Deputy Fire Chief – Strategic Services

Posting number: 2603320

Department: Savannah Fire Department

Division: Office of the Fire Chief

Job classification: Deputy Fire Chief

Posting type: Open

Categories: Fire & EMS

Summary

The Savannah Fire Department seeks an accomplished, forward-thinking, and collaborative executive to serve as its next Deputy Fire Chief – Strategic Services. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of one of Georgia's premier fire departments while supporting a vibrant, historic, and rapidly growing coastal community.

As a key member of the Fire Department's executive leadership team, the Deputy Fire Chief – Strategic Services serves as the executive leader responsible for advancing organizational effectiveness, strategic planning, administrative services, and continuous improvement initiatives. Partnering closely with the Fire Chief, this leader provides executive oversight of the systems, programs, personnel, and resources that support emergency operations while ensuring alignment with the department's mission, strategic objectives, and the City of Savannah's Government Performance Standards (GPS).

The ideal candidate is a confident yet humble leader who builds trust through integrity, accountability, and authentic relationships. They possess exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, inspire high-performing teams, and foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence. This executive thrives in a dynamic environment, embraces organizational change, and uses data-driven decision-making to improve performance while serving as a responsible steward of public resources.

Leading the Strategic Services Division, the Deputy Fire Chief provides executive oversight of workforce management, logistics, capital planning, fire prevention and community risk reduction, accreditation, ISO readiness, technology systems, data analytics, records management, and organizational performance. This leader champions innovation, drives continuous improvement, and develops long-range strategies that strengthen operational readiness and position the department for future success.

As Savannah continues to experience significant growth and increasing service demands, the Deputy Fire Chief – Strategic Services will play a pivotal role in modernizing organizational systems, enhancing operational support, and ensuring the department remains agile, resilient, and prepared to meet the evolving needs of the community. Through visionary leadership, strategic partnerships, and a commitment to excellence, this executive will help build the organizational foundation that enables firefighters and emergency responders to serve the community safely and effectively.

This position offers the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy by shaping the future of the Savannah Fire Department through strategic leadership, organizational excellence, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to public service.

Examples of duties

• Serves as a member of the Fire Department's executive leadership team, assisting the Fire Chief in providing strategic direction, executive leadership, and overall management of the organization.
• Serves as Acting Fire Chief in the absence of the Fire Chief and assumes responsibility for department-wide operations, administration, and executive decision-making.
• Provides executive leadership to assigned divisions through subordinate command staff by establishing expectations, promoting accountability, and ensuring organizational effectiveness.
• Directs and evaluates assigned personnel, including performance management, leadership development, succession planning, and professional development.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates organizational strategies, policies, procedures, and department-wide initiatives that support departmental objectives and the City of Savannah's Government Performance Standards (GPS).
• Participates in executive planning activities including workforce planning, budgeting, capital planning, organizational development, and long-range strategic initiatives.
• Promotes collaboration, communication, and coordination across departmental divisions to ensure organizational alignment and effective service delivery.
• Represents the Fire Department before elected officials, City leadership, partner agencies, professional organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Provides executive sponsorship and oversight of department-wide projects, initiatives, and special assignments as directed by the Fire Chief.
• Responds to significant emergency incidents to provide executive command, organizational coordination, and strategic support.
• Ensures executive leadership coverage and organizational support on a twenty-four-hour basis.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

When assigned to Strategic Services Division:

When assigned to the Strategic Services Division, the Deputy Fire Chief serves as the executive leader responsible for the department's organizational effectiveness, administrative services, strategic planning, and continuous improvement initiatives. This position provides executive oversight of the systems, resources, and personnel that support emergency operations and ensures alignment with the Fire Department's mission, strategic objectives, and the City of Savannah's Government Performance Standards (GPS).

• Provides executive leadership for the department's administrative, support, and strategic functions to enhance organizational effectiveness and operational readiness. 
• Directs and oversees human resources and workforce management, logistics and physical resource management, fire prevention and community risk reduction, and technical services including accreditation, ISO, GIS, records management, data analytics, technology systems, and organizational performance.
• Leads strategic planning, organizational development, and continuous improvement initiatives. 
• Oversees capital planning and lifecycle management of departmental assets and resources. 
• Directs organizational performance management, accreditation, ISO readiness, and the use of data analytics to support evidence-based decision-making. 
• Promotes innovation, organizational change, and implementation of best practices to improve departmental performance. 
• Performs other administrative functions as assigned by the Fire Chief. 

