Chief of Training

CHIEF OF TRAINING
SPRING FIRE DEPARTMENT

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7
is searching for a Chief of Training.

Spring Fire Department
Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7

Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7
is searching for a Chief of Training.

THE COMMUNITY
We serve ~160,000 people across 62 square miles of unincorporated Harris County, Texas
located 25 miles north of Downtown Houston with Interstate 45 bisecting our territory along
with the Hardy Toll Road and State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway).

THE DEPARTMENT
Spring Fire Department operates under the authority of Harris County Emergency Services District
No. 7. An Emergency Services District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas and is governed
by Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 775. The State Legislature has given ESDs the legal
authority to levy ad-valorem (property) taxes and allows the collection of Sales and Use Tax as well.
Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7 is a Fire ESD only, which means we are only
charged with providing fire suppression, prevention, and rescue services to our community. We
also provide first responder services for Harris County Emergency Services District 11 Mobile
Healthcare which is charged with providing EMS services within the territory we serve.
Spring Fire Department has a rich heritage that began in 1953 with 1 fire truck and 25
volunteers and has evolved into a combination department that focuses on our people. We
believe that if our personnel are well taken care of, they will exceed the expectations of the
community they swore to serve.
Spring Fire Department is a combination department with 30 volunteer, 10 part-time, and 117
full-time firefighters along with 17 support personnel responding from 9 fire stations with 49
apparatus and 180 personnel.

THE DISTRICT BUDGET
The forecasted revenue for 2022 is $30.8M, the 2022 District Operating Budget is ~$29.1M

THE VISION
To continue shaping the Spring Fire Department into an organization that has a combination
of Career and Volunteer professionals that achieve only the highest standards in the fire
service, while never losing perspective of the needs of the community in which it serves.

THE MISSION
To provide a wide range of programs designed to protect the lives and property of all who live,
visit, work or invest in the Spring, Texas area from the adverse effects of fires, sudden medical
emergencies or exposure to dangerous conditions created by man or nature.

THE HISTORY
From 1953 – 1997 the department provided service as a non-profit organization with strictly
volunteers and 1 paid administrative person hired in 1992. In 1997 we began providing first responder
services to our local EMS service provider and hired our first part-time firefighters to supplement the
volunteers. In 2013 we began hiring full-time firefighters and have gone from 8 – 117 in just 9 years.

CHIEF OF TRAINING •2

Even though the relationship between the non-profit and the district was exceptional, the
department seamlessly transitioned from a contracted non-profit emergency services organization
to and ESD fire department in April of 2020 moving all employees from the non-profit to the ESD.
We provide service to several Fortune 500 companies including Exxon Mobil, HPE (Hewlett
Packard Enterprise), HP Inc., Amazon, and Southwestern Energy.
In June 2021 we received an ISO grading of Class 2.

THE ADMINISTRATION
The executive staff has a mixture of business, fire service, and law enforcement experience
and works a flexible full-time schedule, while both the executive staff and command staff
have career, combination, and volunteer experience.

TAXPAYERS OF
HCESD No. 7

HARRIS COUNTY
ESD No. 7 FIRE CHIEF

COMMISSIONERS

ASSISTANT CHIEF

COMMUNICATIONS
DIRECTOR

CHIEF OF DEPUTY CHIEF DEPUTY CHIEF
TRAINING OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES

ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT SPECIALIST

ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT

TRAINING CAPTAIN DISTRICT CHIEF LOGISTICS FIRE PREVENTION

DISTRICT CHIEF SENIOR CAPTAIN AND EDUCATIONSENIOR CAPTAIN
A, B, & C SHIFT

RECEPTIONIST

LOGISTICS FIRE PREVENTION
AND EDUCATION

VOLUNTEER PART-TIME / FULL TIME
TRAINING CAPTAIN OFFICERS OFFICERS HUMAN LOGISTICS PAYROLL / BENEFITSRESOURCES ADMINISTRATOR

VOLUNTEER
TRAINING CAPTAIN PART-TIME / FULL-TIMEFIREFIGHTERS FIREFIGHTERS LOGISTICS CASCADE

COORDINATOR EVT MECHANIC
MECHANIC
ASSISTANT

LOGISTICS FACILITIES FACILITIES

Organizational Chart COORDINATOR ASSISTANT
IT MANAGER IT ASSISTANT

THE LEADERSHIP
The Spring Fire Department is directed by Fire Chief Scott Seifert. His approach to leadership
is to decentralize decision-making by providing autonomy, while empowering his staff to
make decisions and changes as necessary to improve the service to the community with
only two rules. The first being that any change or decision made is communicated to the Fire
Chief, and secondly, if a decision or change is being considered and that person is not 100%
certain it would be beneficial to the department, they contact the Fire Chief for guidance.
The executive staff has an exceptional working relationship with the Board of Commissioners
of Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7, and the commissioners are very
supportive of the vision and initiatives the department pursues.

