The City of Sparks has opened recruitment to fill the position for the city’s next fire chief, and qualified people are invited to apply. Sparks City Manager Neil Krutz enlisted the help of Ralph Andersen & Associates to perform a nationwide search, following the former fire chief’s retirement.
“We retained Ralph Andersen & Associates to conduct the search for a new fire chief; we know our reach in the city is not nationwide, so I sought out this group that has decades of experience finding professionals in this sector,” Krutz says.
“Former Fire Chief Jim Reid retired,” Krutz replies when asked why the job role was open. “His contract was coming up and we ask for 90 days to give notice- which Jim did- so we’ve known this was coming for a few months now,” he adds. Krutz explains that most high-level City officials- the police chief, fire chief, and others- generally work on a reoccurring 2-year contract, negotiated with the city manager.
Jim Reid had been with the City of Sparks for 25 years in the fire department and spent 33 years in fire service. Reid gave his letter of retirement after the Sparks firefighters union filed a vote of no confidence motion back in March due to his leadership style. Reid spent the past three years as fire chief and seemingly retired from the department with no hard feelings.
The Sparks Fire Department has been around since 1905, providing emergency services to the City of Sparks for more than a century. The city is looking for someone with a history of managing a team at an executive level within the fire service while maintaining a strong commitment to public safety. The ideal candidate will be proactive, demonstrate an ability to utilize firefighting resources to their full advantage, respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies, and will work closely with the city manager and leadership team to successfully operate five fire stations and 97 personnel who can provide a high level of care to those who need it within the City of Sparks.
Prerequisites to be considered for this position include that the candidate hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in fire administration, business, public administration, fire science, public safety, or a related field as well as three years of command/leadership experience equivalent to the City’s Fire Battalion Chief or higher. The hired person must be willing to obtain an Incident Command System (ICS) 100/200 certification within the first three months of employment and eventually an ICS300 certification.
The project directors at Ralph Andersen & Associates could not be reached for comment at time of publication about how the recruitment process for the next Sparks fire chief is going.
The Sparks fire chief position opened on July 6 and candidates have until August 17, 2022, to get their applications in. For more information about the job posting or to apply, visit www.ralphandersen.com.
“We’re excited to bring a new chief on board,” Sparks City Manager Neil Krutz adds.
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