Fire Chief

Job Description:

Fire Chief

Description

Description

NOW HIRING - FIRE CHIEF

The City of Kennewick is excited to announce a recruitment for its next Fire Chief in partnership with the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA). This is a unique opportunity for an experienced and forward-thinking fire service leader to guide our growing department into its next chapter. Please note: All applications must be submitted directly through WFCA. For full details on the position, department, and community - and to apply - please visit the official recruitment page linked below.

Note from the Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA):
The following content has been provided by WFCA to offer a comprehensive overview of the opportunity and application process:

If you are an experienced battalion chief/division chief, deputy fire chief, or fire chief, looking for an outstanding opportunity (or know someone who is) please take a few moments to read this.

The Western Fire Chiefs Association is pleased and honored to be conducting a confidential recruitment to find the next Fire Chief for the City of Kennewick, Washington. The current Fire Chief is retiring, and the City is seeking the right individual to lead Kennewick Fire into their next chapter of service excellence.

A few brief notes on this opportunity…

Kennewick, the largest city in Washington’s dynamic Tri-Cities region, sits perched at the confluence of the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers in southeastern Washington, at an elevation of 558 feet. In this vibrant and expanding metropolitan region of over 320,000 residents, the collaborative tri-city model offers shared economic, educational, cultural, and infrastructure assets that significantly enhance Kennewick’s local capabilities and regional influence. With an estimated population exceeding 87,000, and occupying an area of some 27 square miles, the city of Kennewick is a mid-sized but rapidly growing hub of culture, commerce, and community vitality. Kennewick enjoys over 300 days of sunshine per year, and offers beautiful parks, a vibrant downtown, upscale dining and retail, art galleries, antique shops, a variety of entertainment venues, and an outdoor recreational paradise.

Incorporated in 1904, the City of Kennewick is a full-service city, with a workforce of approximately 436 employees. The City operates under a Council-Manager form of government, with the City Manager appointed by the City Council as the chief executive officer of the City. The City Council is comprised of seven Council members, one of whom is appointed by its members to serve as Mayor. The Fire Chief reports to the City Manager. The City Council and City Manager have been very supportive of public safety and the Fire Department and Police Department enjoy a strong and effective working relationship at all levels.

The Kennewick Fire Department (KFD) responds to the highest number of emergency incidents within the Tri-Cities region. In 2024, KFD responded to 13,576 requests for emergency services - approximately 84% of which were emergency medical in nature (fairly typical of many contemporary municipal fire departments.) In FY2025-26, KFD is authorized for 103 employees, with an executive leadership team consisting of one Fire Chief, two Deputy Fire Chiefs, and three Battalion Chiefs. The City of Kennewick currently has five fully operational fire stations strategically situated throughout the 29.2 square mile jurisdictional area to maximize coverage and minimize response times. From these stations, KFD provides a full range of services including fire suppression, emergency medical services, advanced life support (ALS) ambulance transport services, fire prevention, hazardous materials response, and technical rescue services. See the full brochure for more details.

Complete information on the Fire Chief’s salary and benefits can be found via the links below. The compensation and benefit package is very attractive.

If you are interested in learning more…

For complete detailed information on this position, the ideal candidate description, the department, and the community, click the following link for the official WFCA recruitment brochure: https://qr.link/qa47Hf

To submit your interest directly and confidentially to me (Western Fire Chiefs Association) follow this link: https://qr.codes/yEz5Cj

The WFCA Confidential Recruitment process is unique - particularly attractive to the candidate who wants to explore the opportunity without creating drama at their current employment. The WFCA process allows you to learn about the position and the community in an up-close and meaningful way, while remaining anonymous to the hiring agency until the final stages. If you have not experienced this kind of process before, you will be both comfortable and impressed. Learn more about the WFCA recruitment process here: Fire Chief Recruitment | WFCA

I am pleased and honored to be serving The Western as Executive Recruiter on this recruitment and would be more than happy to discuss it with you.
If you have any difficulty linking to the resources I have listed/linked here, or simply want to discuss the opportunity, contact me directly at Randy@WFCA.com . Our conversations are private and confidential.

If you are not looking for a change for yourself, please take a moment to forward this email to a few individuals that you think might be interested. If each recipient of this email shares it with a few others… hundreds of potentially qualified candidates will become aware of what might prove to be the next chapter in their fire service career - an opportunity they might not be aware of without your help.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Randy Groom

Executive Recruiter

Randy@WFCA.com

The City of Kennewick offers competitive pay, excellent benefits and a work-life balance.

The benefits listed within the link below are among those currently offered to City of Kennewick Employees.

Non-Contract Benefit Summary

Closing Date/Time: 8/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$174,552.00 - $223,440.00 Annually