The Deputy Fire Chief is responsible for ensuring these programs are effectively managed, aligned with departmental strategic objectives, and delivered in a manner that supports operational readiness, organizational excellence, and responsible stewardship of public resources.

Operations Division 

When assigned to the Operations Division, the Deputy Fire Chief serves as the executive leader responsible for emergency operations, operational readiness, deployment, and service delivery. This position provides executive oversight of the department's operational functions and ensures that emergency response capabilities, personnel, and resources are effectively aligned to safely and efficiently protect the community while supporting the Fire Department's mission, strategic objectives, and the City of Savannah's Government Performance Standards (GPS).

• Provides executive leadership and strategic direction for emergency response operations and service delivery.
• Directs and oversees fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, marine operations, and other specialized emergency response programs.
• Oversees operational readiness, including staffing, deployment strategies, resource allocation, response performance, and operational preparedness.
• Directs department-wide training, leadership development, and workforce readiness initiatives to ensure professional competency and operational effectiveness.
• Oversees emergency planning, disaster preparedness, mutual aid agreements, and regional response coordination.
• Evaluates operational performance through performance metrics, after-action reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance firefighter safety and service delivery.
• Ensures operational activities comply with departmental policies, accreditation standards, and strategic objectives.
• Performs other operational functions as assigned by the Fire Chief.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Fire Administration, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Minimum of fifteen (15) years of progressively responsible experience in a career fire department, including emergency operations, administration, and organizational leadership.

• Minimum of two (2) years of successful executive command experience at the Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, Fire Chief, or equivalent executive leadership level with demonstrated responsibility for organizational leadership, strategic planning, administration, or oversight of major departmental divisions.

• Candidates must demonstrate executive leadership experience in multiple organizational disciplines such as workforce management, strategic planning, organizational development, labor relations, accreditation, technology, logistics, fleet or facilities management, fire prevention, or other major administrative functions.

• Demonstrated executive leadership experience in organizational change management, strategic planning, or leading complex organizational initiatives is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Fire Administration, Public Administration, or a related field
• Executive Fire Officer (EFO), Chief Fire Officer (CFO), or equivalent designation
• Advanced training in leadership, executive management, or public administration

Supplemental information

• Knowledge of modern fire service administration, including emergency operations, fire prevention, EMS, community risk reduction, and emergency management.

• Knowledge of executive leadership, organizational development, strategic planning, and public administration.

• Knowledge of budgeting, municipal finance, capital planning, procurement, and resource stewardship.

• Knowledge of labor relations, workforce management, employment laws, and organizational policy administration.

• Knowledge of accreditation, ISO, performance management, data analytics, and continuous improvement principles. Skill in developing short- and long-range plans.

• Skill in providing executive leadership through subordinate command staff while fostering accountability, collaboration, and organizational excellence.

• Skill in developing and implementing strategic initiatives, policies, and organizational priorities.

• Skill in analyzing complex operational, organizational, and fiscal issues and developing effective long-term solutions.

• Skill in executive communication, relationship management, and building consensus among diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to provide strategic leadership and executive decision-making in dynamic and high-pressure environments.

• Ability to lead organizational change while promoting innovation and continuous improvement.

• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with employees, elected officials, partner agencies, labor representatives, and the community.

• Ability to balance competing priorities while aligning departmental operations with organizational goals and public expectations.
   

MINIMUM STANDARDS:

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: The Fire Chief assigns work in terms of departmental goals and objectives. Work is reviewed through reports, conferences, and overall organizational performance.

GUIDELINES: Guidelines include City of Savannah policies, Fire Department procedures, NFPA standards, and applicable local, state, and federal regulations. Independent judgment is required in application.

COMPLEXITY: The work consists of varied executive-level administrative, operational, and strategic duties. Emergency response responsibilities and organizational complexity contribute to the role.

SCOPE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this position is to assist in directing the Fire Department and leading major divisions. Successful performance ensures effective service delivery and enhances the safety of life and property in the community.

PERSONAL CONTACTS: Contacts include elected officials, department heads, employees, community leaders, partner agencies, and the general public.

PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: Contacts are used to exchange information, resolve problems, influence outcomes, and coordinate services.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Work is typically performed in an office environment but may involve field response to emergency incidents. Physical activity may include standing, walking, lifting, and operating equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is performed in office and field environments, including exposure to emergency scenes, hazardous conditions, and inclement weather.

SUPERVISORY AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY: This position provides executive-level oversight of assigned divisions and supervises personnel through subordinate command staff.