Fire Chief of the Elk Valley/South Country

Nestled within the beautiful Rocky and Purcell Mountains, in the southeast corner of British Columbia, the East Kootenay region is a four-season destination. The region boasts unlimited year-round outdoor recreation including skiing, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, golfing, boating, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, mountaineering, white-water rafting, and snowmobiling. The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) serves over 60,000 permanent residents and approximately 25,000 to 30,000 seasonal residents. The region is diverse, and home to several unincorporated communities, eight municipalities, and four First Nations communities.

Reporting to the Protective Services Manager, the Fire Chief of the Elk Valley/South Country Rural Fire & Rescue Services is responsible for leading multiple Paid-on-Call Fire Departments to prevent or minimize loss of life, property, and injury during emergency incidents. They ensure safe, professional, and timely responses to all calls while overseeing firefighter training, equipment readiness, and day-to-day operations. The Fire Chief provides strategic and people-first leadership that promotes collaboration, accountability, psychological safety, and continuous learning, while balancing operational discipline with wellbeing and professional development.

The role requires active consultation with the Manager on policy and planning, along with independent oversight of staffing needs, equipment planning, and emerging trends to ensure sustainable and progressive service delivery. As part of the RDEK leadership team, the Fire Chief liaises with internal and external partners, assumes command during emergency operations as required, and manages administrative functions including recruitment, training, budgeting, and resource allocation.This position will be based out of the Jaffray Fire Hall.

Qualifications and experience include:

• Minimum 5 years' experience in fire department operations and administration with progressively greater responsibilities, including two years at a senior fire officer level (Chief or Deputy Chief).
• NFPA 1001 Firefighter Level II (including NFPA 1072/Ops).
• NFPA 1021 Fire Officer Level I.
• OFC Fire Investigator or NFPA 1033 Fire Investigator.
• NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor Level I.
• NFPA 1051 or SPP-WFF1 or equivalent.
• ICS 300.
• First Responder Level 3 or CPR Level "C" with Emergency First Aid.
• Basic Introduction to Emergency Management in BC.
• Understanding of the Structure Firefighters Competency and Training Playbook.
• Post-secondary education in Fire Service Administration, Business Administration, Public Administration, Emergency Management, or Leadership.
• ICS 400.
• NFPA 1031 Fire Inspector.
• NFPA 1021 Fire Officer Level II, III, or IV.
• NFPA 1521 Incident Safety Officer.
• NFPA 1041 Fire Service Instructor Level II.
• NFPA 1002 Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator or equivalent EVOC training.
• BC Wildfire Service Structural Protection Program (WSPP-115) or equivalent.

Key Skills and Abilities:

• Effectively deal with emergency situations;
• Engage with fellow employees, the public and outside agencies in a courteous manner;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships;
• Coordinate and administer contracts and volunteer programs;
• Prepare clear and concise reports; and
• Professional competence in the development and administration of emergency management programs.
• Must reside within 30 minutes response time to the EV/SC area; preference for residence within the protection area.

The RDEK offers a great work environment which includes a competitive salary and learning opportunities. This is a permanent, full-time (35 hours per week) exempt position. The starting salary is between $99,530.74 and $123,897.26 depending on qualifications and experience.

Qualified individuals interested in this opportunity are invited to forward a cover letter and resume including references, in confidence, prior to 4:30 pm, Wednesday December 31, 2025 to:

Human Resources

Email: (MS Word format or PDF)

Please quote:

Information on our organization and a copy of the complete job description is available on the RDEK website ). We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Education : Other trades certificate or diploma

Experience : 5 years or more