The Town of Cochrane is seeking a strategic Fire Chief to lead Cochrane Fire Services into its next phase of organizational maturity and service excellence.

Reporting to the Director, Community Safety, the Fire Chief provides senior executive leadership across fire operations, emergency management, labour relations, governance, and organizational culture. This role is well suited to a seasoned municipal fire service leader who brings credibility, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership approach within a unionized IAFF environment.

This is an opportunity to build on established foundations, strengthen leadership capacity, and support a modern, accountable, and sustainable fire service in a growing municipality.

Why This Role

Cochrane Fire Services is positioned for continued growth and long-term sustainability. The Fire Chief will play a key role in:

- Strengthening organizational alignment, trust, and engagement
- Supporting consistent, accountable leadership across all officer levels
- Reinforcing a positive, professional, and psychologically safe workplace culture
- Providing stable leadership through growth, operational complexity, and change
- Supporting strategic planning and service evolution aligned with community needs

The Town is seeking a leader who values clarity, transparency, and professionalism, and who understands the importance of strong relationships, sound governance, and operational credibility.

Why Cochrane

Located in the Bow Valley corridor at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Cochrane offers an exceptional quality of life alongside meaningful municipal leadership work. The Town is a growing, progressive organization that values accountability, collaboration, innovation, and respect.

Cochrane supports leaders who operate with integrity, realism, and a strong service orientation to the community.

Key Responsibilities





- Provide overall leadership and accountability for Fire Services operations, people leadership, governance, and service delivery
- Strengthen organizational culture through clear expectations, consistency, and leadership development
- Provide senior leadership within an IAFF unionized environment, including labour relations, grievances, discipline, and collective agreement interpretation
- Communicate clearly and transparently with staff, Council, union leadership, partners, and the community
- Develop, support, and hold Lieutenants and Captains accountable, reinforcing the supervisory structure
- Provide leadership in emergency response and emergency management
- Develop and manage strategic plans, Fire Master Plan objectives, budgets, and risk management strategies
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with Council, the Executive Leadership Team, union leadership, partner agencies, and stakeholders
- Ensure compliance with legislation, NFPA standards, and municipal policies
- Represent Fire Services at Council meetings, committees, public forums, and community events

The Ideal Candidate The successful candidate will be a senior municipal fire service leader who:
- Brings operational credibility and executive-level leadership capability
- Leads with professionalism, consistency, and sound judgment
- Communicates clearly, honestly, and respectfully
- Understands the complexity of IAFF labour environments
- Values leadership development, succession planning, and accountability




- Demonstrates political awareness while remaining non-political and governance-focused
- Supports organizational stability while enabling continuous improvement

Qualifications

Education and Experience

- Minimum 10 years of municipal firefighting experience with progressively senior leadership responsibilities
- Extensive experience working within an IAFF unionized fire service
- Experience supporting organizational culture, leadership development, or change initiatives
- Experience working within municipal governance environments
- Post-secondary education in Fire Service Leadership, Public Administration, Business Administration, Emergency Management, or a related discipline

Certifications
- Valid Alberta Class 5 Drivers License
- Incident Command System (ICS) 300 (ICS 400 preferred)
- Current Standard First Aid, CPR, and AED
- NFPA-compliant firefighter, officer, and incident command certifications appropriate to a senior leadership role
- Ability to obtain and maintain required security clearances
- Blue Card Command Certification (preferred)

Compensation and Benefits
- Salary Range: $158,861 – $169,713 (35-hour work week)
- Comprehensive employer-paid extended health and dental perks
- Health Care Spending Account and wellness benefit
- Employee & Family Assistance Program
- Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP)
- Vacation entitlement that increases with service and professional development support

Package Details

- Salary Range: $158,861 – $169,713 (35-hour work week)
- Comprehensive employer-paid extended health and dental benefits
- Health Care Spending Account and wellness benefit
- Employee & Family Assistance Program
- Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP)
- Vacation entitlement that increases with service and professional development support

📌 Fire Chief (Cochrane)
🏢 Prepared for Duty Recruitment Service
📍 Cochrane