Gerald Plock Associates, Inc. 101 E. Park Blvd, Suite 600, PMB 634 Plano, Texas 75074 Phone: (817) 464-4610 GeraldPlock@GeraldPlockAssoc.com

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

Is currently seeking a progressive

FIRE CHIEF

Super Bowl contenders in a new coliseum... NHL hockey and concerts in a state of the art arena. Within walking distance between them, a hot night life and variety of clubs each reflecting the character of a renovated one hundred year-old warehouse. Under construction downtown are a new $81 million library, Country Music Hall of Fame, hotels and apartments. Nashville and Davidson County, located in the north central part of Tennessee, is the state?’s largest metropolitan area. Nashville?’s location and environmental setting provide many advantages. The City offers advantages of a thriving metropolitan area, yet still offers friendliness not often found in today?’s culture. The city also offers a prime housing market to its residents and to the newcomers in the area. All sections of the city, from the renovated downtown homes to quiet established neighborhoods, offer something unique and interesting, each providing a small town community with the benefits of proximity to an urban center.

There are a variety of recreational activities within Nashville and Davidson County including 15 public and private golf courses, 83 parks, 175 tennis courts, 102 ball fields, 13 swimming facilities, an indoor ice rink, a wave pool, a sailboat marina, a wildlife park, nature trail and many exercise facilities. Cultural attractions include the Tennessee State Museum, the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Fine Arts Center, the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, The Cumberland Museum and Science Center, the Parthenon, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Ryman Auditorium, as well as the Nashville City Ballet, and The Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Sports attractions include Tennessee Titans NFL football, Nashville Predators NHL hockey, Nashville Cats Arena League football team, and a minor league baseball team, the Nashville Sounds. The new state of the art Adelphia Coliseum is the home to the Titans and plays host to the annual NCAA Music City Bowl. This 67,000 seat stadium, an open-air facility with a natural grass field, is located on the east bank of the Cumberland River.

Nashville is the center of activity for a region of one and one half-million people stretching across Davidson and surrounding counties. The city?’s economy has grown significantly over the years. The area has benefited from low unemployment, consistent job growth, and substantial outside investments. According to Money magazine, Nashville has the fifth best educated workforce in the United States. This, along with its location, services and low taxes, attracts many new companies to the area. The City?’s major industries include vehicle and computer manufacturing, publishing, health care, banking, education, and insurance. Nashville?’s ability to develop, attract, retain, and expand industry continues to gain interest. The city also has no state salary income tax or urban income tax and personal property taxes are among the lowest the country. The cost of living in Nashville is consistently below the national average.

Nashville has 127 public and 43 private schools in the city serving students from pre-kindergarten to adult. The City is also home to 18 colleges and universities, including two medical schools. Total higher education enrollment exceeds 30,000 students annually. Nashville is also a leading center for medical research and education with Vanderbilt University emphasizing medial research and Meharry Medical College specializing in health care.

Nashville was the first and is still one of a few U.S. cities to have a consolidated city/county government. The combination makes Metropolitan Government unique, with a diverse mixture of services. Along with Police and Fire, and ?‘traditional?’ city services, Metro also runs an extensive library system in the heart of downtown. In addition, Metro runs an extensive parks system, two hospitals, court systems, and numerous correctional facilities. Over 50 agencies carry out the many ?‘businesses?’ of the Metropolitan Government. Ten thousand plus employees staff these many operations, making Metro the city?’s third largest employer. The city?’s operating budget for FY ?‘99-00?’ exceeds $1 billion.

The Mayor is the chief executive, and is elected to four-year terms. The Mayor is responsible for seven executive departments and the administration of these departments is handled by and through the departmental directors under the supervision and direction of the Mayor. The directors work in conjunction with the Mayor to develop plans and procedures for their departments to follow and make sure that they are in compliance with all Metro rules and regulations.

The Legislative authority of the Metropolitan Government is the Metro Council. The Council consists of 40 members, plus the Vice-Mayor, who serves as presiding officer. Members of the Council are elected for a term of four years and are limited to serving two consecutive terms.

The Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Fire Department is responsible for the provision of all fire and emergency medical services to the entire region which has approximately 550,000 residents and spread out over 533 square miles.

The Department has a workforce of approximately 1,200 employees and a total annual operating budget of $68.5 million. There are currently 35 fire stations in the metropolitan area, a communications center, a training academy and a repair shop.

The Fire Department operates its own computer aided dispatch system. The department receives approximately 16,000 fire calls for service annually. The department also receives about 55,000 emergency medical calls a year. The number of working fires is approximately 1,200 a year. Like most other departments in the Country, approximately 80-85% of the total calls are medical in nature.

The response times of the fire department within the urban service district are 4-6 minutes and 8 -12 minutes in the general services district.

The ISO rating in the General Services District is a three. The ISO rating General Services District (the more rural areas) is mostly a six but does go as high as 9 in some remote spots.

The Mayor appoints the Fire Chief/Director for an unspecified term. The Fire Chief works under the general supervision of the Mayor. The appointment is subject to the Civil Service provisions of the Charter. All officers and other employees are under Civil Service.

A Deputy Director reports directly to the Fire Chief and is the second highest command position in the department.

The Fire Department is organized into three divisions, each headed up by a Deputy Chief: Suppression, Emergency Medical and Support Services. The Deputy Chief of Suppression is responsible for a staff of 6 Assistant Chiefs, 24 Battalion Chiefs, 153 Fire Captains, 206 Fire Engineers and 390 fire fighters.

The Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services manages a staff of 125 paramedics along with fleet repair, communications, and information systems and quality improvement.

The Deputy Chief of Support Services is responsible for a staff of approximately 200 employees in accounting, communications, fire prevention, repair and maintenance, risk management and accreditation.

The Fire Department is unionized and represented by the Nashville Fighters and Fire Service Employees Association, Local 763 (IAFF). Metro Government has a Memorandum of Understanding with the union. Tennessee is a "right to work state" and there is no binding arbitration.

The Fire Chief/Director?’s position in Nashville provides an outstanding professional opportunity to assume command of one of the largest and most prestigious Fire Departments. The new Fire Chief will take an excellent Fire Department and make it even better. Some of the current opportunities and challenges include:

• Provide better management training for mid and upper management.
• Develop a strong human resources function within the department.
• Provide leadership on "state of the art" practices in the Fire Service ?– both in Fire Science, Emergency Medical Service, and Administration/Operations.
• Increase the departments ability to change.

The Deputy Director has announced his intention of retiring from the Fire Department at the end of the year. Several other high-ranking command officers are also expected to retire at the same time. This will provide the new Director the opportunity to select and mentor many new Chief officers.

The ideal candidate will bring to Nashville a modern and innovative approach to the management and delivery of fire and emergency medical services.

A Bachelor?’s degree from an accredited college or university and five- (5) years increasingly responsible management and administrative training is required.

The candidate should also have a record of continuing education, training and skilled in "best practices."

Significant experience in the supervision of employees, human resources, and methods of obtaining accountability from employees is essential. Broad understanding of financial management and budgeting is also necessary.

Experience working in a large complex organization is very desirable. The candidate should also have experience in benchmarking and in the measurement of results for employees and programs in the public sector. Experience working in a unionized environment is important.

The ideal candidate will have outstanding interpersonal and communications ability. The successful candidate will be adept at working with and communicating to employees at all levels of the Metropolitan Government. The Director must also have a successful background interacting with elected and appointed officials, the public, citizens groups and other units of government. The Director must be committed to dealing with all persons in an impartial manner without regard for gender, racial or ethnic background, socio-economic status or disability.

A modern, participative management style is important. Delegating of authority and responsibility while maintaining accountability is an essential component of this management style or philosophy.

Salary range $79,420-$103,009, negotiable depending upon qualifications and experience plus excellent employee benefits.

The candidate will be eligible to participate in the Police and Fire Pension Program.

Individuals interested in applying for the position should send their resume ASAP to Metro?’s Executive Search Consultant: Gerald Plock, Gerald Plock Associates, Inc., 7501 Stallion Circle, Flower Mound, TX 75022. Applicants should anticipate an accelerated search process.

The position is open until filled.

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