Airport Fire Chief

Under administrative direction, the employee in this class directs the department’s specialized airport firefighting and rescue operations provided by the City for the Tampa International Airport (TIA) under contractual agreement with the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority. Work is of unusual difficulty and requires the exercise of extensive self-initiative and independent judgment in developing and implementing policies and procedures, coordinating operations with TIA operations, and evaluating incidents and making technical firefighting and rescue decisions. Work is reviewed through numerous methods, including one on one meetings, ARFF working groups, conferences, reports submittals, and results achieved.

Plans, directs and supervises Aircraft Rescue Firefighting and rescue operations, including the operation and utilization of fire station on the airport complex, specialized aircraft rescue firefighting vehicles, and specially trained personnel.

Meets regularly with the VP of Operations of TIA to maintain awareness of activities and policy changes at the airport; develops contingency plans to deal with various types of disasters, cooperating with agencies associated with local county, state, and federal Emergency Operations Center. 

Facilitates continual training of assigned firefighters with department training personnel, representatives of TIA, and with other agencies to maintain employees’ certification in airport firefighting and rescue as required by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and National Fire Protection Association.

Compiles and maintains all records for the FAA on personnel training and maintenance of equipment.

Interacts with the airport VP of Operations, the Aviation Authority, Airport Managers Association, MacDill Air Force Base, Airline Pilots Association, Airline Companies, tenants, business partners of the Aviation Authority, etc., on a variety of issues. 

Responds to emergency incidents at the airport to support firefighting and/or rescue operations.

Evaluates situation and assist with making command decisions as to actions to be taken

Assists with placement and operation of apparatus and equipment; assist with placement and activities of firefighting personnel to resolve emergency situation. 

Evaluates current and future staffing, training, and equipment needs of the division. 

Prepares reports and correspondence; assigns, develops, and evaluates staff; manages unit budget and work processes. 

Performs related work as required.

Extensive knowledge of: principles and practices of modern firefighting, fire administration, organization and programs, and fire apparatus and equipment; modern developments, current literature and sources of information relating to fire service administration and airport rescue and firefighting.

Considerable knowledge of: modern management practices and procedures.

Working  knowledge of: labor relations, including negotiations, contract administration, and grievance processing.

Ability to: write and speak clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings; plan, assign, direct, and coordinate the work of fire service employees in a manner that promotes full performance; must be a team player, work collaborative and a good presenter; establish and maintain effective working relationships with city officials and employees, representatives of airport related agencies and authorities, labor union representatives, the media, and the general public; deal with public relations problems effectively, courteously, and tactfully; plan, organize and refine procedures; set clear objectives and measures and monitor process, progress, and results.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in fire science, fire administration or related field and three (3) years of experience in fire service management and administration, including experience in aircraft firefighting and rescue; OR

An associate degree in fire science, fire administration or related field and five (5) years of experience in fire service management and administration, including experience in aircraft firefighting and rescue.

Will be required to become ARFF certified and completion of mandatory leadership training coordinated by Aviation Authority.

Possession of a valid State of Florida driver’s license.

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.

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