A battalion chief is the rank and title of a subordinate fire chief or commanding officer in the firefighting command structure.
The title of battalion chief is usually synonymous with firefighting in the United States and Canada.
[1] A battalion chief is the lowest chief officer in a fire department's rank structure, above rank-and-file fire station officers and fire company officers.
A battalion chief has command over each fire station's officers and each company or unit's officers, as well as the uniformed firefighters.
There are several fire departments, including The Boston Fire Department, Denver Fire Department, New Orleans Fire Department and the Toronto Fire Services, however, that use the title of district chief in place of battalion chief.