MJ fire chief job description posted

The new Mt. Juliet fire chief must be able to "oversee, plan, direct and review the day-to-day activities of the fire department and have a minimum of a two year degree in fire science or equivalent of five years progressively responsible firefighting experience, two of which were in a supervisory or administrative responsibility."

Or, equivalent combination of post high school education and command staff supervision in a professional fire department, according to the job description posted Tuesday.

After nearly a month of research, the job description for the new fire chief to oversee the new Mt. Juliet fire department has been posted. 

Last week Mt. Juliet Public Safety Director Andy Garrett said he was nearly ready to post the position and noted his first priority was to hire an "aggressive fire chief."

The eight page job description will be posted in local papers and on the city's website.

"I would like to have the fire chief hired by February," said Garrett. "I would like the fire department to be up and operational by July 1."

Garrett hopes to narrow the pool to the top five candidates and then conduct personal interviews. He wants to have a fire chief from a city of Mt. Juliet's size to sit in on the interviews and present questions.

Garrett will oversee both the fire and police departments.

"I am the first to say I don't know everything about everything," he said. "I will depend on both chiefs."

He said he wants a "boots on the ground chief" and one who has a goal to "improve fire safety for Mt. Juliet."

According to the job description, some essential duties and responsibilities of the fire chief will be to "establish policies and procedures for fire, rescue, first responder and or EMT operations in order to implement directives for the public safety director and/or city manager."

The fire chief will be expected to also supervise, coordinate and oversee the preparation and presentation of an annual budget for the fire department. 

The job description states that the fire chief will plan and implement fire department goals and objectives and develop and administer policies and procedures. 

Other duties and responsibilities include directing departmental in-service training programs as well as extensive training programs for new recruits.

The candidates must possess a valid Tennessee driver's license, firefighter 1 and II status are encouraged, but not required. 

Problem resolution and diplomacy are skills the city seeks in the future fire chief.

Critical thinking, using logic and analysis, firefighting, rescue, first responder and EMT techniques are necessary as well. 

The position will post for 14 days.

Mt. Juliet News Managing Editor Laurie Everett can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 46 or by email at mtjulietnews@tds.net