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THE PERSONNEL
We have 117 sworn personnel and 17 civilian employees. The Fire Chief, 1 Assistant Chief, 2 Deputy Chiefs,
4 District Chiefs, 24 Captains, 11 Apparatus Operators, 71 Firefighters, 3 Training Captains, 5 Logistics
Personnel, 2 Facilities Maintenance Personnel, 2 Apparatus Maintenance Personnel, 2 Information
Technology Personnel, 2 Administrative Assistants, 1 Bookkeeper, 1 Communications Director/Public
Information Officer, 1 Human Resources Director, and 1 Payroll and Benefits Coordinator.

THE EQUIPMENT
We have a myriad of state-of-the-art apparatus made by Pierce manufacturing with a couple
of E-One apparatus including 8 pumpers, 2 ladder trucks, 1 tower truck, 2 tenders, 1 rescue
truck, 1 Rehab/Cascade/Command vehicle, 3 brush trucks, several evacuation and rescue
boats, high water vehicles, UTVs, and a compliment of support and staff vehicles.

THE FUTURE
We just received a new state-of-the-art Technical Rescue Truck for our Rescue Team that
went into service in Q2. We will also be recieiving a tandem axle Ladder truck for Station 75
and replacement Engine for Station 77, which are currently in production with delivery in Q2,
and just placed an order for a replacement Engine for Station 78.
We will continue to add firefighters each year and will add a 2nd District Chief on duty
daily beginning in the mid 2020’s. Administratively we will be adding a finance director/
accountant position in the early 2020’s for long-term forecasting and planning. We also
expect to add Executive or Command staff positions in Emergency Management and
Community Risk Reduction in the future.
We will either remodel or rebuild 2 fire stations; with the possiblty of adding 1 additional fire
station (all the rest of the stations are 10 years old or newer.)

EDUCATION AND TRAINING BUDGET
The 2022 training budget of ~$709,000 includes Training and Conference Tuition, Books/
Materials, Membership Renewals, Travel, Lodging, and Meals.

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SPRING FIRE CAMPUS (MULTI-PURPOSE COMPLEX)
Several years ago, 52-acres centrally located in our territory was purchased to build a multi-purpose
complex that will be home to several buildings and a wide array of specialized training props.

The master plan shows a 6-story LP burn building with each floor having a different configuration
that will connect to a multi-level USAR structure with tunnels. A 2-story Class A residential burn
structure, a 2 or 3 story Class A apartment building, covered outside classroom areas, a mock fire
station to house training field apparatus and training field storage with a 2nd floor for housing 20
personnel/strike team during a regional disaster event if necessary.

The logistics building will be the home of our apparatus maintenance division, facilities
maintenance division, and logistics division which includes quartermaster, central supply,
equipment, communications, bunker gear, uniforms, and SCBA. We expect this facility to open
in late 2023 or early 2024.

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TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACILITY

Training and Education are extremely important to the fire service and adult learning is much
different than K-12. We recently completed the design of a 3-story ~80,000 square foot
education building that will have a segmented lecture hall, theatre style classrooms, and
additional learning spaces that can be transformed into combined spaces including a board
room, computer lab and department operations center all located on the first floor.
A large portion of the 2nd floor will be for education and training personnel while a smaller
portion of the 2nd floor will be used for our administration, accounting, human resources,
and payroll functions. The education building’s 3rd floor will be for executive leadership and
additional administration as our needs increase. There will also be a portion of the 3rd floor
available to build out at a future date if necessary.

CHIEF OF TRAINING 6

WHY SHOULD I COME TO TEXAS?
Texas is over 261,231 square miles with more than 80 large state
parks offering everything from hiking, canoeing, and rafting to
waterfalls, caves, and desert landscapes. Texas has more than
370 miles of public beaches and decent surfing. There are eight
state parks in the greater Houston area from Sea Rim State Park
in the coastal wetlands to Stephen F. Austin State Park on the
banks of the Brazos River. Texans get outside more than most and
experience more thanks to our sub-tropic weather.
The top marginal state income tax rate for Texas residents
remains the lowest in the nation - 0.0% - according to the Tax
Foundation. California has a top state income tax rate over 13%.
Montgomery County property taxes are 43.12 cents per $100 property valuation. There is an
additional $0.2231 per $100 of taxable value for homes in The Woodlands Township. The most
expensive property tax is for schools.
Harris County property taxes by themselves without all the other taxing districts is 37.69 cents
per $100 property valuation.
The average total tax rate on a Spring 77373 home is $2.40 per $100 property valuation
The average total tax rate on a Spring 77388 home is $2.32 per $100 property valuation
The average total tax rate on a Spring 77389 home is $2.36 per $100 property valuation
The average total tax rate on a home in Conroe 77384 is $2.76 per $100 property valuation
The average total tax rate for a home in The Woodlands 77381 is $2.05 per $100 property valuation

WHY SHOULD I COME TO SPRING, TEXAS?
Spring is home to several golf courses, high-end dining, a waterpark, the Old Town Spring
shopping experience, and our Spring Creek Greenway offers a natural path between the
towns of Humble and Tomball with Spring right in the center. Spring is under 75 miles from
the Gulf of Mexico and 25 miles north of downtown Houston.
City Place (formerly Springwoods Village) is home to HP Enterprise, HP, Inc., Southwestern
Energy, and the main US campus of ExxonMobil. City Place offers sophisticated living,
restaurants, a high-end cinema, Marriott hotels, CHI St. Luke’s hospital, and more.
The Woodlands is a couple of miles north of Spring and offers nightlife, high-end dining
options, shopping, parks, trails, and lower property taxes.

