Fire Chief

Position Title: Fire Chief & Emergency Management Director

Reports To: Town Manager

FLSA Status: Exempt – Full-Time

Salary Range: $92,000.00 to $120,000.00

Posting Date: April 27, 2026

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

Position Summary

The Fire Chief serves as the executive officer of the Town Fire Department, overseeing administration, management, and operational readiness of the department. The Fire Department responds to approximately 1,000 calls per year. The Fire Chief provides leadership in all areas of fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, rescue operations, fire prevention, public education, and emergency management.

Given the presence of high-hazard chemical facilities within the Town’s jurisdiction, the Fire Chief has a critical role in ensuring preparedness, safety, and compliance with state and federal regulations. This includes developing specialized response capabilities, maintaining strong interagency partnerships, and ensuring that the department is trained and equipped to respond to chemical incidents and other major emergencies.

Supervision Required

Under the administrative direction of the Town Manager, the Fire Chief carries out duties and responsibilities in accordance with municipal policies and objectives as well as state and federal laws and/or regulations; the Fire Chief establishes short and long-range department and individual employee goals and objectives and performance standards; assumes direct accountability for department results. Consults with the Town Manager when clarification, interpretation or exception to municipal policy may be required. The employee is responsible for the development and administration of the department’s operating and capital budgets; ensures compliance with the terms and conditions of the collective bargaining agreement between the Town and the union. The employee is also expected to resolve conflicts which arise and coordinate with others as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility

The Fire Chief is accountable for the direction and success of programs accomplished through others. The Fire Chief is responsible for analyzing program objectives, determining the various work operations needed to achieve them, estimating the financial and staff resources required, allocating the available funds and staff, reporting periodically on the achievement and status of the program objective; and recommending new goals.

The Fire Chief formulates or recommends program goals and develops plans for achieving short and long-range objectives; determines organizational structure operating guidelines and work operations; formulates, prepares and justifies budget and staffing requests and accounts for effective use of funds and staff provided; coordinates department efforts within the unit and with other departments; delegates authority to subordinate supervisors and holds them accountable for the performance of their unit's work; reviews employees’ performance in terms of accomplishment of program objectives and progress reports, approves standards establishing quality and quantity of work, and assists or oversees the personnel function for reporting areas, including effectively recommending hiring, training, and corrective actions concerning employees. Work operations are subject to frequent, abrupt, and unexpected changes in deadlines, volume of work, sudden emergencies, and goals due to uncontrollable or unpredictable circumstances. The employee is responsible for the supervision of more than sixteen (16) employees including full time and parttime employees.

Confidentiality

In accordance with the State Public Records law, the employee has regular access at the departmental level to a wide variety of confidential information, including personnel records, client records, criminal records/investigations, and collective bargaining negotiations.

Judgment

Guidelines only provide limited guidance for performing the work. They may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principals, legislation, or directives that pertain to a major department of the Town. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new or adapt existing methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The employee is recognized as the department or functional area authority in interpreting guidelines, in determining how they should be applied, and in developing operating policies.

Complexity

The work consists of employing many different concepts, theories, principles, techniques, and practices relating to an administrative field. Assignments typically concern such matters as studying trends in the field for application to the work, assessing services and recommending improvements, planning long range projects, devising new techniques for application to the work, recommending policies, standards, or criteria.

Nature and Purpose of Contacts

The Fire Chief has constant contact with Town, County, State, and Federal government officials, community leaders and other individuals to protect and promote government relations and the municipality's overall interests. The employee must possess a high degree of diplomacy and judgment. Duties require a well-developed sense of strategy and timing in representing the municipality effectively in critical emergency and important situations that may influence the well-being of the Fire Department and the Town of Rumford.

Duties regularly present potential risk of injuries from improper exposure that could result in loss of time from work. Examples of injury include burns from chemicals, steam or fire, severe muscular strains from working with extremely heavy material, falls from heights in excess of three feet and illness, traffic, and from exposure to communicable diseases. Special safety precautions, training, or protective clothing such as gowns, coats, gloves, glasses, hard hats, or safety boots is required.

Accountability

Duties include department level responsibility for technical processes, service delivery, and contribution to municipal wide plans and objectives and fiscal responsibility for the department including buildings, equipment, and staffing utilization. Consequences of errors missed deadlines or poor judgment could severely jeopardize department operations or have extensive financial and legal repercussions and/or loss of life.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Leadership & Administration

• Provides strategic direction, management, and supervision of all Fire Department operations, including career staff, and call force personnel.
• Develops and enforces departmental policies, procedures, and operational guidelines to ensure efficient, safe, and effective service delivery.
• Prepares and administers the Fire Department budget, including capital planning, purchasing, and grant management.
• Advises the Town Manager on fire protection, emergency preparedness, and community risk reduction.
• Maintains compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including NFPA standards, OSHA, DEP, DHS, ISO, and state fire codes.

Emergency Operations

• Serves as Incident Commander or assumes appropriate command role at major emergencies, including fires, hazardous materials incidents, rescues, mass-casualty events, and natural disasters.
• Directs firefighting, rescue, and EMS operations, ensuring proper application of the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS).
• Develops and maintains mutual aid agreements with surrounding jurisdictions and ensures coordinated response capability.
• Ensures the readiness, safety, and accountability of all personnel and equipment during emergency response.

