Profession chief fire officer

Chief fire officers supervise a fire department. They coordinate the operations of the department, and supervise and lead the fire and rescue staff during firefighting and rescue activities to ensure the safety of the staff and limitation of risks. They perform administrative duties to ensure record maintenance, and implement policies to improve the department's operations.

Would you like to know what kind of career and professions suit you best? Take our free Holland code career test and find out.

Personality Type

  • Enterprising / Investigative

Knowledge

  • Fire safety regulations

    The legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.

  • Pyrotechnic articles legislation

    The legal rules surrounding pyrotechnics and pyrotechnic materials.

  • Fire-fighting systems

    The devices and systems used to extinguish fires; the classes and chemistry of fire.

  • Fire prevention procedures

    The regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.

  • First response

    The procedures of pre-hospital care for medical emergencies, such as first aid, resuscitation techniques, legal and ethical issues, patient assessment, trauma emergencies.

Skills

  • Work as a team in a hazardous environment

    Work together with others in a dangerous, sometimes noisy, environment, such as a building on fire or metal forging facilities, in order to achieve a higher degree of efficiency while heeding the co-workers' safety.

  • Ensure public safety and security

    Implement the relevant procedures, strategies and use the proper equipment to promote local or national security activities for the protection of data, people, institutions, and property.

  • Use different types of fire extinguishers

    Understand and apply various methods of firefighting and various types and classes of fire extinguishing equipment.

  • Manage emergency care situations

    Manage situations in which decision making under time pressure is essential to save lives.

  • Delegate activities

    Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it.

  • Manage major incidents

    Take immediate action to respond to major incidents that affect the safety and security of individuals in private or public places such as road accidents.

  • Conform to health and safety regulations

    Carry out all work in accordance with relevant environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements and company policies. Take the necessary health and safety precautions during work including posture the body well, safely operate tools and machinery, and wear the right clothes and protection for the climate.

  • Use geographic information systems

    Work with computer data systems such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

  • Lead a team

    Lead, supervise and motivate a group of people, in order to meet the expected results within a given timeline and with the foreseen resources in mind.

  • Extinguish fires

    Extinguish smaller fires such as electrical fires, oil fires, or propane fires, using the adequate portable fire extinguisher. Extinguish larger fires with water, using jet and spray nozzles. Extinguish fires with foam, powder or other chemical agents. Enter and pass through, with a lifeline but without breathing apparatus, a compartment into which high-expansion foam has been injected. Fight fire in smoke-filled enclosed spaces, wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus. Extinguish a fire in a simulated engine room with heavy smoke. Perform rescue operations in a smoke-filled space, wearing breathing apparatus.

  • Manage staff

    Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.

Optional knowledge and skills

coordinate with other emergency services select hazard control recruit employees assess employees' capability levels apply first response coordinate rescue missions pollution legislation operate fire extinguishers manage security equipment supervise worker safety train employees maintain operational communications perform risk analysis educate public on fire safety conduct public presentations plan health and safety procedures manage budgets test safety strategies environmental policy hydraulics

Common job titles

  • Fire chief
  • Coo
  • Deputy fire chief
  • Security officer - shift leader
  • Associate chief nursing officer
  • Marshall islands: fire chief (contingency hire)
  • Fire crew chief - structural
  • Fire crew chief - crash / fire / rescue
  • Chief financial officer/ director of operations