THE OPPORTUNITY

The City of Vallejo offers an enriching career opportunity for a fire service executive looking to serve as the next Fire Chief. The successful candidate will lead a high functioning fire department in a municipal organization characterized by a strong service commitment and focus on maintaining a safe, resilient community.

THE CITY OF VALLEJO

The City of Vallejo is in Northern California, 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, 60 miles southwest of Sacramento, and 70 miles north of the Silicon Valley. Vallejo is the largest city in Solano County and the tenth most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area, with approximately 123,000 residents. Vallejo is the home to the former Mare Island Naval Shipyard, the first United States Naval base on the Pacific Ocean.

Vallejo is proud to be the most diverse city in the Bay Area and is a prime location for families and businesses to thrive. It is also emerging as a commuter hub, as it is home to the busiest Ferry terminal in the Bay Area, with more than 1.2 million riders per year. Vallejo is centrally located with easy access to airports, major highways, and ports making travel and adventure easily accessible.

THE VALLEJO FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Vallejo Fire Department consists of 96 total employees, who are staffed between Administration, Suppression, Training, and Prevention divisions. The adopted FY 24-25 Fire Department budget is $31.8 million. The Fire Chief provides executive leadership over the Department and is assisted by a Deputy Fire Chief. The Department averages over 16,000 calls per year and is committed to working with the community it serves to provide public safety and resilience. The Vallejo Fire Department is comprised of three divisions - Suppression Division, Training Division, and the Prevention Division.

THE POSITION

Under general direction from the City Manager, the Fire Chief is responsible for planning, directing, managing, and overseeing the activities and operations of the Fire Department including communications, fire suppression, hazardous material mitigation, fire and life safety code compliance, emergency medical services and administrative support services. The Fire Chief coordinates assigned activities with other City departments and outside agencies in the interest of providing the highest level of service to Vallejo residents. Some additional key responsibilities include assuming full management responsibility for all Fire Department services and activities; managing the development and implementation of Fire Department goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each assigned service area; establishing appropriate service and staffing levels and allocating resources accordingly; selecting, training, motivating and evaluating Fire Department personnel; participating on a variety of boards and commissions; and participating in labor negotiations and monitoring the labor contract throughout the year.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced Fire Chief or Deputy/Assistant Chief to address succession planning, policy updating, and staff development; have a progressive mindset with an eye toward modernization; have significant administrative and budget experience and human resources management skills; will bring demonstrated experience in effective change management; have a passion and commitment to providing service to a diverse community; and have essential experience in Labor/Management.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following are the minimum qualifications for the position of Fire Chief.

• Education: Possession of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in fire science, public administration, or a closely related field. A master’s degree is highly desirable.

• Experience: Seven (7) years of broad and extensive experience in municipal firefighting, including four (4) years in an administrative and supervisory capacity.

• License or certification: Possession of a certificate in Fire Science and Fire Prevention from a college vocational fire science program with a minimum of 40 semester units or a valid California Certified Fire Officer Certificate.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The annual salary range for the Fire Chief is $218,893 to $266,066 with a 5% cost-of-living increase July 2025. In addition to the cost-of-living increase in July, base salary is currently under review and might increase. Placement within the salary range is negotiable and dependent upon qualifications.

In addition, the City offers a comprehensive benefits package including retirement provided by CalPERS with a 3% @ 50 formula for Tier 1 Classic Employees or 2% @ 50 for Tier 2 Classic Employees, with an employee contribution of 9% + 4.4% employer share = 13.4% for Tier 1 or a 9% contribution for Tier 2. For employees covered under PEPRA, the retirement formula is 2.7% at 57, with an employee contribution of 13.75%. The City also offers a voluntary 457 elective benefit, 100% employee paid. The City will match up to 1% of employee’s annual pay rate under a 401a with the employee’s elective 457 contribution.

For additional benefit information, interested candidates are encouraged to review the detailed recruitment brochure by clicking on the .pdf link on this page.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must submit a cover letter and résumé below no later than Monday, June 16, 2025.

Confidential inquiries are welcomed to:

Bryan Noblett | bryan@mosaicpublic.com | (916) 550-4100