Hazardous Materials & Chemical Risk Management

• Oversees hazardous materials response capabilities, including planning, training, equipment, and interagency coordination.
• Works closely with Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and chemical facility representatives to ensure compliance with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
• Conducts risk assessments, pre-incident planning, and drills involving high-hazard chemical storage and transport facilities.
• Establishes evacuation, shelter-in-place, and decontamination procedures for chemical incidents.
• Ensures staff maintain certification in Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations, and develops Technician-level response capability where appropriate.

Training & Professional Development

• Develops and implements comprehensive training programs covering firefighting, EMS, hazardous materials, technical rescue, and leadership development.
• Evaluates training needs and ensures compliance with required certifications and continuing education standards.
• Promotes a culture of safety, wellness, and accountability among all members of the department.

Fire Prevention & Community Risk Reduction

• Oversees fire inspections, code enforcement, and permitting of commercial, industrial, and hazardous occupancy facilities.
• Ensures regular inspections of chemical storage sites, industrial facilities, and other high-risk locations.
• Directs public education programs related to fire prevention, hazardous materials awareness, and community preparedness.
• Engages residents, schools, and businesses in fire safety and emergency planning initiatives.

Community & Interagency Relations

• Represents the Town and Fire Department in meetings with civic organizations, industry representatives, and regional/state fire service organizations.
• Works collaboratively with law enforcement, EMS, public works, emergency management, and chemical facility operators to ensure public safety.
• Provides clear and timely communication with the public before, during, and after emergencies.
• Serves as the Town’s subject matter expert on fire protection, emergency medical services, and hazardous materials response.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Associate’s degree in Fire Science, Emergency Management, Public Administration, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Executive Fire Officer, NPQS Fire Officer 3 and Fire Officer 4, preferred
• NPQS Haz-Mat Technician, HazMat Incident Commander, preferred
• NIMS 100, 200, 300, 400 required
• Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive fire service or public safety experience, with at least 5 years in a supervisory or command-level position.
• Experience with hazardous materials response, emergency management, and interagency coordination required.
• Experience in safe and effective operations in the resource constrained context of rural firefighting is preferred.

Other Requirements

• Valid Class C driver’s license with the ability to operate emergency vehicles.
• Residency within 45 minutes of response distance of the Fire Station must be existing or established within 90 days of conditional appointment.
• Ability to respond to major incidents 24/7.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• In-depth knowledge of fire suppression, EMS, rescue, and hazardous materials response.
• Strong command and leadership skills under high-stress emergency conditions.
• Ability to analyze risks, develop strategic plans, and implement safety measures related to high-hazard chemical facilities.
• Skilled in personnel management, conflict resolution, and team building.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and standards.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to effectively address Town officials, staff, industry representatives, and the public.

Working Conditions

Work requires a high degree of individual tolerance to combinations of extremely unpleasant elements, or mental stress from constant conflicting urgent time and attention demands of the utmost priority. The nature of the physical environment may be such that the employee's personal wellbeing and/or safety are compromised as would be expected for Public Safety personnel. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours to attend evening meetings and in response to natural or man-made emergencies on a 24/7, 365 day/year basis.

Physical Requirements

Work requires moderate to intermittent physical strength and effort daily, such as, lifting, carrying heavy objects, and stacking them or placing them in a vehicle or storage area. In addition, pulling, pushing, standing, or walking for the full workday may also be involved. A great deal of physical effort must be exerted. Travel is required during adverse weather and troublesome road conditions in response to emergencies on a 24/7, 365 days per year basis.

Duties may involve a high degree of intense mental concentration together with hand and eye coordination and visual attention for long periods of time in performing activities such as the operation of a motor vehicle or department apparatus at high rates of speed during the day or night and under adverse road/or weather conditions.

The employee is required to constantly read documents for general understanding and analytical purposes; routinely required to review non-written materials such as instrumentation for analytical purposes and to distinguish colors.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature, requirements, and level of work being performed by people assigned to do this job. The above is not intended to be an inclusive or exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties required. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled, must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case-by-case basis.

How to Apply

Send your resume, cover letter and application to the Town Manager, using email townmanager@rumfordme.org. Applications are available on the Town Website, www.rumfordme.org. Required credentials, training certificates and other documentation should be provided only after receipt of an invitation for an interview.

The Town of Rumford offers a generous comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental and vision coverage, paid holidays, sick and vacation leave. We participate in Maine Municipal Health Trust, and MainePERS Plans for Firefighters of Participating Local Districts.

Equal Opportunity

The Town of Rumford is an Equal Opportunity Employer pursuant to a policy of non-discrimination in personnel practices, including: recruiting, hiring, opportunities for transfer and promotion, conditions or privileges of employment, as well as compensation and benefits. Such practices or procedures shall not favor or penalize any person because of race, creed, color, sex, marital status, national origin, age, or disability, where these are not found to be bona fide occupational qualifications. The Town recognizes its responsibility to enhance the purposes set forth in the Maine Human Rights Act as well as Federal statutes which may apply as a result of its Federal grant activities.

Pay: $92,000.00 - $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person