Details
06/24/2026
Fire Chief
City of Upper Sandusky Fire Department
The Community
The City of Upper Sandusky, located in Wyandot County, is accepting resume applications for the position of its first full-time fire chief. Situated in Northwest Central Ohio, Upper Sandusky serves as the historic county seat and is conveniently located near the cities of Marion, Findlay, and Bucyrus, positioned strategically along the U.S. Route 23 and U.S. Route 30 corridors. This inaugural executive appointment represents a pivotal moment in the department's history, offering a visionary leader the unique opportunity to shape the administrative framework and long-term strategic direction of the city's public safety services.
The city service area is characterized by a "small-town feel" that balances peaceful, historic residential neighborhoods with robust industrial parks, vibrant commercial centers, and surrounding expansive farmland. While maintaining its quiet, tight-knit, and community-focused atmosphere as the county seat, Upper Sandusky features both established municipal subdivisions and a growing manufacturing and retail corridor. This unique blend of historic civic charm, industrial economic strength, and rural agricultural surroundings makes the City of Upper Sandusky an ideal location for a fire service leader dedicated to protecting a diverse, resilient, and engaged community.
The Department
The Upper Sandusky Fire Department is a combination-staffed agency committed to providing fire suppression, rescue support, and community risk reduction. Operating from a centralized single fire station facility, the department provides 24/7 protection to a population of approximately 6,600 residents spanning a diverse 24.7-square-mile municipal service area. The agency is staffed by a core of three full-time shift personnel and approximately 15 paid-on-call professionals. Its modern frontline apparatus fleet is fully equipped for all-hazards mitigation, featuring two Class-A pumping engines, a heavy-duty tower aerial platform, a high-capacity water tanker, and a specialized wildland firefighting unit. This operational readiness is backed by an excellent Insurance Services Office Public Protection Rating of Class 3/3X, reflecting the city's strong commitment to public safety.
The Position
The fire chief is an appointed position serving at the pleasure of the Mayor and the City Safety Committee. As Upper Sandusky's first full-time fire chief, this visionary leader provides strategic direction and executive management for all fire suppression, specialized rescue, and administrative operations. The chief is responsible for comprehensive organizational planning, fiscal stewardship—including budget preparation and capital forecasting—and advancing the department’s mission to meet evolving community needs.
Reflecting an engaged, hands-on leadership model, the chief serves as a critical operational and administrative asset during standard business hours and provides high-level tactical command continuity for major after-hours incidents. Managing a unified workforce of full-time shift personnel and paid-on-call professionals, the fire chief ensures strict compliance with departmental policies, Ohio Revised Code mandates, and national safety standards while cultivating resilient, collaborative relationships with the public and regional public safety partners.
Qualifications and Credentials
- Education and Experience: Candidates must possess a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Minimally, the ideal candidate will bring five (5) years of progressively responsible fire service experience, including at least one (1) year in a formal command or supervisory capacity; however, the City remains highly open to an equivalent combination of high-level command experience and advanced executive training.
- Core Certifications: Candidates must hold a valid State of Ohio Firefighter II certification (or demonstrate the definitive ability to obtain it before completing probation) and must possess or obtain a State of Ohio Fire-Safety Inspector certification within eighteen (18) months of appointment to fulfill statutory code enforcement duties.
- Command and Leadership Readiness: The position strictly requires command readiness credentialed at the Fire Officer I and II levels, alongside comprehensive regional integration competencies demonstrated through the completion of National Incident Management System (NIMS) / Incident Command System (ICS) courses 100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800.
- Preferred Assets: A valid State of Ohio Emergency Medical Technician certification and a Fire and Emergency Services Instructor credential are highly preferred assets.
- Special Requirements: A valid State of Ohio driver’s license with an insurable driving record and the physical capacity to pass all state-required examinations are required.
Compensation and Benefits
In addition to a competitive base salary, the City of Upper Sandusky offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the long-term health and financial security of its leadership. The salary for this position is established at a range of $75,000 to $106,000, with the final offer commensurate with the candidate’s specific qualifications and experience. This premium compensation strategy includes:
- City-paid premiums for medical, dental, life, and vision insurance.
- Full participation in the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund, with the city providing the statutory employer contribution.
- Generous paid leave provisions.
- An assigned take-home command vehicle for first-response and official department business.
- A department-issued cellular phone.
Conditions of Employment
The successful applicant must be in good physical condition and demonstrate the ability to pass all pre-employment screenings, including a comprehensive physical examination, a drug screening, a psychological evaluation by a psychologist or psychiatrist designated by the City, and must submit to a background check, which may include a credit history check. Upon appointment, the candidate must successfully complete a one-year probationary period as a condition of continued employment.
To ensure effective executive oversight and immediate operational support during non-business hours, the fire chief shall establish and maintain a primary residence within Wyandot County or a contiguous county. To meet the department's emergency mission, the residence must be located within 30 miles of the corporate limits of the City of Upper Sandusky, unless otherwise waived by the Safety Committee. This requirement reflects the fire chief’s role as a vital, high-readiness component of the department’s 24/7 command structure, ensuring consistent leadership and rapid response availability for high-priority incidents within the community.
Application Process
Interested candidates must submit a City of Upper Sandusky employment application and comprehensive resume packet to the address below. This packet shall include:
- A formal cover letter.
- A completed city employment application form. Applicants can download the fillable form here: https://www.uppersanduskyoh.com/sites/default/files/2026-02/employment_application-form_fillable.pdf
- A professional resume detailing specific achievements in strategic program and project management.
- A minimum of three (3) professional references from individuals familiar with the applicant’s prior fire service work experience.
- Copies of all required State of Ohio certifications, Fire Officer I and II certificates, and NIMS/ICS course completion certificates.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to include evidence of successful completion of college degree programs; executive-level leadership training; Fire Officer III and/or IV training compliant with National Fire Protection Association 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications; chief or fire officer credentialing; and State of Ohio Fire-Safety Inspector and Fire and Emergency Services Instructor certifications.
Electronic resumes shall be submitted to info@ohiofirechiefs.org and must be formatted as a single, consolidated PDF document. To ensure proper routing and administrative clarity, applicants must clearly identify the specific position for which they are applying within their submission (Upper Sandusky Fire Chief). To ensure receipt, applicants should confirm their electronic submission by sending a separate verification inquiry to info@ohiofirechiefs.org. The deadline for all resume submittals is Friday, July 10, 2026, at 3:00 PM EST.
City of Upper Sandusky is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
