Kansas City’s next fire chief won’t need a college degree. A high school diploma will do
Kansas City has lowered its minimum educational requirements for its next fire chief. A college degree is no longer necessary to run the 1,300-member organization – the city’s largest department overall – which is responsible for fighting fires and handling emergency medical calls in Missouri’s most populous city.
A high school diploma or equivalent will do, according to the city’s job posting this week.
Current Fire Chief Ross Grundyson, who was appointed on an interim basis nearly two years ago and continues to serve in the role, has only a high school diploma. But every Kansas City fire chief hired in the past 35 years has had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
A college degree was one of the requirements for the job to replace Chief Donna Lake when it was first posted in January 2023, with an advanced degree preferred. All four of Grundyson’s most recent predecessors since 2000 have had master’s degrees in either public administration or business as training for running a large organization like the fire department.
But the educational requirements have been loosened now that the job is being reposted. The search for a permanent fire chief was suspended last December, the city said, until after a new, five-year labor agreement could be negotiated with Local 42 of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
The City Council approved that contract in mid-August, and since then city policy has changed on hiring practices.
The council passed a resolution in September instructing the city manager to loosen educational requirements for all city jobs where a college degree seems unnecessary.
New city hiring policy
“By making a college degree a preference rather than a requirement, we hope to attract a broader pool of candidates whose qualifications are rooted in extensive experience and expertise in the field,” city Press Secretary Sherae Honeycutt said in an email. “We are continuing to review educational requirements across all roles from Department Directors down to ensure they align with the core competencies needed. This shift reflects our commitment to equitable hiring practices and acknowledges the value of both formal education and hands-on experience.”
Still, having a college degree remains a minimum requirement for many city jobs with far less responsibility than heading the fire department. Only the police department has more employees, but it is under state control and not subject to city policies.
Among city job postings that require a college degree on this week’s list: benefits specialist trainee in human resources, contracts administrator in parks and recreation, and equal employment opportunity investigator trainee.
Of the 19 top-ranked managers in city government, 15 have advanced degrees, and three have bachelor’s degrees, according to their bios on the city website or their LinkedIn profiles. There was no public information to ascertain the educational qualifications of one other top manager.
The last fire chief to not have a college degree was Ed Wilson, the city’s first and only Black fire chief, who retired in December 1989. Wilson joined the department in 1943 when it was segregated by race and rose through the ranks at a time when fire chiefs with college degrees were not the norm.
His immediate white predecessors did not have degrees, either.
Degrees common among fire chiefs
College degrees are now common among fire chiefs and those of lower rank climbing the career ladder. According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs, 65% of fire chief jobs require a four-year degree and 18.5% require a master’s degree. Only 10.5% of career fire chief jobs in the country set a high school diploma as the minimum.
Kansas City has now joined that lowest tier, but the city says in its job posting that a bachelor’s degree with a major in fire science, business administration, public administration or a related field is “highly preferred.”
All seven fire chiefs who followed Wilson had at least a bachelor’s degree until Grundyson, then a 27-year KCFD veteran, became interim chief. Over the past year, the word “interim” has been removed from his official title without explanation, and the city refuses to say why.
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That has prompted some applicants with college degrees who applied for the job before the search was suspended 11 months ago to contemplate legal action.
Like the 2023 job posting, the latest one requires that applicants have achieved the minimum rank of deputy chief with at least 10 years of experience, “preferably within a large complex urban municipal, county, or state fire department or district.”
Most job applicants who meet those qualifications will likely have extensive educational credentials, according to an official with the Missouri Association of Fire Chiefs who spoke on background as that person could potentially become a candidate for the job.
“I would assume Kansas City, as in many other places, the high school diploma may just be a part of their base requirement,” the official said. “It’s important to note that candidates, typically for this role, bring specialized training, experience and certifications in fire emergency services …that collectively would ensure that the individuals were prepared for the challenge of the role.”
The Kansas City job does require specific certificates or licenses in firefighting and paramedic training for the job, which has a pay range of between $149,000 and $330,000 a year.
In a note to council members last week, Platt said he has set no deadline for filling the job.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 6:01 AM.
