Fire Department Division Chief (Promotional)

THIS IS A NEW PROMOTIONAL ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended. Qualified applicants must be current Alameda County Fire Department employees and have completed, by the last day for filing, the equivalent of six months of continuous service following a regular appointment in the Alameda County classified service. A regular appointment does not include provisional, TAP (Temporary Assignment Pool), or STEP-UP appointments.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Applicants are required to attach the following documents to their application: 

• Current and valid California Driver's License
• Applicable certifications and/or class completions listed in the Minimum Qualifications.

Applications, Supplemental Questionnaires, and required documentation must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing.

Applications, Supplemental Questionnaires, and required documentation will only be accepted on-line.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

THE ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT (ACFD) provides all-risk emergency services to the unincorporated areas of Alameda County (excluding Fairview), the cities of San Leandro, Dublin, Newark, Union City and Emeryville, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. With 28 fire stations and 34 companies serving a population of 394,000, the ACFD serves densely populated urban areas, waterways, industrialized centers, extensive urban interface, agricultural and wildland regions. Over 400 personnel and 100 Reserve Firefighters provide a wide variety of services to an ever expanding, dynamic and diverse community of roughly 508 square miles. These services include:

• Advanced Life Support
• Fire Suppression
• Hazardous Materials Response
• Urban Search & Rescue
• Water Rescue
• Community Outreach & Education
• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Prevention and Code Compliance
• Regional Dispatch

The Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) was formed on July 1, 1993, as a dependent special district with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors as its governing body. This consolidation brought together into a single jurisdiction the Castro Valley Fire Department, Eden Consolidated Fire Protection District and County Fire Patrol. Subsequently, the following communities have contracted with the ACFD:

• July 1, 1995 City of San Leandro
• July 1, 1997 City of Dublin
• August 1, 2002 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• October 1, 2007 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
• May 1, 2010 City of Newark
• July 1, 2010 City of Union City
• July 1, 2012 City of Emeryville

On January 20, 2008, the ACFD became responsible for the administration and operation of the Alameda County Regional Emergency Communications Center (ACRECC). The dispatch center provides dispatch and regional communication center services for the ACFD, the Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Camp Parks Combat Support Training Center, and the cities of Alameda, Fremont, Livermore and Pleasanton. ACRECC is also the Dispatch/System Status Management Center for Falck ambulance service.

For more information about the agency, please visit:  Alameda County Fire Department.

THE POSITION

Under administrative direction, manages, supervises, directs, and coordinates the activities and operations of a complex Division (program and/or shift) within the Alameda County Fire Department (ACFD) including but not limited to Training, Fire Prevention, Emergency Medical Services, Special Operations, Support Services or related programs and services, and performs other related duties as required.

For more detailed information about the classification, please visit: Fire Department Division Chief (#8130).

Education:

Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate’s degree or the completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units.

AND

EITHER I:

Experience: 

Current appointment as a Battalion Chief in the Alameda County Fire Department. 

OR II:

Experience:

Minimum of three (3) years of experience as a Captain in the Alameda County Fire Department with the following prerequisite training courses, completed by date of appointment: 

• Command 2A    
• Command 2B
• Command 2C
• Command 2D
• Command 2E
• Management 2A
• Management 2B
• Management 2C
• Management 2D
• Management 2E
• ICS400 

OR:

• Chief Fire Officer 3A:  Human Resources Management
• Chief Fire Officer 3B:  Budget and Fiscal Responsibilities
• Chief Fire Officer 3C:  General Administration Functions
• Chief Fire Officer 3D:  Emergency Service Delivery Responsibilities
• ICS300

OR:

• CSFM Chief Officer Certification

OR III:

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Fire Science, Fire Administration, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.

AND

Experience:

Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a California public fire protection agency at the rank of Battalion Chief or higher-level classification.   

License:  

Must be in possession of at least a valid California Class C driver’s license. 

Special Requirement:  

Incumbent is subject to emergency re-call when off duty and serves as Duty Chief as assigned.  

NOTE:  The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

Knowledge of:

• Current principles, practices, methods, techniques, and equipment used in a state-of-the-art, metropolitan fire department in fire suppressions, fire prevention, and administration.
• Training practices and techniques.
• Laws, ordinances, and regulations which govern a fire department and California fire district.    
• Principles, practices, procedures, and equipment used in fighting fires and saving lives and property.
• The operation and maintenance of fire and rescue apparatus and equipment.
• Principles of hydraulics, chemistry, and physics as related to the fire service.
• Arson investigation.
• Management principles and practices, including leadership, work planning, employee supervision and resource allocation.
• Principles, practices, and techniques of administrative budgetary, and project management.                            

Ability to:

• Effectively convey Department philosophy, messages, and rationale to employees.
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Provide effective leadership.
• Demonstrate teamwork.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with departments/agencies and the community.
• Plan, organize, and implement effectively.
• Perform analysis and problem solving.
• Demonstrate flexibility.
• Demonstrate management control.
• Exercise sound judgment and decision making.
• Work effectively with a diverse population.
• Demonstrate interpersonal sensitivity.
• Manage time in an effective manner.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS:

1. A review of candidates' applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
2. An assessment center which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score and may consist of:

i. A structured interview to assess background, knowledge, and experience, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score;

ii. A simulation exercise, to assess incident command skills, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score;

iii. A written exercise to assess administrative, managerial, and written communication skills, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score.

iv. Formal presentation to assess the ability to speak and interact with the public, weighted at 25% of the candidate's final score.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

NOTE: Competitors must achieve at least 70% in each of the assessment test components individually listed above in order to obtain an overall qualifying score in the entire examination process. 

Competitors who score 70% or above in the entire process will have their names placed on the eligible list in order of final ranking.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION COMPONENTS.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components. Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/.

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org, @jobaps.com, NoReply@jobaps.com, and NoReplyAlamedaCountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the 'My applications' button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email boxes Noreply@acgov.org and NoReplyAlamedaCountyHR@acgov.org are routed to unmonitored mailboxes. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions, please go to our website at https://hrs.alamedacountyca.gov/. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

DISASTER SERVICE WORKER

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law.  Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect.  Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.