ROANOKE COUNTY, SEEKS A HIGHLY-SKILLED FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF

CANDIDATE PROFILE

The Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Chief, appointed by and under the direction of the County Administrator, is responsible for all aspects of fire and emergency medical service operations in the County. The Chief provides ex- ecutive level leadership and is responsible for planning, OUR COMMUNITY directing and managing all programs and functions of the department including but not limited to: personnel, vehicle Roanoke County is located in the and equipment maintenance, safety and training, emer- of Southwest Virginia, and is home to 94,000 res- gency response in all service areas, records and reporting idents over 250+ square miles. The Valley, which requirements, program development, and planning and also includes the cities of Roanoke and Salem budgeting. The Fire & Rescue Chief also plans, evaluates, and the Town of Vinton, is located in Virginia’s recommends, implements, controls and directs the fire Blue Ridge, with a regional population of more and emergency service functions of the department under than 250,000 people. The physical beauty of the the broad direction provided by applicable laws, policies, region allows a unique blend of culture, enter- ordinances, rules and regulations adopted by the County, tainment and outdoor activities. the state or other authorities. The region is served by the Roanoke-Blacksburg Major duties of the position include: Regional airport, award-winning school systems, modern libraries, museums and recreation cen- • Emergency Management and coordination through in- ters, along with varied entertainment and dining depth knowledge of the Incident Command System; options. There are over 20 colleges and univer- • Developing and maintaining open, and productive, sities located within an hour’s drive, providing lines of communication with personnel at all levels as extensive opportunities for life-long learning well as with volunteers; and employee development. Virginia Western • Financial planning and budgeting with a specific em- Community College, , Hollins phasis on the aggressive and successful pursuit of state University and the Roanoke Higher Education and federal grant opportunities as well as the success- Center allow residents to pursue post-secondary ful administration of grant funding; educational opportunities close to home. • Providing oral and written presentations on behalf of While the atmosphere is vibrant, the residents the department to the County Administrator, the Board are friendly and relaxed. Commute times are of Supervisors, citizens, public and private agencies, short, leaving plenty of time to take advantage of community groups, and the media; a large range of outdoor activities. (continues on page 2) (continues on page 3)

For more information visit www.roanokecountyva.gov/FRChief ROANOKE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF RECRUITMENT

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT The Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Department is pre- dominately a career department with volunteer sup- port at some stations providing fire and rescue services to the citizens of the County. The Department currently employs 198 sworn person- nel and five (5) civilian staff that operate from fourteen (14) fire and rescue facilities across the County, includ- ing twelve (12) fire and rescue stations, one (1) admin- istrative office located at the Roanoke County Public Safety Center and one (1) training facility. Currently, the County has approximately 150 active volunteers that make up nine (9) volunteer fire companies and four (4) volunteer rescue squads that serve as firefighters, emergency medical technicians and rescue drivers. The department has continued to increase its paid staffing to ensure adequate coverage for all county residents OUR COMMUNITY (continued from page 1) and partnership stations. Volunteers currently respond Both the and the Appalachian to approximately 5% of total call volume with paid staff Trail run for miles through the County, while the Ro- answering 95% of calls. Last year Roanoke County Fire anoke River provides the framework for an extensive & Rescue responded to 15,047 calls with 86% EMS calls greenway system. Family-friendly activities, such as and 14% fire calls. As of June 1, 2021, all career field staff recreation club sports, festivals and abundant outdoor will work rotating 24/7 shifts similar to the neighboring recreation, make the County an ideal place to raise chil- cities of Roanoke and Salem. dren. At the same time, the exciting pace of the down- The department has an active capital outlay plan for town Roanoke restaurant scene and night life provides both fire and emergency medical services apparatus options for evenings and weekends. There are many and equipment which is funded on a regular basis in spectator sports, too – from football and the County budget. basketball to the minor league baseball and ice hockey The Roanoke Valley Regional Fire and Rescue Training franchises to dozens of youth sports tournaments each Center is a jointly operated facility that is managed by year. There is something for everyone in the Roanoke Roanoke County, Roanoke City, the City of Salem and Valley. the Town of Vinton. The facility provides training to fire The Roanoke region has a growing economy and recent and EMS personnel throughout the Roanoke Valley new business announcements include the additions area and offers multiple classrooms, a burn building, of the Mack Trucks manufacturing facility and Carilion a pump and drafting simulator, mayday firefighter Children’s pediatric outpatient practice. The expansion simulator, a fixed trench, confined space area, SCBA of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute promis- maze, railroad tank car, sprinkler area and a breathing es to bring additional professional employment to the air replenishment station. community. Other major economic initiatives include The County has a land area of 250+ square miles for the continued development of Roanoke County’s which the department is directly responsible. The Explore Park, an 1,100 acre outdoor adventure attrac- County also exercises automatic mutual aid with sever- tion, the 419 Town Center Project, a major commercial al surrounding jurisdictions. The Fire & Rescue Depart- redevelopment planning effort along the County’s main ment is operating with a budget of approximately $18 corridor, and expansion of broadband services to rural million for Fiscal Year 2020. parts of Roanoke County.

