Operations Section Chief, Grant Services Specialist III (NCS) - Baltimore City Fire Department, OEM

About the role

The Baltimore City Office of Emergency Management is seeking an Operations Section Chief to join its team. This is a non-benefit, contractual position.

Essential Functions

• Work rotating shifts, including weekends, evenings, and holidays in an office and at scenes of accidents, disasters, or other hazardous situations, as needs dictate.
• Supervise the Duty Officer Program at OEM for the purpose of dealing with natural and man-made disasters such as blizzards, hurricanes, wild fires, car/truck/tanker accidents, explosions, building collapses, industrial accidents, shipwrecks, and terrorist attacks that involve chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) materials; ensure full staffing of the Duty Officer Program’s on-call shifts; ensure smooth transition between shifts; ensure that staff maintains professional demeanor and discipline.
• Train OEM and other staff in hazardous materials identification, handling, abatement, and disposal procedures; use of equipment and supplies; disaster protocols and emergency management response techniques and procedures.
• Receive notification of impending emergency weather warnings and take appropriate preparatory actions.
• Respond to major man-made or natural incidents involving mass disasters or hazardous materials; assist fire emergency medical staff with the triage of patients and victims to area hospitals, transfer of patients, and effective communication between personnel at scene of incident and hospital staff receiving patients; assist other agencies with population evacuation and shelter plans and operations.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with fire suppression, emergency medical, and other public and private City and neighboring local jurisdiction responders at accident and disaster sites.
• Ensure decontamination of vehicles, equipment, and personnel to eliminate communicable diseases, pest infestation, and hazardous biological or chemical materials.
• Review and edit emergency management reports for accuracy, omissions, errors, or problems.
• Investigate citizen complaints, commendations, and accidents involving OEM personnel and on-the-job injuries or deaths of agency personnel due to hazardous situations and materials; determine guilt or innocence of accused personnel; document findings.
• Oversee and maintain OEM’s radio communications technology, training, and equipment.
• Advise Deputy Directors and Director on unit/program operations areas of concern.
• Provide information to the media on scene of an emergency or disaster, in accordance with City public information and privacy guidelines.
• May notify families of injured personnel, may arrange transport of family to hospital or transportation of personnel from hospital.
• Work with the Preparedness Section Chief on community outreach projects and programs.
• Maintain awareness of new technology and development of CBRNE materials and other hazardous materials, especially in consideration of the potential for accidents, disasters or use in terrorist attacks, as well as governmental efforts to respond to major public emergency situations including City, state, and federal emergency and disaster management technologies, strategies, techniques, laws, and policies.
• Manage Auxiliary Communications Services (RACES).
• Liaison for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR), including priority list management.
• Provide Incident Command System (ICS) training for other City agencies, such as Baltimore Police Department (BPD).
• Work with the Training and Exercise Section Chief to develop a multi-year training and exercise schedule.
• Attend meetings for subcommittees of the Urban Area Working Group (UAWG), including the Special Operations, Hazmat, and Training & Exercise subcommittees.
• Liaison between OEM, BPD, DHS, MCAC, MJOC, and others.
• Develop and maintain operations section standard operating procedures, with assistance from the Planning Section Chief.
• Serve as an Emergency Management Assistant Compact (EMAC) point of contact.
• Ensure the applicable EOC location opens when needed.
• EOC management, maintenance, and operations.
• Other work as requested / needed, including: 24x7 on-call Duty officer program, as needed; Field response; Staffing of the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), staging area, or other operational commands outside of normal business hours (during emergencies or special events).

Minimum Qualifications

• Possess a bachelor’s degree in public administration, Public Policy, Political Science, Public Health, Emergency Management, Planning, or a related field; have at least internship-level experience in either public policy and administration, public safety, emergency management, or other relevant experience.
• Possess excellent analytical, communication (written and oral), organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Received, or be in process of obtaining, an advanced degree or certification in Public Administration, Political Science, Emergency Management, Public Health Preparedness or similar field described above.
• 1+ years of professional experience, including direct experience working with Federal grant programs.
• A background in the development of catastrophic planning initiatives.
• Experience with project management, especially regarding large emergency management planning projects.