Fire Chief

Opportunities

Town of Canmore

Canmore, AB

closed

Position Profile
Fire Chief                                                                       

About the Municipality 

The Town of Canmore is nestled in the Bow Valley in the Alberta Rocky Mountains. The Town is 106 Km (66 miles) west of Calgary, AB on the Trans-Canada Highway, 7 Km (4 miles) east of the Banff National Park gates and 22 Km (12 miles) east of the Town of Banff. Based on the 2016 Census, the Town of Canmore recorded a population of 13,992 permanent residents, with an additional estimated 20-30% of non-permanent homeowners with its surroundings. Canmore is the 9th largest Town in Alberta. Adjacent municipalities include the MD. of Bighorn No. 8. First Nations within the region include the Iyarhe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations and the Blackfoot Confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani all within Treaty 7, and Metis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.

The Town is legislated under the Alberta Municipal Government Act and is governed by a Council comprised of a mayor and 6 councilors. Canmore’s economy is supported predominantly by tourism, eco-tourism, outdoor and wildland recreation, adventure sports, and an immersed-in-nature mountain lifestyle.

In terms of Town amenities they include, two ice arenas, an aquatic centre, golf and curling club, a public library, museum and geoscience centre, arts centre, civic centre, green spaces (parks), skatepark, playgrounds, and sports fields, a fire hall, and an RCMP detachment. Regional outdoor recreation amenities are abundant (Nordic Centre and Provincial Park, Banff National Park, Kananaskis Provincial Park).

In terms of education services, Canmore offers a variety of options from pre-school, elementary, middle school, and high school. In terms of family and health services, Canmore maintains a general hospital a variety of health and wellness facilities and services. There are five (5) seniors’ care, housing and supportive facilities in the Town.

About the Fire Service

Canmore Fire-Rescue Service (CFRS) provides five (5) core functions:

  1. fire prevention and education,
  2. fire suppression and investigation,
  3. emergency response,
  4. fire codes and plan review, and
  5. citizen assists, alarm investigation, community events and support.

The CFRS operates under a compositive fire service model providing 24/7 coverage with 2 full time chief officers, 8 full time firefighters, 36 part-time firefighters (19 casual; 17 paid response firefighters), 1 full time fire prevention officer, and 1 full time administrative assistant [F/T and P/T numbers may vary]. The Town has a plan to incrementally transition to 16 full time firefighters by 2026 through a peak staffing model. The CFRS maintains four heavy apparatus and several light duty specialty vehicles including watercraft, structure protection and wildfire, decontamination, and command units.

In 2019 Canmore council approved the construction of a new 8-bay fire hall scheduled to open in late 2023-/2024.

About the Opportunity

Reporting to the General Manager of Municipal Services, the Fire Chief ensures the delivery of public education and prevention, fire safety standards and enforcement, and emergency response. The Fire Chief acts as a liaison between the fire hall operations and the Town of Canmore corporation. This role requires a broad combination of strategic leadership and active involvement in the day-to-day operations of the department. The Fire Chief is responsible for assessing the potential fire hazards, anticipating the emergency risks and protecting lives and property of citizens, organizing fire prevention and firefighting teams capable of carrying out the necessary tasks within the geographic makeup and budget limitations of the Town, providing reports and data to senior administration and Council, and represent the Town organization in union negotiations. To carry out this role, the Fire Chief must identify future staff requirements and equipment needs, assess the labour/management environment, and trends in the fire protection industry. The Fire Chief responds as required, to assume direct command or provide leadership over firefighting activities and rescue calls when called to emergencies. This may include considerable work outside of regular business hours. The Fire Chief is also available on a consultative basis to the Deputy Chief and Captains when off duty.

Competencies

Leadership

  • Lead the Town of Canmore culture by modeling the values and practices of: Open and Honest Conversations, Developmental Orientation, Discernment, Collaboration and Appreciation.
  • Effectively puts people first.
  • Maintain a high degree of personal integrity and commitment by being a role model for the Town.
  • Lead transition to four full time staff in the hall over a 4-5 year phase in

Core Values

  • Aware of Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, issues of social justice, and equity, diversity, and inclusion and has a commitment to addressing these issues and working toward developing a welcoming and inclusive community.
  • Prioritize team development through mentoring and coaching staff and providing honest feedback in a timely manner.
  • Lead the connection between the Fire-Rescue Department and Town of Canmore corporation.
  • Develop the Fire-Rescue team to a high level of organizational, technical, and interpersonal proficiency.
  • Ensure that all staff are well oriented and trained in Town procedures, operational duties, and customer service standards.
  • Actively lead and engage team meetings to identify patterns, trends, and issues as well as best practices for team and organizational efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Establish an environment of collaboration, shared ideas, and group participation in problem solving.
  • Identify and be open to opportunities for improvements.
  • Confident, personable, and approachable nature with a calm demeanor under pressure.
  • Exercise discretion and judgment in handling sensitive information.

