Joseph J. Dolan has served as the Saratoga Springs fire chief since January 2019, appointed by the city’s Commissioner of Public Safety and holding immediate direction and control over the fire department’s day-to-day operations. The department runs out of two stations and handles fire suppression, emergency medical care, hazardous materials response, and fire code enforcement across the city.1Saratoga Springs, NY. Fire Chief
Who Joseph Dolan Is
Dolan started in emergency services in 1995 and joined the Saratoga Springs Fire Department in September 1998. He spent more than a decade as an active union leader with IAFF Local 343, the union representing the department’s professional firefighters, before moving into management. He made lieutenant in 2011, worked two years in fire prevention and code enforcement, then returned to a line position on an engine company. He was promoted to captain in 2014 and served as a shift commander until he was appointed chief.1Saratoga Springs, NY. Fire Chief
The 2021 Misconduct Case and Reinstatement
In 2021, the city’s public safety commissioner placed Dolan on administrative leave and filed misconduct charges, alleging he had collected pay from both the city and the state at the same time while working as a state fire investigator. An arbitrator later ruled in Dolan’s favor, exonerated him of all charges, and ordered his reinstatement. He returned to duty and continues to serve as fire chief.2WNYT. Suspended Saratoga Springs Fire Chief Returning to Work
Where the Chief Sits in City Government
Saratoga Springs uses a commission form of government, and the fire department falls under the Department of Public Safety. The city charter gives the Commissioner of Public Safety broad authority over the department’s governance, staffing, and discipline, and makes the commissioner responsible for ensuring the department has what it needs to fight fires, enforce fire codes, provide emergency medical care, and respond to hazardous materials incidents.3Code Library. City of Saratoga Springs Code – Title 6 The Commissioner of Public Safety
The fire chief is appointed by the commissioner and runs the department within the policies, rules, and orders the commissioner sets. Training is a shared duty: the commissioner provides for training with the chief’s assistance and ensures the department complies with the state’s Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code.3Code Library. City of Saratoga Springs Code – Title 6 The Commissioner of Public Safety
Qualifications for the Job
The fire chief is a civil service appointment, so candidates move through New York’s competitive examination process under Civil Service Law Article 4, which covers examinations, eligible lists, and promotional procedures.4New York State Senate. New York Civil Service Law – Article 4 Title A
State law adds further requirements. General Municipal Law Section 204-dd and 9 NYCRR Part 227 set minimum qualifications for fire chiefs of departments with six or more career firefighters, and a candidate must demonstrate the core competencies for incident commander established by the State Fire Administrator.5Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Minimum Standards for Fire Chief of a Career or Combination Fire Department
Under 19 NYCRR Section 426.9, a person at the chief-of-department level must hold Fire Officer 3 certification under the NFPA 1021 standard, or possess equivalent training and experience the State Fire Administrator deems sufficient. They must also meet any additional qualifications the local civil service agency requires.6Legal Information Institute. New York Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations Title 19 Section 426.9
What the Chief Does Day to Day
Running the Department
The chief manages the department’s annual budget, submitted to the City Council as part of the broader city budget process. That covers personnel, equipment maintenance, apparatus procurement, and the upkeep of the two fire stations. The department currently fields two four-person ALS engine companies out of Station 1 at 60 Lake Avenue and Station 2 at 166 West Avenue.
Labor relations are a steady piece of the work. The department’s firefighters are represented by IAFF Local 343, and the collective bargaining agreement governs schedules, benefits, and discipline. The chief and assistant chief are excluded from the bargaining unit’s definition of “employee,” placing them on the management side during negotiations.7SeeThroughNY. City of Saratoga Springs Firefighters CBA Labor Relations Contract
Operations and Mutual Aid
On major incidents the chief can assume the role of incident commander, directing personnel and equipment on scene. When an event exceeds local capacity, New York’s intrastate mutual aid program under Executive Law Section 29-h lets the chief request or provide assistance from neighboring jurisdictions. The statute preserves local governments’ ability to enter mutual aid agreements with terms that supplement or differ from the state program, and fire-related resources under mutual aid are administered through General Municipal Law Section 209-e.8New York State Senate. Section 29-H Intrastate Mutual Aid Program
Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement
The chief is responsible for the department’s compliance with the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, found in Title 19 of the New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations and promulgated by the Secretary of State under Executive Law Section 381.9Legal Information Institute. New York Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations Title 19 Section 1203.1 – Introduction and Definitions The department also runs an inspection program covering storefronts, large commercial buildings, and private residences, focused on fire-ignition hazards, working alarm systems, and unobstructed exits.10Saratoga Springs, NY. Fire Inspections
Reaching the Department
The department’s main location is Station 1 at 60 Lake Avenue. Non-emergency matters, including inspection requests and public education events, go through the administrative phone line rather than 911. Records requests move through the city’s Freedom of Information Law process: a FOIL officer acknowledges each request within five business days and has up to twenty business days to respond.11Saratoga Springs, NY. Freedom of Information Law Request Division-specific forms and contact details are posted at saratogaspringsny.gov.