WHY DO I WANT TO BE PART OF SPRING FIRE DEPARTMENT?
Spring Fire Department has been a leader in firefighter salaries in the region over the last few
years. 73% of our 2022 budget is focused on wages, benefits, and insurance for our personnel.
We have a large tax base that is solely committed to fire protection, public education and
delivering premier service to our community. We also provide a highly skilled Technical
Rescue Team and Honor Guard.
Spring Fire Department has a very active media and social media presence compared to most other
agencies in our region. We are community focused and support many different initiatives including:
• Car seat inspections • Toy drives • Special Needs Days
• Smoke alarm blitzes • Blood drives • Firefighter Challenge
• Pet chip readers • Medication Disposal • BBQ Cookoffs
• Food drives • Spirit Days • Parades

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THE POSITION
We are in search of a vibrant, experienced fire service professional to serve as the Chief of Training
with a track record of accomplishments with an increased level of responsibility. The Chief of
Training is an executive leadership position that will work collaboratively with the Fire Chief,
Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief of Operations, and Deputy Chief of Support Services, along with
other command staff, officers, personnel, support staff, and training division personnel and serves
at the pleasure of the Fire Chief.
The ideal candidate will assist in guiding the future of the organization with a focus on education,
training, and professional development, while providing career path guidance for all personnel.
This position will also oversee fire training complex facilities and related personnel.
The ideal candidate must have the highest level of personal and professional integrity and adhere
to high ethical standards while having self-determination and the ability to lead by example.
Technical skills, presentation skills, and effective communication is a must while having the
capacity to meet deadlines and perform under pressure.
The position requires the ability to manage the budget, programs, and activities of its training
division staff while providing constant and never-ending improvement in all areas of responsibility.
The position leads a training division that currently has 3 Captains; 1 which has been employed for 3
years and 2 which started in June of 2021.

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OVERVIEW
This position involves administrative and hands-on work in the performance and direction
of activities to manage the training division. The primary duty is to ensure that all personnel
are trained and competent to execute all responsibilities effectively, efficiently, and safely
within the departments policies, procedures and guidelines, and compliance training, which is
mandated by federal, state, and/or local policy.
This position requires the work outlined below is performed to the highest legal, ethical, and
moral standards of Harris County Emergency Services District No. 7.

are job related; performance based; adult learning principles are utilized; and programs
meet time and budget constraints

• This position is also responsible for all other duties as assigned

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personnel, ESD Commissioners, surrounding agencies, the public, and other interested and
affected parties

• Perform to the highest legal, ethical, and moral standards
• Develop credibility and trust with department leadership and personnel
• Display impeccable character while maintaining a professional reputation
• Possess outstanding communications, management, and leadership skills
• Operation of standard office equipment, personal computer, software, web applications,

and Microsoft 365 products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint,
OneDrive, Planner, Forms, Bookings, etc.

investigation, education, emergency medical first responder and suppression to maintain a
continuing level of professional and technical competence

• Participate in recruitment, retention, and training of new firefighters
• Assist with Community Risk Reduction programs
• Assist with Department Operations Center when activated due to weather or other related

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COMPENSATION
The salary range is $100,000 - $120,000 depending on qualifications and experience, and will
work a flexible full-time schedule.
Benefits include 100% employer paid premiums for group health, dental, vision, life/disability
insurance for the employee, and 80% employer paid premiums for group health for employee’s
spouse and family. You will receive a department issued vehicle, uniforms, cell phone, and laptop.

RETIREMENT
We provide retirement through the Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS)
which is a defined contribution plan that is funded by a required 7% employee contribution
with a 250% district match (17.5%) which is the highest in our area. Our plan requires a 5-year
vesting with retirement eligibility at 20 years or the rule of 75 (age plus years of service equals
75), or 60 years of age.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Harris Country Emergency Services No. 7 provides equal employment opportunity to
qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation,
gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

HOW TO APPLY
For any questions about this opportunity, please contact Human Resources at careers@springfd.org

APPLY BY JULY 1ST, 2022
APPLY ONLINE

(Click the link above or visit www.springfd.org)

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Spring Fire Department
656 East Louetta Road

Spring, Texas 77373
(281) 355-1266