For more information visit www.roanokecountyva.gov/FRChief ROANOKE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF RECRUITMENT

CANDIDATE PROFILE AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS (continued from page 1)

• Coordinating with appropriate internal and external cooperation with other county departments and agencies to develop strong mutual aid agreements neighboring communities; and ensure mitigation of emergency incidents; • Responding to emergency incidents and assuming • Planning for long-term department staffing, train- direct command of large-scale operations; ing, equipment and facility demands; • Managing the recruitment, training and certifica- • Engaging and interacting with department staff tion functions of the department; through staff meetings and visits to various fire • Providing for accurate record keeping and ensur- stations; ing training, safety, certification, incident and other • Leading, planning, organizing, evaluating, and coor- necessary records and reports are complete and up dinating the development and implementation of to date; policies and procedures in accordance with applica- • Preparing and supervising development and man- ble state laws and county ordinances; agement of the department’s annual budget; Assuring personal and departmental compliance • • Researching and developing recommendations with all applicable laws, ordinances, certifications, and implementing approved operational policies, regulations, and standards of good business prac- expenditures, plans and administrative matters as tice in all department activities and endeavors; they affect the operation of the department; Leading, planning, organizing, evaluating, direct- • • Supervising the County’s fire inspection and related ing and coordinating the work of subordinate fire safety programs; personnel in conducting fire, rescue and related emergency service functions in collaboration and • Ensuring that all work is performed in accordance with OSHA and county and state safety standards and policies.

CURRENT ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Some of the key issues and challenges that the new Chief will face in the first six to twelve months on the job include: • The Department is the lead agency for the County’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Chief will be directly involved in coordination of public health efforts with the Virginia Department of Health and other municipal Fire and Rescue agencies. The Department also manages a Medical Control Unit that provides COVID-19 testing for all County employees. • Improving employee engagement and two-way communication among department staff while instilling a strong commitment to ‘teamwork’ within the department as well as with other county departments and regional organizations; • Developing a common vision for the department, and developing and maintaining a strong, focused and accountable management team within the department; • Assessing the department’s organizational structure and staffing while increasing operational efficiency, responsiveness, accountability and capabilities to provide and maintain a high level of service to the County’s citizens and businesses; • Meeting long term capital equipment needs in a constrained budgetary environment.

For more information visit www.roanokecountyva.gov/FRChief ROANOKE COUNTY FIRE & RESCUE CHIEF RECRUITMENT

THE COUNTY ORGANIZATION Roanoke County is a full-service local government EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE that employs over 1,000 people, spread across 18 Any combination of education and experience equiv- departments and five Constitutional offices. The alent to a bachelor’s degree in public administration, departments provide a wide array of services to fire sciences, emergency management, emergency residents, including curbside trash pickup, an medical services or related field from an accredited accredited police department, paid fire and rescue university is preferred. The most competitive appli- service, planning, zoning, parks and recreation, and cants will have an extensive amount of fire and emer- social services as well as an excellent Library sys- gency medical service leadership and management tem. The County also has budget approval author- experience, with a minimum of six (6) to nine (9) years ity and a close working relationship with Roanoke as a Chief, Division or Deputy Chief in a comparably County Schools. The Chief will play a major role in sized or larger department, and experience in a pro- the management team and partner with other gressive and full-service community with a wide range key staff in furthering the County’s goal of provid- of duties in fire/emergency services operations and ing excellent service to its residents. The position management is also sought. A progressive record of of Fire & Rescue Chief will report to the Assistant strong professional, executive and administrative lead- County Administrator. ership is also an important consideration and experi- ence with accreditation is important. Past experience COMPENSATION should demonstrate a successful record of collabo- rative team building with volunteers and paid staff, The starting salary is competitive, and the other departments within the organization, including expected hiring range is in the low to mid successful management of diversified recruitment $100,000’s depending on background and and promotion, planning for growth in services and qualifications of the successful candidate. Benefits service demand, capital planning and project man- include, but are not limited to, use of a department agement, training and certifications, general manage- vehicle, participation in the Virginia Retirement ment, finance, and human resources related to fire System, voluntary deferred compensation, and emergency management services. Experience in excellent health and dental insurance, short and fire suppression, basic fire prevention, fire investiga- long term disability, life insurance, flexible leave tions, emergency medical services, safety and train- policy, wellness program, professional dues, ing, hazardous materials, management information conference expense reimbursement. systems, emergency response planning and exercises, Residency within the County will not be required; and outreach and development of high performance however the ability to physically respond to functions of a comparable department is a significant incidents in a timely manner around the clock is consideration. Chief Fire Officer and/or Executive Fire crucial. Relocation expenses may be negotiable. Officer designations are desirable. We are a fully inte- grated fire and rescue department. If you have fire only or rescue only experience, this is not the right position APPLICATION AND for you. SELECTION PROCESS Initial review of applications will begin on February 1, 2021. Please visit www.roanokecountyva.gov/FRChief to learn more about the position and to apply. To be considered, please submit a cover letter, resume with salary history and five (5) professional references, and a completed application through the County’s online application process. The County will review recommended candidates who most closely meet the established criteria and finalists should be interviewed in Roanoke during the month of February 2021. For more information, please contact Human Resources Director Anita Hassell at (540) 283-8112 or email [email protected].

For more information visit www.roanokecountyva.gov/FRChief