Description

The Cañon City (CO) Area Fire Protection District is seeking qualified applicants to serve as the next Fire Chief.  To view full job posting go to:  www.KRW-Associates.com/open-positions. 

The Cañon City Area Fire Protection District

The Cañon City Area Fire Protection District (aka Cañon City Fire District) serves approximately 35,000 people in Cañon City, CO and portions of the surrounding unincorporated Fremont County area.   Situated on the edge of the Arkansas Valley it is approximately 40 miles west of Pueblo, CO, less than an hour southwest of Colorado Springs, and a two-hour drive from Denver.  It is a prime location for those who enjoy the smaller community lifestyle, yet close enough to larger metro areas for access to additional amenities and conveniences. 

The District is a growing combination career/volunteer fire suppression district that responds to over 4,400 calls annually and operates out of three staffed stations with an operating budget of around 7 million dollars.  Wildland response and operations cover approximately 86% of the 125 square miles of the Cañon City Fire District. The District maintains an ISO Public Protection Classification Rating of 2/2Y. The District’s training facility is a vital asset utilized by local, regional, and State agencies for numerous training activities.  

Today's Cañon City Fire District works out of three stations.  Firefighters work a modified Kelly schedule of 24-hour shifts staffing three stations 24/7.  Total hours per work week is 56 hours.  

The District staffing includes the Fire Chief, an Assistant Fire Chief, a Division Chief of Training, two Life Safety Inspectors, 48 suppression career personnel ranging from Firefighter to Battalion Chief (each shift has 16 personnel on duty: one Battalion Chief; one Captain; three Lieutenants; and 11 firefighters).  Other paid staff include one Executive Assistant, one Administrative Assistant, and one Receptionist.  There are also 20 volunteer personnel.  

The District owns and maintains a fleet of quality apparatus, including two aerial ladder trucks, five pumper engines, four wildland trucks, two rescue trucks and three Chief's vehicles. For getting water to a non-hydranted fire site, there is a 2,000-gallon water tender.  

Fremont County E911 Authority (Frecom 911) provides dispatch services for the District.  The District is governed by a five-member Board, whom are elected at large from citizens living or owning property within the District. Elections are conducted in May of every odd-numbered year. 

Cañon City and the Surrounding Area

Cañon City, the county seat in Fremont County, is the third oldest city in Colorado and may be best known as the home of the stunning Royal Gorge.  The Cañon City area is a prime destination for many outdoor recreational activities due to its location, many attractions and climate.  With 300+ days of sunshine each year, locals and visitors enjoy hiking, biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, camping, fishing and golf.  Popular attractions include the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park, the Royal Gorge Route Railroad (with lunch or dinner train excursions), the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, the Isabel National Forest, the Arkansas River, and Historic Downtown Cañon City with its turn-of-the-century architecture, dining options, boutiques and the Artist’s Gallery.  Finally, the Four Mile Ranch Golf Club, is an award-winning public course which is perfectly situated at the gateway to the Royal Gorge.  

Cañon City is home to excellent private and public schools (five elementary, three middle, one high school and one K-12 exploratory school and private options) all of which are a hub for community life.  Pueblo Community College has a campus in Cañon City.  

Quality medical care is available locally through the CommonSpirit St. Thomas More Hospital and Urgent Care.   Finally, the Department of Corrections and Federal Bureau of Prisons operate 13 facilities in the area and serve as a major employer and make a substantial positive economic impact.  

Cañon City is proud of its rich history and has maintained its small-town feel despite being a growing community.  Some say the area is Colorado’s best-kept secret; less crowded than other front-range, mountain and tourist destinations, but every bit as beautiful. 

The Position

The Fire Chief is the District’s Chief Executive Officer and reports to the District Board of Directors. This position is responsible to manage, supervise, plan, and coordinate the activities and operations of all aspects of the Fire District including, fire/emergency operations, administration, training, fire safety and prevention, HAZMAT mitigation, personnel management (sworn, non-sworn and volunteers), labor-management relations, finance and budgets, and public relations.  

The Fire Chief will develop and monitor the annual operating and capital budgets and manage the financial records control systems;  make recommendations to the Board in areas of personnel, apparatus and equipment; participate in long-range strategic planning with the District Board; conduct public meetings and issue public notices related to safety and hazards; direct and oversee staff recruitment, retention, and initial and on-going training to ensure proper staffing and competence; and supervise the promotional examination process.  

The Fire Chief is responsible to coordinate mutual-aid planning with surrounding communities and participate in local, Colorado State and national fire associations.  The Fire Chief strategically plans for the long-range future of the of the department in conjunction with the Board, the surrounding communities and the state. He/she must have a working knowledge of C.R.S. Title 32 Special District Laws, State and Federal Regulations and recognized industry standards. 

This is a 40-hour a week position, but the Fire Chief is expected to respond on large incidents and depending on shift staffing levels may also need to respond on smaller incidents. He/she must meet the District’s physical fitness standards and must maintain a valid Colorado Driver’s License. The Fire Chief is required to live within/relocate to the Cañon City Fire District boundaries.   

