Deputy Fire Chief (Operations) in Garner, North Carolina at Town of Garner

Garner Fire-Rescue (GFR), established in 1952, is an internationally accredited, all-hazards department providing fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, and hazardous materials response to a growing and dynamic community just south of Raleigh. In 2025, GFR responded to 8,158 calls for service totaling 12,013 unit responses across approximately 73.88 square miles, including the Town of Garner and surrounding suburban areas. The department operates from five fire stations and is staffed with 90 budgeted personnel, including a fire chief, command staff, and support personnel. GFR holds an ISO Class 1 rating within the Town of Garner and a Class 3 rating in the Garner Suburban district, reflecting a high level of service and commitment to excellence. Future plans include rebuilding fire station 2, adding a sixth fire station, and developing a dedicated in-district training facility.

The position is responsible for performing executive level activities by assisting the fire chief in planning, organizing, supervising, and directing the operations of the fire department and by acting in the absence of the fire chief. An employee in this class performs complex, executive-level management and leadership work overseeing either the fire department’s operational or administrative functions. Specific duties vary based on assignment, with the understanding that some overlap of responsibilities may occur.

Examples of Duties:

• Assists the Fire Chief with departmental management; assists with decisions in unusual situations as circumstances permit; acts as the Fire Chief in his/her absence.
• Manages daily departmental operations or administration; coaches command staff on personnel and other problem-solving; observes performance and provides feedback; consults with the Town Attorney and Human Resources as needed; reviews records and reports; ensures compliance with the CPSE accreditation model; completes annual program appraisals, investigates concerns about department policy and performance.
• Plans, organizes, schedules and directs departmental staff; participates in hiring and promotional processes, provides coaching and counseling to subordinate supervisors on personnel matters, and public interactions; ensures proper motivation, communications, training, teamwork, mentoring, conflict resolution, performance excellence and staff readiness.
• Provides executive leadership and management for assigned operational or administrative functions of the Fire Department, ensuring the safe, effective, and compliant delivery of fire and emergency services; Directly supervises senior command staff and personnel assigned to training and professional development, community risk reduction, logistics, and administrative support functions, establishing expectations, evaluating performance, and ensuring accountability; oversees daily operational readiness, staffing models, personnel scheduling, deployment strategies, and resource distribution to maintain effective emergency response capability;
• Manages departmental budgets and fiscal administration, including budget development, expenditure monitoring, capital planning, and oversight of budgetary expansions and long-range financial initiatives; Develops, evaluates, and maintains the department’s Effective Response Force (ERF) in alignment with accreditation requirements, insurance rating criteria, and the Community Risk Assessment/Standards of Cover (CRA/SOC);
• Coordinates and supports multi-agency, regional, and complex emergency responses and serves in an incident command or executive support role as required; researches, develops, implements, and revises departmental policies, procedures, and operational guidelines to ensure alignment with best practices, accreditation standards, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation standards, insurance rating requirements, and regulatory mandates by overseeing documentation, reporting, performance metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborates with the Training Division to ensure personnel readiness, certification compliance, and adherence to performance and professional development standards; provides leadership and oversight of community risk reduction programs and administrative, compliance,
• Supports functions, including records management systems, data collection, reporting processes, and the use of data visualization and geographic information systems (GIS).
• Administers and monitors service, mutual aid, and cost-share agreements.
• Serves as Public Information Officer during emergency incidents when assigned; represents the fire department and Fire Chief at community, regional, and governmental meetings; leads organizational performance monitoring and policy implementation efforts.
• Performs related executive, administrative, and emergency response duties as required to support departmental objectives and community needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must have:

• A Bachelors degree from an accredited college/university in fire science or a related field AND Ten (10) years of broad and extensive experience in all major phases of professional firefighting, including (4) years of administrative/supervisory experience at a supervisory level OR equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted.
• Valid Driver’s License in the State of North Carolina
• Firefighter Level I and II Certification
• NC EMT-B
• Hazardous Materials Level I
• Technical Rescue-General
• Technical Rescue-Vehicle (or equivalent)
• NC Fire & Emergency Services Instructor I
• NC Fire Officer I and II
• NIMS 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800
• Bloodborne Pathogens Training

Preferred Qualifications: Chief 101, Fire Officer III, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Credential, Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program Certificate

Additional Information:

The salary range shown is the hiring range. The starting salary will be determined based on the selected candidate's skills and qualifications.

The full salary range is currently $104,199 - $158,770.

Equal Opportunity Employer