Chief of Department-Fire Department (H140) - City and County of San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO - THE COMMUNITY

The City of San Francisco is the fourth largest city by population in California and one of the premier cities in the world. Known as the "City by the Bay," San Francisco serves as the center of business, commerce, and culture on the West Coast. Approximately 23 million visitors from all over the world traveled to the City in 2023. San Francisco has a diverse population of over 808,437 residents in 407,967 housing units spread over a 47 square-mile area, surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay.

SAN FRANCISCO GOVERNING STRUCTURE

San Francisco is the only city in California that is also a county. Its governing powers are vested in an eleven-member Board of Supervisors elected by district, with each serving a four-year term.

The Mayor
Mayor London Breed was elected in 2018 as the 45th Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco.

Fire Commission

The San Francisco Fire Commission is the oversight body for the Fire Department. The Fire Commission is a policy body of five members, each appointed to a four-year renewable term by the Mayor of San Francisco. More information about the Commission and how it supports the Department is available at https://sf-fire.org/fire-commission-home.

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT

Mission
The mission of the San Francisco Fire Department is to protect the lives and property of the people of San Francisco and its visitors from fires, natural disasters, accidents, hazardous materials incidents, and other causes requiring a rapid and skilled response by land or water; serve the needs of its most vulnerable residents through community paramedicine, and save lives and reduce suffering by providing emergency medical services; prevent harm through prevention services and education programs; and to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination, and value health, wellness, cultural diversity, and equity. The SFFD organization chart is available at https://sf-fire/organization-chart.

CHIEF OF DEPARTMENT

Under the policy direction of the San Francisco Fire Commission, the Chief of Department plans, directs, and organizes the activities and the operations of the Department. The Chief serves as the chief executive officer and through subordinate command staff, exercises administrative direction and coordination over employees engaged in the operation of the Department. The Chief of Department manages the planning, development and implementation of programs for the prevention, management and suppression of fires and other emergency services, emergency medical services, and fire safety and hazardous materials inspection programs for the City.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan, direct, and monitor the City's fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency response operations, emergency medical services, and fire safety and hazardous materials inspection programs.
• Monitor and/or manage the suppression of major fires and other large-scale emergencies both locally and regionally.
• Manage the Department's fiscal planning and budgeting processes.
• Promote awareness of fire safety and disaster preparedness through public education, including in the City’s schools.
• Manage the implementation of legislative and policy mandates and directives related to the Department's mission.
• Continuously monitor the Department's adherence to principles of equal employment opportunity.
• Maintain ongoing communications with a wide variety of community, civic, and media organizations related to services provided by the Department.
• Manage human resources issues including staffing, discipline, staff morale, labor relations, and interactions with both traditional and ethnic/gender labor organizations.
• Serve as liaison to county, state, and federal agencies, elected officials, and community leaders.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate for Chief of Department will possess a track record of demonstrated leadership, proven accomplishments and superior performance in the operation of fire services at a senior level in a fire department that serves an urban population of at least 350,000 residents. The candidate must be a strong visionary and decisive leader with excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a diverse department. Experience in an urban, ethnically diverse community is essential. A commitment to diversity in recruitment, selection and promotion must be demonstrated in their prior work assignments.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated expertise in the following areas:

• Fire suppression, with an emphasis on dense construction, maritime, and aviation;
• Fire prevention and investigation;
• Emergency medical services including paramedic and transport services;
• Heavy rescue, hazardous materials, and management of mutual aid responses to multi-casualty events;
• Seismic safety and planning;
• Fiscal management in the development and oversight of an annual budget;
• Oversight of capital improvement projects;
• Personnel management with support for racial, gender, and cultural diversity in recruitment and promotion;
• Development and maintenance of a work environment that supports an integrated workforce free of harassment, intimidation, and hostility;
• Establishing communication channels within the Department and with city, state, and federal agencies, and with the general public.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Cultural and Leadership

Provide strong leadership through demonstrated integrity that will inspire achievement, enhance communication, foster teamwork, and promote ownership by developing a culture that values people and their differences, is free from inequities and barriers to people reaching their full potential, and earns the confidence of department personnel, appointed and elected leadership, community partners and our business owners, residents, and visitors.

Ensure a clearly defined path for professional development that is equally available to staff at all levels and within all disciplines throughout the organization, and is designed to enhance their success as supervisors, managers, and leaders by fostering an environment of positive employee morale, resulting in strong organizational performance.

Community Relationships

We value our communities and rely on the people in each neighborhood to work with the Department in all aspects of Department activities. This requires extensive community outreach, partnering with community organizations/schools, and maintaining the Department’s reputation of unparalleled service to all San Franciscans.

Continued Modernization

Modernization of the Fire Department relies not only on acquiring equipment and resources, but also on creating buy-in and excitement. The current administration emphasized providing the newest and latest technology for all divisions of the Department, and ensured adequate training to develop and enhance the skill set of all Department members. Continuation of the modernization effort is essential to maintain the Department’s status as the premier Fire Department in California.

EXPERIENCE: Ten (10) years of work experience as a uniformed member of a Fire Department at the sworn rank of Captain or higher; or appointment to the rank of Battalion Chief or higher in the San Francisco Fire Department.

SUBSTITUTION: Two (2) years of the required work experience may be substituted with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, fire science, organizational leadership, fire protection engineering, human resources management, construction management, hospitality management, management information systems or a closely related field.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

A master’s degree in business administration, public administration, fire science, organizational leadership, fire protection engineering, human resources management, construction management, hospitality management, management information systems or a closely related field.

Experience serving in the sworn rank of Battalion Chief or higher in a Fire Department in a large metropolitan area [over 350,000 residents].

Experience managing emergency medical services. 

APPOINTMENT TYPE

This position is exempt from the City and County of San Francisco’s civil service system. The incumbent serves at the pleasure of the Mayor and the Fire Commission.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The City of San Francisco offers an attractive salary and benefits package which includes:

• $385,632 annual salary

For information on the retirement plan, go to: https://mysfers.org/.

For information on health benefits, go to: https://sfhss.org/benefits/mea

The position of Chief of Department is represented by the Municipal Executives’ Association. To view the current Memorandum of Understanding, go to:
Municipal Executives' Association, Fire (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026) | San Francisco (sf.gov)

HOW TO APPLY
Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “Apply Now” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses @sfgov.org and @smartrecruiters.com.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Applicants deemed qualified will be sent a supplemental questionnaire to complete.  

The Selection Process
Applications and supplemental questionnaires will be screened and evaluated by the Department of Human Resources [DHR]. Qualified candidates will be presented to the San Francisco Fire Commission. The Commission will then select candidates to move on to panel interviews and present finalists to the Mayor, who appoints the Chief of Department.

Recruitment Contact Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact Jen Lo, Public Safety Team Manager via email at Jen.Lo@sfgov.org.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.