation and sick leave, medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition reimbursement,
professional dues and conference expenses. Relocation expenses may be negotiated.
Application and Selection Process
The application deadline for the position is November 11, 2015. To be considered, please visit
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov to complete an employment application and submit your cover
letter, résumé with salary history, and five professional references. Following the filing date,
résumés will be screened by Waters & Company based on the criteria established by the City of
Greensboro. The City will review recommended candidates who most closely meet the established
criteria and finalists should be interviewed in Greensboro during the month of December 2015.
For more information, please contact John Anzivino at richmond@waters-company.com.
The City of Greensboro is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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City of Greensboro, North Carolina
Executive Recruitment – Fire Chief