Serves as the Authority's primary safety liaison between the Chicago Fire Department (CFD), other fire departments, and the Office of Emergency Management & Communications (OEMC) in support of Authority and community safety and preparedness. Under general supervision, plans and leads all activities and operations within the Authority relating to fire protection and safety. Coordinates the creation, implementation, and maintenance of the Authority’s system-wide strategy for smoke and fire hazards. Acts as a resource to Authority personnel with respect to incident command and fire/smoke hazard management and responds to all Authority smoke/fire emergencies. Conducts inspections, trainings and debriefings, and coordinates activities with fire departments, especially the CFD.
Qualifications
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Oversees the development and implementation of the Authority’s fire protection and safety programs.
o Implements, manages, and evaluates programs, policies, and training relating to fire prevention and safety.
o Conducts training and debriefings and participates in live exercises related to fire and smoke incidents, including fire and evacuation drills.
o Evaluates current safety programs and implements updates according to current fire safety regulations and best practices.
- Performs appraisal of CTA facilities regarding the effectiveness of their emergency management policies, procedures, standards, and performance in fire protection and response. Provides revisions and recommendations to ensure effectiveness and compliance with standards and regulations.
- Serves as primary liaison with fire departments in the Authority’s service area, including participation in planning, training, and exercises with CFD and OEMC.
- Manages all updates and revisions to documents relating to emergency preparedness, emergency response, and emergency assessments. Prepares various reports on evaluations of safety assessments and makes recommendations for improvements.
- Manages Authority safety emergency response training programs to ensure effective response by the Authority in emergency and disaster situations.
- Acts as subject matter expert on construction and project plans to provide fire protection and safety recommendations. Oversees installation of fire protection equipment to ensure adherence to fire and life safety regulations.
- Serves as rotating on-call duty manager, responding to emergency fire/safety events and providing oversight and assistance to on-call personnel in the event of an incident or accident requiring investigation, and oversees the on-call process.
- Hires, trains, develops, monitors, and evaluates staff. Reviews and recommends personnel actions for approval.
- Performs related duties as assigned.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to this position are the following jobs:
Job Title
- Emergency Preparedness Officer
- Fire & Life Safety Coordinator
CHALLENGES
- Keeping abreast of and implementing constantly advancing fire safety regulations, standards, and best practices
- Ensuring public security and safety on all CTA-provided transportation in a large, fast-paced metropolitan city.
- Dealing with stress supporting a transit system that operates 24 hours a day.
- Keeping abreast of all CTA operations in connection with fire safety aspects.
- Maintaining communication between CTA and responding fire departments to protect life safety.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in Fire Protection, Safety, Business Administration, Management, Public Administration, or a combination of education and experience relating to this position.
- Seven (7) years of experience in a fire service position with experience in incident response, conducting training, and/or fire prevention programs.
- Previous experience with the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) preferred.
- Valid Driver’s License required.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Extensive moving (up to 3 miles at one time, sometimes on rocks and on narrow catwalks).
- Traversing onto trains as well as up and down ladders.
- Must wear restrictive personal protective equipment.
- Requires remaining in a stationary position for extended periods of time and constantly operating a computer and other office productivity machinery.
- Service Area Requirement: Exempt (Non-Union) employees must live within the boundaries of the CTA Statutory Service Area either at the time of employment or within 6 months of beginning employment at CTA.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Detailed knowledge of the causes of fires and the principles and practices of fire prevention methods.
- Detailed knowledge of state and local fire codes and Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations.
- Detailed knowledge of emergency response vehicle operations.
- Detailed knowledge of City of Chicago fire codes and Chicago Fire Department protocols.
- Working knowledge of transit operations, facilities, vehicles, rules, and procedures.
- Working knowledge of the procedures and practices in emergency preparedness.
- Working knowledge of accident investigation best practices.
- Strong computer and MS Office Suite skills.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Strong presentation skills.
- Strong leadership, project management, analytical, and decision making abilities.
- Ability to work with sensitive information while maintaining strict confidentiality.
- Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate emergency and disaster response plans.
- Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate hazard control designs, methods, procedures, and programs
WORKING CONDITIONS
- General office environment.
- Reports to the scene of various safety situations.
- May be required to travel to various CTA field locations.
- Subject to varied weather conditions that include extreme cold, heat, rain, snow, ice, etc., when working outdoors.
- Required to work at extreme heights, near electrified third rail, and in subway tunnels with limited clearance, visibility, etc.
- May be required to work various extended or irregular hours (including afternoons, nights, or weekend shifts) in order to respond to CTA safety related issues or emergencies.
- Must be available to respond to calls or email inquiries outside regular work hours.
- This position is considered a "C-List" position under the “Revolving Door” prohibition within the State Officials and Employees Act (5 ILCS 430/5-45), which contains a number of post-employment restrictions CTA employees in C-list designated positions must follow. Among other requirements listed in this statute, CTA employees in C-list designated positions are required to follow State notification procedures to the Office of the Executive Inspector General prior to acceptance of any applicable non-State employment or may be fined significant penalties.
EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, AND MATERIALS UTILIZED
- Standard office equipment.
- Various types of measuring devices, digital camera, personal computers (including handheld devices), reflective safety vests, etc.
- Required to carry an agency issued cellular phone and fire department radio.
Additional Details
Employees and/or union members will be given priority consideration in the hiring process, per the applicable labor contracts.
Final salary will be determined in part by the qualifications of the selected candidate and may be higher or lower than target.
Applicants, if hired,must comply with CTA's residency ordinance.
CTA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
No employee or applicant for employment will be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, unfavorable military discharge, disability or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws; except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for our workforce and supporting the communities we serve. CTA will make reasonable accommodations for the known disabilities of otherwise qualified applicants for employment as well as its employees, unless undue hardship would result. If you require an accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact
[email protected] prior to the submission of your application or upon notification of your actual test date. CTA will work with you to determine if an accommodation can be provided.
During the hiring process, CTA's Human Resources department will contact candidates with next steps . Failure to respond to these correspondences in a timely fashion may result in your application being closed out for non-responsiveness.
Please click link below to review the benefits offered at the CTA.
https://www.transitchicago.com/hrbenefits/
Primary Location: USA-Illinois-Chicago
Job: System Safety
Job Posting: Jul 31, 2026, 8:08:04 AM
Position Type: Full-time Permanent (FTP)
Department: Safety
