Penticton has been recognized as one of Canada’s most livable cities, according to latest rankings by The Globe and Mail, ranked as the eighth most livable medium-sized city in Canada. Nationally, Penticton earned high marks for access to amenities (11th in Canada), #11 for midlife transitions and #11 for retirement, as well as #13 for young professionals. Penticton also placed within the top 20 in the categories of raising kids (#19), contributing to an overall ranking of 35th across Canada. Rooted in agriculture and surrounded by natural beauty, Penticton is known for its orchards, wineries, and craft breweries—making it one of Canada’s top wine destinations. More than 100 years since its incorporation, Penticton continues to grow as a place to live, work, and play.
Deputy Fire Chief - Operations
Job No:
26036
Location:
Penticton
About the City of Penticton
Penticton is a vibrant, innovative waterfront city known for its commitment to sustainability, community well-being, and economic opportunity. With a strong focus on good governance, collaboration, and service excellence, the City is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors alike. As one of the most active development regions in British Columbia, Penticton features a diverse mix of large-scale and complex construction projects.
For more information, please visit our website at penticton.ca/
For more information about life in Penticton, please visit visitpenticton.com/
About the Opportunity
The City of Penticton is looking for a permanent full-time Deputy Fire Chief - Operations based in Penticton, B.C.
Reporting to the Fire Chief, the Deputy Fire Chief is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership through effective business and long range planning, technical oversight, recruiting, mentoring, and staff development. The role assists with overall budget planning and oversees daily budget activities, goal setting, supports labour relations, equipment procurement, and overall departmental operations. The Deputy Fire Chief ensures all functions are carried out in alignment with organizational policies, applicable legislation, and recognized standards. In addition, the position supports the Fire Chief as a key advisor and, in their absence, may assume the full scope of the Fire Chief’s roles and responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities:
- Supports and implements the vision and direction of the Fire Chief in a positive manner.
- Assists the Fire Chief by providing technical advice, preparing reports, and providing support and assistance to subordinates on difficult or unusual problems.
- Serves as an on-call Stand-by Duty Chief after hours on a rotational basis.
- Supports emergency response and incident management through Incident Command System (ICS) role at the site level, or through Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as required.
- Monitors operational resource allocation including deployment of fire equipment and apparatus.
- Responsible for care and maintenance of existing facilities.
- Maintains the confidentiality of sensitive information such as personal, disciplinary, confidential and privileged information.
- Supervise the operation, testing and maintenance of suppression vehicles and suppression equipment.
- Carry out all the legislative responsibilities as required by the BC Fire Safety Act, BC Fire Code, City of Penticton Fire and Life Safety Bylaw and any other related Bylaws.
- Assist in the budget preparation and administration; monitors and ensures the control and accountability for expenditures and productivity.
- Organize the purchasing of operational and capital equipment for the fire department.
- Leads and oversees the department in all hiring and promotional processes, providing guidance, direction, and decision‑making to ensure fair, consistent, and strategic staffing outcomes.
- Assist the Fire Chief in the development of Fire Department Operational Guidelines, Directives and preparing amendments to fire regulations and bylaws.
- Attends Council and other department-related meetings as directed.
- Acts as a media spokesperson as required.
- Carries out other related duties as assigned by the Fire Chief.
- Carries out the duties of the Fire Chief in their absence.
Required Knowledge, Abilities & Skills:
- Demonstrated commitment to skill and knowledge development.
- Extensive experience in an exempt management role in a IAFF unionized environment.
- Knowledge of modern fire service principles and practices, including relevant legislation, regulations, and statutes such as the BC Fire Code, Fire Safety Act, and Workers Compensation Act
- Credibility, team building and leadership skills.
- Strong written and oral communication, interpersonal and public relation skills.
- Strong business and financial management skills.
- Ability to ensure the effective and efficient utilization of all departmental resources, including personnel, equipment, and financial assets, to support operational readiness and service excellence.
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience working with a variety of computer software and systems, including Microsoft Office suite.
- Good knowledge of the City’s organization and operations, including the PFD Operational Guidelines.
- Possesses proven dedication to contribute to ongoing improvements in all areas of the Department.
- Available for rotational after-hours on-call duty and must reside within the living boundaries of the City to ensure reasonable response times.
Required Education, Training & Experience:
- Completion of a diploma or degree in executive fire management or local government management, supplemented by additional diploma or degree in business management/administration, 3 to 5 years exempt management experience in an IAFF union environment, intermediate knowledge in Microsoft Office products, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
- Valid Class 5 Driver's License for the Province of British Columbia
- NFPA 1021 Fire Officer – Level 3
- Fire Service Instructor – Level 2
- Emergency Scene Management – Level 2
- Incident Safety Officer
- Incident Command System 300
- Conflict Resolution Certificate (Justice Institute of British Columbia)
About the Benefits
Compensation based on skills and experience is an annual salary of $187,494, along with a host of excellent benefits including:
- Extended health, dental, and vision coverage
- Relocation assistance
- 3 weeks of vacation starting on day one
- 2 weeks of paid sick leave annually
- Municipal pension plan
- $2,000 in annual mental health benefits
- Up to $200 in annual fitness rebates
- Free community recreation pass (swimming, fitness, etc.)
- Support for professional development, including yearly conference budget
- Free on-site parking
- Draws for tickets to local concerts, hockey games, and employee appreciation events
- Wellness initiatives and team-building activities
- A picturesque waterfront location with access to world-class outdoor recreation and a progressive, community-oriented work culture
At the City of Penticton, we recognize that great talent and great ideas come from a variety of backgrounds. Tapping into the diversity of our community makes us all stronger and allows us to serve Penticton even better.
That's why we welcome all applicants to consider joining our team. We encourage Indigenous persons, people of colour, all genders and expressions, 2SLGBT2QIA+, persons living with disabilities, and others who reflect our ever-changing workplace to apply. If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know, we'd be happy to support you!
The noted compensation range is the span between the minimum and maximum salary for a position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and approximately halfway of the salary range for a job with consideration given to internal equity.
If your experience is close to what we're looking for, we would love a chance to talk about working with you. We welcome your cover letter and resume by April 19, 2026.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
This position is only open to those legally entitled to work in Canada.