FIRE CHIEF

Lead with service. Invest in people. Strengthen a community through public safety.

As the Fire Chief for the City of Coppell, you will have the opportunity to lead a people-centered public safety organization that protects life, strengthens community trust, and prepares the City for the challenges of today and tomorrow. In Coppell, we believe that taking care of our people enables them to take care of our community—an essential principle woven into our culture of service and public safety.

Serving on the City’s Executive Leadership Team, the Fire Chief provides enterprise-level leadership and leads the Fire Department’s Fire Operations, Life Safety Park, and Emergency Management divisions in service to the community. This role serves as a central catalyst for aligning City-wide priorities with operational readiness, ensuring that public safety services are delivered with professionalism, integrity, and a deep commitment to service.

Coppell Fire is recognized as one of a very small number of agencies statewide to hold both the Texas Fire Chiefs Association Best Practices Recognition Program designation and a Class 1 ISO rating—reflecting a sustained commitment to excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

The Fire Chief’s most critical work is to cultivate strong leaders, resilient systems, and a sustainable operational foundation that supports emergency response, prevention, education, and preparedness. In partnership with the City's executive leadership team and Fire Department leadership team, you will ensure teams are equipped with the tools, training, and support necessary to grow professionally, lead confidently, and serve the community effectively.

This role requires a leader who brings humility, collaboration, and strategic thinking to complex public safety challenges—balancing innovation with operational excellence, and long-term preparedness with day-to-day service delivery. Success in this role is grounded in the ability to invest in people, strengthen partnerships, and advance a public safety organization rooted in trust, accountability, and service to the community.

Opportunity Description
To view the full scope of this opportunity, including essential job functions, CLICK HERE.

Schedule Commitment 
Regular attendance is an essential function. The Fire Chief typically works an 8–5 schedule Monday–Friday, with additional hours as required, and maintains 24-hour on-call availability. The Fire Chief frequently performs after-hours duties related to emergency response, operational oversight, citywide leadership, and community engagement.

Pay Plan

This opportunity is an exempt position and salary determination is supported by budget availability and qualifications of the candidate to maintain internal equity.

Candidate Engagement Plan
This is our anticipated timeline and is subject to change.

• January 23-February 8: Accepting Applications
• February 9-13: Selected candidates will be invited to participate in a Phone Screening with our third party vendor partner, The Management Connection
• February 23-27: Selected candidates will be invited to participate in a DISC Assessment and Panel Interview
• March 12-13: Interview Experience

For application support, or to check the status of your application, contact the Employee Experience Team by calling 972-304-3699.

Experience 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, Emergency Management, Leadership, or related field. 
• Master Firefighter, Texas Commission on Fire Protection or equivalent, with the ability to obtain the TCFP within 12 months post-hire.
• 12+ years of progressively responsible, paid experience in municipal fire service, including demonstrated responsibility within emergency management functions.
• 5+ years at the rank of Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Division Chief, or equivalent. 
• Demonstrated experience in leadership, budgeting, personnel management, and strategic planning. 
• Valid driver’s license, with a good driving record. 

Preferred 

• Master’s degree in public administration, Emergency Management, Leadership, or related field. 
• Head of Fire Department Certification, Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP).
• Graduation from the U.S. Fire Administration Executive Fire Officer Program.
• Chief Fire Officer, Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). 
• Fire Service Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service TEEX. 
• Experience leading organization-wide culture or strategic initiatives. 
• Experience in regional emergency management or large-scale incident management.

Post-Offer Contingencies

• Background w/ Driving Record
• Drug
• Medical
• Psychological 
• Polygraph