Business Acumen

  • Develop and manage annual operations and capital budgets for the Fire-Rescue Services department
  • Review and explain monthly financial statements, report on variances, and identify trends to improve cost effectiveness.
  • Follow Town policies and ensure team compliance.
  • Align resources with service delivery innovations (both cost efficiencies and revenue generation).
  • Foster a customer service focused culture.
  • Oversee the development and review of the Fire bylaws to accommodate both future and present needs.
  • Define a service level standard that provides consistent high-quality customer service that translates into transparent and fair processes for the community and reasonable workload for staff.
  • Ensure department compliance with all relevant industry regulations and acts.
  • Effectively manage resources (human, physical, financial, information) to achieve results that are aligned with the Town’s organizational goals.
  • Monitor and manage 911 dispatch contract to ensure NFPA 1221 compliance.
  • Manage, direct, and supervise the activities and functions of the comprehensive fire investigation program that determines the cause and origin of all fires in the Town of Canmore.
  • Manage, direct, and supervise the activities and functions of the comprehensive fire prevention program that complies with the Town of Canmore’s Quality Management Plan.
  • Maintain a comprehensive set of metrics related to calls for service, staff engagement and department performance.
  • Analyze statistics to ensure compliance with benchmarks and performance measures.

Political Acumen

  • Provide sound, unbiased advice, recommendations and guidance.
  • Understand the culture, structure, and policies/procedures of the Town of Canmore and achieve results in a highly public and political environment.
  • Maintain trust and confidence of elected officials and the public.
  • Anticipate the possible impacts of decisions on the political environment.
  • Guide the work of the department in support of Council direction.
  • Coach others to consider political implications.

Communication

  • Possess strong verbal, written, and presentation skills demonstrating a clear, concise, and positive style.
  • Build trust through presenting ideas clearly and effectively listening to others, even when not in agreement.
  • Establish rapport with stakeholders including Council, employees, other departments, external agencies and community members.
  • Accept and value others’ ideas, even when not in agreement.
  • Coordinate and negotiate contracts with outside organizations providing service for the Town of Canmore.

Health and Safety

  • Contribute to the success of the Town of Canmore Health & Safety Management System by providing a safe working environment and injury free workplace for all employees in compliance with all pertinent legislation and the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code.
  • Develop and implement regular training programs to ensure that all staff certifications are maintained, and that staff have the required skills and abilities.

Relationships

  • Have conversations with staff, peers, and direct supervisor in a timely manner and addresses performance issues head on, in a supportive and developmental way.
  • Be on time for meetings, meet deadlines, and respond to emails and requests in a timely manner.
  • Develop strong working relationships and facilitates collaboration inside and outside the organization
  • Attend and participate in manager meetings.
  • Actively participate as a key member of the Canmore Emergency Management Agency.
  • Work collaboratively with other Town departments.

Interpersonal Qualities

  • Embody the Core Values of Town of Canmore: Wellness, Respect, Integrity, Service, Teamwork.
  • Confident, personable and approachable nature.
  • Enjoy working both independently and with teams.
  • Exercise discretion and judgment in handling sensitive information.
  • Analyze and solve problems systematically and can make decisions during stressful situations.
  • Strong oral and written communication.
  • Self-starter who demonstrates initiative.
  • Promote a positive, professional image of the Town of Canmore at all times.

Qualifications

  • Post-secondary education related to Fire Service Management, Business Administration or Public Administration.
  • A combination of education and experience may be considered.
  • Certification or course work related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, change management, critical thinking, organizational behavior and/or related topics.
  • Minimum of five years’ experience in a Chief Officer or senior leadership position.
  • Thorough knowledge in all aspects of emergency service delivery and management.
  • Experience with the delivery of fire-medical response services and how it interacts with the community and Alberta Health Services.
  • Proven experience in team building, change management and strategic thinking and implementation.
  • Proficiency working in Microsoft Office Programs including Word, Excel and Outlook as well as operational data bases and software platforms.
  • Maintain a level of physical fitness to continuously perform all duties required in this position including but not limited to excellent cardiovascular fitness, bending, lifting, and carrying as required.
  • Must reside within 30 minutes response time to the Town of Canmore.
  • Valid Class 5 Drivers License.

Desired Certifications and Experience

  • NFPA 1021 Fire Officer.
  • Alberta Fire Safety Codes Officer – Group B.
  • Level 2, NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator.
  • NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor.
  • Incident Command System 400.
  • Medical First Responder, Emergency Medical Responder.
  • Primary Care Paramedic or Advanced Care Paramedic designation.
  • Class 3 Drivers License with Q endorsement.

Equal Opportunity

The Town of Canmore is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse staff benefits and enriches the work environment and contributes to organizational excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals including candidates from diverse backgrounds and those with disabilities.

Compensation

A competitive compensation package commensurate with skills and experience. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.

Confidentiality

In compliance and consistent with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”), HumanEdge shall respect the privacy and confidentiality of all personal information provided directly or indirectly verbally, electronically or in print throughout the process of candidate engagement in our search assignments.

Information, expressions of interest and resumes contact or send in confidence to:

Ken Glover, BSc., RPR
Managing Partner, HumanEdge Global
Phone: 780-902-1174
Email: ken.glover@humanedgeglobal.com
www.humanedgeglobal.com

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