THE OPPORTUNITY

The Town of Little Elm, Texas is offering an excellent leadership opportunity for a contemporary, well-rounded fire service executive who wants to work alongside a group of committed fire service professionals as Little Elm’s next Assistant Fire Chief. This position will provide a cornerstone opportunity for either an established or an up-and-coming leader to assist the Fire Chief with leading an Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 rated organization dedicated to providing outstanding pre-hospital care, fire suppression, fire prevention, and customer service in a highly desirable community.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Little Elm Fire Department’s mission is to provide service excellence through outstanding pre-hospital care, fire suppression, fire prevention, and superior customer service to the residents and patrons of Little Elm.

The Fire Department’s commitment to excellence is reflected in its unwavering commitment to customer service, expansion of resources, and personnel development. This long-term commitment was realized in 2016 when Little Elm earned the prestigious Public Protection Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 designation. This designation was the result of the combined efforts of Little Elm’s Fire and Water Departments, and the contracted dispatch services provided by the Denton County Sheriff’s Department.

Founded in 1960 as the all-volunteer department of the Denton County Rural Fire Prevention District No. 1, the Little Elm Fire Department (LEFD) is now a growing career organization with three fire stations housing approximately 82 current full-time employees. The Fire Department consists of three major functional areas: Administration, Operations, and the Fire Prevention Bureau. The Fire Department’s operating budget for FY 2022-2023 is $12.6 million.

The LEFD covers approximately 66 miles of shoreline along Lewisville Lake and 19 square miles of land and water within the Town’s incorporated limits. LEFD also provides operational services to the Town of Lakewood Village, the Town of Cross Roads, the Frisco West Water District, and areas of Denton County including Hilltown, Rocky Point, and areas in between.

THE POSITION

Appointed by and working under the general direction of the Fire Chief, the Assistant Fire Chief, as an essential member of the Fire Department’s executive team, serves as an aide and confidante for the Fire Chief. The Assistant Fire Chief must be a proven fire service professional with diverse, contemporary job knowledge and capabilities, and excellent interpersonal and communication abilities. The Assistant Fire Chief will direct the daily emergency and non-emergency activities of the Operations Division.

As a crucial member of the Fire Department’s leadership team, the Assistant Fire Chief’s key duties and responsibilities include modeling leadership behaviors and actions that are consistent with the Department’s mission and its core values of integrity, customer service, efficiency, and innovation; overseeing the daily emergency readiness and responses of the Operations Division’s fire suppression, emergency medical response, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, safety, training, and support services personnel; and developing, administering, and forecasting within the Town’s 5-year budget cycle, including developing specifications for needed apparatus and equipment.

The ideal candidate will have an established reputation as a mentor, collaborator, and team builder who can connect with all levels of the Fire Department and will be committed to working with the existing team of highly valued employees to provide guidance, direction, recognition, and professional development; a solid communicator with the ability to engage others with tact and diplomacy; and capable of resolving complex problems, building trust and legitimacy while upholding standards of accountability, and promoting a culture of excellence; and capable of resolving complex problems, building trust and legitimacy while upholding standards of accountability, and promoting a culture of excellence.

QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of equivalent experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may qualify. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Fire Administration, Public Administration, or a related field is required. A master’s degree is preferred.

Experience: A minimum of 15 years of progressive fire service experience with at least four years of supervisory experience.

Graduate of at least one of the following: Texas A&M TEEX Fire Service CEO Program, Texas Fire Chiefs Academy, or the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program.

Required Certifications:

• Texas Commision on Fire Protection (TCFP) Certifications

• Master Structural Firefighter

• Fire Officer IV

• Fire Instructor II

• Incident Safety Officer

• Required Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) Certifications

• Basic Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

• Required Incident Command Courses:  100-400, 700 & 800

• Eligibility to hold a Texas Class B license in addition to a valid Texas Driver’s License

NOTE: Reasonable time will be granted to obtain certifications. Equivalent certifications from other states will be considered.

Preferred Certifications:

• TCFP Incident Commander

• TCFP Basic Fire Inspector

• TCFP Basic Fire Investigator

• TDSHS EMT-Paramedic

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $136,410-$150,571; final placement in the range will be dependent on qualifications and experience. An excellent executive benefit package is provided including membership in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) with 7% employee contribution and an employer matching contribution at 2/1 for the employees’ retirement program. In addition, competitive health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability), paid vacation, holidays and sick leave, and an assigned vehicle are provided. A relocation assistance allowance may be available to the selected candidate in accordance with the Town of Little Elm’s policy.

THE PROCESS

Qualified candidates should submit a compelling letter of interest and resumé below.

This position will remain open until it is filled; however, interested individuals are strongly encouraged to apply by Monday, June 26, 2023.

Interested individuals should be aware that Mosaic Public Partners will work closely with the Town of Little Elm throughout this process to ensure confidentiality to the degree allowable by the State of Texas’ laws governing open records.

If you have questions or would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Jacqueline “Jackie” Seabrooks at Jackie@MosaicPublic.com or (916) 550-4100.

The Town of Little Elm is an Equal Opportunity Employer.