Job Description

DEPARTMENT: Fire & Rescue Services – Fire Administration
STATUS: Regular Full-Time
NO. OF POSITIONS: One
UNION: Exempt
HOURS OF WORK: 37.5 hours per week
SALARY: $210,949 – $224,841 annually + Comprehensive Benefits Package

As a central hub in the Metro Vancouver area, the City of New Westminster delivers a broad spectrum of urban services to over 92,000 residents. New Westminster is rich in history with a viable and thriving economy and has a population representative of the diversity of the region. The City is staffed by talented and dedicated employees who work together to achieve its strategic vision. We have earned a proud reputation for civic leadership, service delivery, and outstanding employee relations.

New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services is one of the oldest fire departments in British Columbia. We are dedicated to being on the forefront of technology, fire suppression methods, medical care as well as dangerous goods response and technical rescue. Our emphasis on diversity, honour, respect, and teamwork helps us achieve our goals. By joining New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services you will be dedicated to providing fire protection to life and property as well as providing other rescue and safety services. We offer our employees great work-life balance, competitive salaries and benefit plans, education and training opportunities, and challenging and rewarding work.

New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services (NWFRS) has an exciting opportunity for an accomplished fire service leader to become a part of the NWFRS exempt senior management team. The position of Deputy Fire Chief of Administration & Community Safety encompasses broad-based knowledge, skills, and ability relating to the Fire Department and municipal management, and supports succession planning.

The Deputy Fire Chief will play a critical leadership role in achieving the Fire Department’s and the City’s goals and objectives, including the promotion of Inclusion and Diversity, Engagement, Reconciliation, and Innovation.
Reporting to the Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief is accountable for key high-level business functions that support administrative, operational and technological programs, and emergency response activities, including Emergency Management. The Deputy Chief acts for the Fire Chief during absences and is available for rotational on-call duty shifts as assigned. Performance is evaluated in terms of effective leadership, attainment of stated management objectives and standards and reinforcement of the Fire Department’s Mission, Vision and Values.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES

Support Role
• Supports and implements the vision and direction of the Fire Chief and New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services in a positive manner.
• Supports the Fire Chief on human resources and labour relations matters including: grievance administration, applying corrective behaviours up to and including termination, union-management meetings, investigations, collective bargaining, performance management, and wellness and attendance management.
• Supports emergency response and incident management through Incident Command System (ICS) role at the site level, or through Department Operations Centre (DOC) or Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as required.
• Provides reasoned and balanced advice, background information and briefing materials to a variety of stakeholders.
• Maintains communication, ensuring the Fire Chief is apprised of operational developments that relate to the interests of NWFRS.
• Serves as a participating member of assigned diverse boards, committees and organizations either within NWFRS, the City of New Westminster or relevant stakeholders, customers and the community at large.

Leadership
• Provides administrative and operational leadership to staff in service and delivery areas of fire administration, public safety and prevention, fire suppression, communications, fleet services and emergency management programs.
• Takes a leadership role in managing employee performance and development.
• Directs Fire Company Officers on matters related to daily operations, staffing, work assignments, training, motivation, coaching, performance evaluation and leadership.
• Participates in recruitment, orientation and training of new staff in accordance with NWFRS policy and procedures.
• Assumes a leadership and project management role as assigned on special projects. Ensures project accountability including: work plan development, continuous productivity, progress benchmarks and outcomes.
• Prepares guidelines for work performance, expenditures and use of resources.
• Serves as a role model for effective public participation and relationship building with community stakeholders.

Operations
• Participates in strategizing and executing short and long term divisional and individual goals and objectives involving project, business and budget planning.
• Participates in workplace investigations.
• May be required to participate in the preparation and management of department finances.
• Responds to high risk emergency incidents as required and where appropriate may assume incident command functions.
• Monitors operational resource allocation including deployment of fire equipment and apparatus.
• Ensures policies, procedures and standards are consistently applied and adhered to.
• Builds relationships and ensures collaboration with other City departments regarding initiatives that may have multi-department involvement.
• Provides operational leadership in the areas of public safety & prevention division, administrative and technological requirements/improvements, emergency operations; incident response and management; specialized teams, planning, logistics, infrastructure and capital programs.
• Supports the Emergency Management Office and can serve in a senior role in the Emergency Operations Center when required.

QUALIFICATIONS AND MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced training in a related field of study plus ten years of progressive experience in a municipal fire service, or an equivalent level of knowledge and experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience including a certificate in Fire Service Leadership or Administration.
• Legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Possession of a valid B.C. Driver’s License with Class 3 endorsement.
• NFPA 1021 Fire Officer III certification or equivalent.
• Incident Command Level 300.
• Sound supervisory experience as a Fire Officer or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience within the Fire Operations/Management field.
• Experience in project management and delivery.
• Demonstrated computer competency in related business and office suite software programs.
• Demonstrated business writing competency including briefings, memorandums and reports.
• Available for rotational after-hours on-call duty with a maximum emergency incident response time of 30 minutes from time of notification to on-scene.

Apply online with your resume and cover letter in one document at www.newwestcity.ca/employment by May 7, 2026.

We offer our employees great work-life balance, including competitive salaries, comprehensive health and wellness benefits and retirement plans (a percentage in lieu of benefits for auxiliary positions). We also offer a hybrid remote work schedule in accordance with our Remote Work Policy, opportunities for education and training, and engaging, rewarding work.

To support a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community; women, Indigenous Peoples, racialized individuals, persons of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (LGBTQ2S+), persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversity of our workforce, are encouraged to express their interest.
New Westminster is on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halq’eméylem-speaking peoples. It is acknowledged by the City that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land.
We are learning and building relationships with the people whose lands we are on.
We thank all applicants for their interest and advise that only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
This position is only open to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

Required languages: English

Education level: See Above

Required skills: See Above

Closest intersection: 1 East 6th Ave