Head, Headquarters Fire and Emergency Services (HQFES)

The Head of HQ Fire and Emergency Services leads and manages a team of professional emergency responders at NATO HQ responsible for fire, medical, and other emergencies. The role advises on all policy, operational, planning, and technical aspects of fire prevention, firefighting, emergency medical response, CBRN, and evacuation drills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure emergency access and evacuation standards are respected throughout NATO HQ.
• Draft security instructions and ensure effective communication with responsible authorities and within the team.
• Analyse plans submitted by Workspace Management and Business Continuity (WMBC) service for compliance with fire resistance and flammability standards.
• Develop and implement emergency evacuation drills and exercises.
• Contribute to the development of the NATO Emergency Response Group (ERG) role.
• Prepare and manage the annual budget for fire and emergency equipment, material and training in coordination with relevant units.
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with Belgian authorities and remain informed of host-nation legislation regarding firefighting, emergency response and prevention.
• Coordinate the role of host nation emergency services to enable NATO emergency response teams to operate alongside them.
• Provide professional expertise on fire detection, prevention, and fighting materials throughout HQ for projects.
• Maintain frequent contact with the Medical Service to coordinate emergency medical services at NATO HQ.
• Provide advice on firefighting materials installation and analyse budgetary implications in conjunction with relevant units.
• Develop plans and policies for NATO HQ in coordination with host nation and regional fire and emergency/medical services.
• Lead and manage a team of professional firefighters ready to respond 24/7 to emergencies at NATO HQ.
• Ensure regular individual and team training, emergency response exercises and professional development training.
• Provide mentoring, coaching, and guidance at critical moments.
• Provide regular and fair feedback on performance via the HQ Achievement and Development Plan (ADP) system.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Possess a university degree, or an equivalent level of qualification relevant to the position.
• Have at least 5 years of experience managing a team of professional firefighters.
• Have a degree in crisis management or any other recognized advanced certificate specializing in firefighting and/or incident management/emergency response, from a national fire prevention or civil protection body.
• Have extensive experience as a professional firefighter and Emergency Management, Emergency planning and disaster recovery/business continuity.
• Possess minimum levels in the official languages of NATO (English/French): V ("Advanced") in one and III ("Intermediate") in the other.
• Experience in developing and implementing fire prevention, first-aid and emergency response training programs to professionals, clients/community is an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of CBRN incident response procedures, rescue techniques (Grimp) is an asset.
• Knowledge of general occupational health and safety regulations and construction safety prevention is an asset.

Skills

• Firefighter Team Management
• Crisis Management
• Incident Management
• Emergency Response
• Emergency Planning
• Disaster Recovery
• Business Continuity
• Fire Prevention Training
• First Aid Training
• CBRN Incident Response
• Rescue Techniques
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Construction Safety Prevention
• Medical Emergency Response
• Evacuation Drills
• Firefighting Equipment Operations

Languages

English, French