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university with coursework or equivalent in fire science, public administration management or related areas.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible experience in the fire service. At least five of those 12 years must be in a supervisory or administrative role. At their sole discretion, the District may accept other combinations of experience and education that may be substituted to meet the minimum requirements. 
• Must have managerial skills, budgeting experience, and human resources skills.
• Is currently, or has held the minimum following certifications: Firefighter II, EMT-B, and Hazardous Materials Operations Level.
• Experience in wildland/urban interface protection and response.   

Preferred Requirements:

•          Master's degree in fire science, public administration, business management or a related field.
•          Ten years of experience in a management and/or command position.
•          Completion of U.S. Fire Administration Executive Fire Officer (EFO) program.
•          Completion of Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) Chief Fire Officer (CFO) program.  
•          Fire Officer II

The Ideal Candidate

A proven professional fire service leader. One who demonstrates operational and administrative expertise. Is willing and comfortable serving as an incident commander at large-scale incidents, if needed.

Promotes teamwork– ensures that operational and administrative protocols are consistent district-wide.

Committed to providing excellent customer service to the District’s constituents and maintaining strong, positive community relations.

A visionary and strategic thinker who will work with the Board on long-range planning.

A skilled mentor who trains, builds trust, and delegates appropriately. Not a micro-manager.

An advocate for firefighters- one who understands the value of recruiting/retaining motivated and committed personnel.   Is successful leading a multi-generational workforce.

Provides and requires on-going consistent evaluation and feedback and is committed to succession planning.  

An advocate of continual training to manage risk and help ensure the safety of the firefighters and the public.  

An excellent communicator who is clear, transparent, and ensures consistent messaging across the organization. Listens and is receptive to the opinions of others, and values input from all levels.

Financially savvy with strong business acumen. Proficient managing budgets (capital and operations). Experienced with obtaining and managing grants and alternative funding sources. Thoughtful when allocating resources.

Committed to ensuring a healthy organizational culture.  Committed to stabilizing and guiding the department through a period of significant and rapid growth.

Sets clear expectations and applies consistent management practices. Is willing and comfortable making tough decisions and having hard conversations.  

Holds him/herself accountable and is comfortable and willing to hold others, at all levels, accountable.

A collaborator and unifier who fosters professional relationships within all levels of the organization. Builds connections among staff, community members, public safety partners and other key stakeholders.

Innovative and open to change.  Embraces growth, modernization, and evidence-based best practices.

A strong and humble leader who leads by example, demonstrates a high level of integrity and emotional intelligence, and possesses valuable interpersonal skills.  Is credible, trustworthy, fair, accessible, approachable and kind. 

Opportunities & Challenges

The Fire District completed the construction of a new headquarters and training facility in 2023.  The addition of this new station has resulted in a 33% staffing increase. Rapid growth presents both opportunities and challenges.  

The new chief has an opportunity to continue the positive momentum that has contributed to the past success. He/she is challenged to foster a cohesive culture that values the traditions, sound operational practices and institutional knowledge while encouraging innovative thinking. In short, ensure a department-wide supportive culture of unity and mission-driven collaboration among all staff. 

He/she is challenged to lead the effort to update and standardize all operational policies and procedures, with ongoing reviews in the future.  The Chief must ensure that these operational policies and procedures are applied and completed consistently across all work shifts.  

He/she is challenged to lead the effort to update, formalize, and standardize a transparent process for recruitment and retention of new members, but most importantly for the promotion of current members.  

This is also an opportunity to analyze training practices and protocols to ensure proper initial and ongoing training- to manage risk for all personnel, and to help ensure optimal use of the new training facility. 

Long-range planning and budgeting are challenges due to the fluctuation in the property tax revenue and other revenue streams. The Fire Chief will be challenged to efficiently manage the budget and seek out opportunities to secure grants and other alternate funding.  

Compensation & Benefits - Salary Range: $143,317 - $159,560

• The Fire Protection District offers a competitive salary and benefit package to include:
• Insurance - Meritain/Aetna Health (80% of premium paid by the District; 20% paid by Employee) - Medical, Dental and Vision - 2026 premium (Employee portion: Employee only = $178/month, Employee +1 = $389.40/month and Family = $459.40/month).
• Retirement - Defined Benefit System-Statewide Retirement Plan - Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) 
• A voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (Nationwide and/or FPPA)
• Death and Disability Benefits - Statewide Death and Disability Plan - Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) 
• Life Insurance -The Hartford -The District provides $50,000 for Employee and $10,000 for the Spouse
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) provided by the District to the Employee and Spouse
• Marquee Health and Wellness Program paid by the District (including an annual blood draw at no cost to employee and spouse)
• Colorado Heart, Cancer and Behavioral Trust coverage
• 115 Trust Plan - a tax qualified plan to pre-fund employee health care benefits
• The Fire Chief is issued a take-home vehicle, a department cell phone and receives a clothing/uniform allowance.

 Apply Online www.KRW-Associates.com/open-positions

Provide a cover letter, resume and six (6) professional references.  Deadline:  Friday, February 27, 2026- 5:00 PM Mountain Time.

KRW Associates LLC is assisting the Cañon City Fire District with this search.  Direct questions to:  info@KRW-Associates.com or to KRW Associates Managing Partner Lorne Kramer at 719-310-8960 or to Associates Gina McGrail - 303-249-9572 or Dave McGrail - 303-249-9575.

The Cañon City Area Fire Protection District is an equal opportunity employer.