Fire Battalion Chief

The Fire Battalion Chief is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and supervising the daily operations of the assigned division(s), or shift, including serving as on-scene incident commander, directing emergency response operations for all incident types, and exercising sound judgment and independent decision-making in accordance with established organizational policies and procedures.

The Fire Battalion Chief for the City of Patterson will respond to emergency incidents for both suppression and evaluation; commands the firefighting activities of fire companies in response to all emergency incidents; serves as Duty Officer for assigned shifts; performs a full range of administrative duties and tasks; develops, implements, and monitors all training activities and requirements; performs related duties as required and special projects assigned.

The ideal candidate leads by example; is a positive influencer and creates a sense of unity through a shared common vision; and by fostering trust, credibility, collaboration, and teamwork. Possesses a strong command presence with excellent verbal, written communication, listening, interpersonal and administrative skills.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associate degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in fire science, fire administration, business or public administration, or a related field; Bachelor’s degree is highly desirable. Completion of all courses of the California State Board of Fire Services Chief Fire Officer series.
• Six (6) years of increasingly responsible full-time, career fire suppression and fire prevention experience in a professionally recognized fire agency; four (4) years of Company Officer experience equivalent to that of a Fire Captain with the City of Patterson.

Tentative Recruitment Schedule:

• Assessments and Presentation - October 22, 2026
• Fire Chief's Interview - November 4, 2026

Deadline to apply: September 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM