ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF

Full Job Description

• City Departments
• Proposed FY26 Budget
• 2030 Strategic Vision
• Elevate '28 Infrastructure Investment Plan
  
  

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Long Beach Fire Department has over 550 budgeted positions and seasonally increases to over 700 total sworn and professional staff.

LBFD operates an annual expense operating budget of approximately $189.8 million and $56 million in revenue.

The mission of the Fire Department is to protect lives, property and the environment, while improving the quality of life and safety of the community.

The Department has five bureaus: Executive, Business Operations, Fire Prevention, Operations and Support Services.Additional information on the Department can be found at https://www.longbeach.gov/fire

Requirements

THE POSITION

The Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention position is assigned to the Fire Prevention Bureau and reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention.

The Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention plays an essential role in the overall leadership, management and completion of initiatives and programs in the Fire Prevention Bureau.

The Assistant Chief is the lead facilitator for relationships, services delivery and capital planning for fire operations located in the Port of Long Beach complex with the management of the City’s fire preventions services.

This is a salaried position with a base hourly rate of $121.344 (base annual pay of $253,262.268). Other skill pays allowed by the Long Beach Management Association MOU will be part of the compensation package, in addition to the listed base pay.

As a member of the Fire Department Command Staff, general leadership responsibilities are assigned to this position. In close collaboration with the Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention and the rest of the Fire Command Staff, the position will be responsible for the following:

• Organizes and implements departmental operations within allocated personnel and financial resources.
• Identifies areas for organizational improvement and for consideration with the implementation of departmental rules, goals, objectives, policies/procedures, and work standards.
• Proactively disseminates information to inform Fire Department colleagues of emerging issues, new initiatives, or collaborative partnerships that impact the Fire Department.
• Finds opportunities to teach, educate and mentor Fire Department staff to promote ongoing development and professional growth.
• Develops relationships within the City and with external agencies to promote, innovate and enhance delivery of fire services to the community.
• Attends and makes presentations before the City Council, at boards and commissions, professional organizations, community organizations and employee groups.
• Represents the department at regional meetings for regional interoperable initiatives.
• Composes routine correspondence and reports independently.
• Encourages an environment of equal opportunity and promotes safety.
• Responds to emergency calls as necessary and may assume command and direct activities.
• Aligns Bureau initiatives with broader City-wide initiatives including preparation for the 2028 Olympics, enhanced cost recovery of public services, and alignment with the Strategic Vision 2030.
• Promotes a culture of respect, continuous learning, and inclusivity to leverage the talents and skills of all personnel.
• As the Bureau lead in the absence of a Deputy Chief.
• As on-call Fire Chief on a rotating basis.

Qualifications

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

This recruitment is open to Fire Department currently in the rank of Battalion Chief.

Additionally, full completion and submittal of all required application package documents including a cover letter, resume, and completion of the supplemental question is necessary to participate in the evaluation process for this position.

Desirable Qualification:
Post secondary education such as a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of fire service organizational effectiveness, administration, and operations.
• Ability to access and review the City Charter and City of Long Beach policies, procedures and processes.
• Knowledge of managing personnel and financial resources in accordance with City policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of federal, state and regional legislation, mandates, grants, policies or partnerships that impact fire services.
• Ability to assist in budget preparation, management, and oversight.
• Ability to assist the bureau’s Deputy Fire Chief with determination and implementation of the bureau’s priorities and goals.
• Ability to delegate authority and responsibility for the achievement of bureau goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Ability to collaborate with Command Stand and lead supervisors, analyze information, request data, examine alternatives, draw logical conclusions and recommend or implement a course of action.
• Ability to identify and explore new concepts for fire service delivery consistent with community and other stakeholder feedback.
• In developing and applying concepts for effective process improvement and change management techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective, transparent, and cooperative working relationships with City/ department staff, officials of public and private agencies, City Council, commissions, community groups and the general public.
• Ability to positively communicate up and down the chains of command within the organization and those the Fire Department with accuracy and effectiveness for the purpose of maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities.
• Ability to proactively develop relationships and enhance community engagement with the City of Long Beach’s diverse communities and its members.
• Ability to apply leadership skills to motivate sworn and professional staff and enhance employee morale.
• Ability to promote accountability and uphold performance standards within the organization.

Additional Information

This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Monday, February 9th, 2026.

To be considered, please submit an online application, including a cover letter, resume, and response to the supplemental questionnaire in PDF format.

Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration.

Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education.

The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures.

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered. For questions regarding this recruitment, please call (562) 570-7008.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce.

The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are.

Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers.

To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners.

We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act.

You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer.

If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

The City of Long Beach is committed to maintaining fairness and transparency in our hiring practices.

We believe in providing equal opportunities to all applicants and ensuring that every applicant is evaluated based on their qualifications and merit.

If you believe that you have been unjustly disqualified based on minimum qualifications for an unclassified job opportunity, you have the right to appeal the decision.

Find out more about the Applicant Appeal Process by visiting Applicant Appeal Process (longbeach.gov).