After nearly 30 years of providing fire service through a contract with Riverside County Fire/Cal Fire, the City of Canyon Lake is starting its own municipal fire department. The city will continue providing fire services through a contract with Riverside County Fire/Cal Fire until December 31, 2021.
At the November 4 City Council meeting, the City Council adopted Resolution 2020-48 and directed City Manager Chris Mann to move forward with establishing a City of Canyon Lake Fire Department by January 1, 2022.
The city is currently seeking a consultant to lead the establishment of the new fire department. The selected consultant, who may have the title “Interim Fire Chief,” will develop, plan, manage, oversee and direct the startup and operations of a new single-station fire department, including fire administration, fire suppression, fire prevention, fire investigation, fire protection and measures, emergency medical services, fire marshal services, disaster preparedness, and related services and operations.
Specific duties may include, but are not limited to, the establishment of policies and procedures, training, EMS implementation, purchasing or leasing of vehicles and equipment, negotiating automatic aid and mutual aid agreements, records management, recruiting and onboarding of personnel, developing and managing a department budget, establishing support services and fire safety technical services functions, coordinating department activities with other city officials and outside agencies, and providing responsible and complex staff support to the city manager.
The desired qualifications include any combination of education and experience that has provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for a fire chief. A typical way of obtaining the required qualifications is to possess the equivalent of 15 years of increasingly responsible experience in all phases of fire suppression, prevention, and emergency medical services including five years of experience as a chief officer (battalion, division, deputy, or assistant).
Required qualifications include a high school diploma or equivalent, completion of major coursework from an accredited college or university in fire science, fire administration, business, or public administration. A bachelor’s degree is preferred.
The selected individual will be brought on under a consulting contract and will be an independent contractor and not an employee of the city.
Applications are due no later than December 10, 2020, at 5 p.m. For inquiries, contact Human Resources Specialist Kayla Lozano at [email protected]. To apply for this position, click here.
