05/21/2026
📣COMMUNITY UPDATE - FIRE CHIEF POSITION📣
Yes, things around the firehouse are changing, and we believe they’re changing in a good way. As those changes happen, we want to be as transparent as possible with our community.
Many of you may have seen, heard or even participated in the recent public discussion regarding the Jerome Fire Department Fire Chief position. We welcome community interest and questions, and in the interest of transparency and making sure accurate information is available, we’d like to provide some clarification about the position, the hiring process, and qualifications being discussed.
As many of you know, the Fire Chief position has been vacant since Chief Blair’s retirement in November 2025. The position has been publicly posted since April 2026 through multiple professional recruitment platforms, including the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association.
As part of the recruitment and long-term retention efforts, the Town of Jerome periodically reviews and updates job descriptions and qualifications to ensure they reflect the needs of the organization and, most importantly, the needs of the community we serve. During that process, the Fire Chief job description was reviewed and identified as needing updates. Reference material from eight career and combination fire departments both inside and outside of Arizona was used to help ensure the position reflects the realities of leading a department like Jerome’s. Those updates considered factors unique to our community, including:
• Wildland-urban interface fire risk
• Mountainous terrain and limited access routes
• Small-department staffing models
• Mutual aid and interagency coordination responsibilities
• The need for both administrative leadership and operational competency
There were questions about the inclusion of ENGB (Engine Boss) and ICT5 (Incident Commander Type 5) qualifications in the posting.
To clarify, these are not requirements applicants must already hold before applying. Candidates may meet those qualifications either through current certification or by obtaining them within the established timeframe after appointment.
Those qualifications were included because Jerome operates in a high wildfire-risk environment, where understanding wildland operations and incident command plays an important role in department leadership.
We also want to clarify that wildfire assignments, deployments, and staffing coverage decisions are not made by any one individual. Those decisions are made through established leadership processes, operational policies, staffing considerations, and coordination with our mutual aid partners to ensure emergency service coverage remains in place for the community.
We recognize, and encourage, public discussion about leadership, staffing, and community safety. Those conversations are appropriate and important, and community members absolutely have the right to ask questions and seek information about public agencies and public service positions. At the same time, good conversations depend on accurate information. Speculation, assumptions, or incomplete information presented as fact can create confusion, impact public confidence, and affect the people who dedicate their time and energy to serving this community.
Jerome Fire Department is built on people. We rely on the dedication of our career staff, volunteers, auxiliary members, and strong interagency partnerships every single day. We value the professionalism, service, and commitment each person and partner agency brings to emergency response in Jerome. Those relationships are a major part of what allows us to continue delivering the level of service our community expects and deserves.
If you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to use official public channels, including Town Council meetings, Town administration, and department leadership, where information can be discussed openly and accurately.
Thank you for your continued support of Jerome Fire Department and for supporting the staff, volunteers, auxiliary members, mutual aid partners, and regional agencies who work together every day to serve and protect this community.
🚒 Jerome Fire Department 🚒
Further questions and information can be obtained by reaching out to the Fire Department directly at 928-649-3034 or emailing [email protected]
