What are the responsibilities and job description for the Firefighter/Paramedic /Firefighter Trainee position at Alachua County?
Applicants for these positions must be a high school graduate or equivalent. Successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen & physical examination and successful completion of all applicable background checks pre-hire and ongoing are required.
PREFERRENCE GIVEN TO CANDIDATES THAT ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED AS A FIREFIGHTER, EMT, OR PARAMEDIC
***Additional $10,000 annually as lead medic on rescue*** (FF/PM - $47,947 $8,500 $10,000 = $66,447)
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR APPLICATION SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS BEFORE SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
THERE ARE FOUR (4) STEPS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS:
Complete the Alachua County Employment Application and upload all the required documents by Friday, March 14, 2025.
Complete and pass Alachua County FPAT or possess a current CPAT. Valid CPAT certificates must be dated within 1 year of application date.
Once you pass FPAT or turn in a VALID CPAT, then complete the candidate assessment through Public Safety Answers.
In Person Interview.
The candidate assessment can be accessed at the following link https://www.publicsafetyanswers.com/alachua and must be taken no later than Friday, March 14th, 2025. The candidate assessment is a 15-45 minute, self-administered psychometric assessment. It measures reasoning and problem-solving skills, plus 25 traits, or dimensions of personality, intended to measure an individual’s characteristics for the purpose of determining the best fit for employment in a specific position.
UPON SUBMISSION OF ALACHUA COUNTY EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION, PROOF OF THE FOLLOWING MUST BE PROVIDED:
Firefighter & Firefighter Trainee
Successful completion of State of Florida Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program within 1 year of employment. Successful completion of State of Florida Firefighter Certificate of Compliance program within 1 year of employment. Successful completion of department certified sixteen-hour Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) within first months of employment. Continued certification is required to continue employment along with successful completion of twelve-month probationary period.
Applicants who are hired by Alachua County Fire Rescue as a Firefighter Trainee will receive sponsorship for Firefighter and/or EMT certifications if the applicant does not already have these certifications. Trainee employees sponsored to obtain a certification will be required to agree to a 2 year commitment that begins upon completion of certification. Upon obtaining those certifications or proof of completion of these certifications, employees advance to Firefighter base salary $47,947.
IF YOU CURRENTLY POSSESS THE FOLLOWING, PLEASE SUBMIT WITH THE ON-LINE APPLICATION:
- State of Florida Firefighter Certificate of Compliance
- State of Florida Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification
- State of Florida Paramedic Certification
- American Heart Association BLS - CPR & AED Card or BLS for Healthcare Provider card by the American Red Cross (CPR & AED)
- American Heart Association ACLS Card or ALS for Healthcare Provider card by the American Red Cross
An employee assigned to this classification is responsible for safely transporting a crew and medical equipment to the patient, assisting in providing immediate care to the critically ill or injured on an emergency basis, transporting the patient to a medical facility, and performing firefighter duties including combating, extinguishing and preventing fires as required.
Work is performed under a higher- level supervisor and is reviewed through observation of results obtained. This position reports directly to a Lieutenant when assigned on a fire apparatus or a Rescue Lieutenant when assigned on a Rescue.
Classification Pay Structure:
The Alachua County Fire Rescue pay structure includes classification levels defined by the step plan.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTION
This is an emergency essential classification. Upon declaration of a disaster and/or emergency, all employees in this classification are required to work.
Exudes a positive customer service focus.
Advocates building organizational culture through aligning decisions with core values including: integrity, honesty, respect, diversity, innovation, accountability and communication.
Provides emergency medical treatment to the Basic Life Support level of certification and training. Provides assistance with Advanced Life Support medical procedures.
Utilizes all required safety measures when performing assigned job duties.
Responds to medical, rescue, fire and other emergency and non-emergency calls.
Operates radio in accordance with system standards and guidelines.
Assists in loading patient and/or transportation of patient to a medical facility.
Makes up stretcher and cleans inside of vehicle after each call.
Inspects vehicle daily; ensures that vehicle is clean, fully equipped and in proper operating condition and in compliance with all state and local laws.
Prepares reports as required.
Attends and participates in company drills and training sessions.
Performs routine station housekeeping and routine office work as required.
Performs the duties listed, as well as those assigned, with professionalism and a sense of urgency.
NOTE: These examples are intended only as illustrations of the various kinds of work performed in positions allocated to this class. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of emergency medical, rescue and fire equipment, operation and maintenance.
Knowledge of basic life support emergency medical treatment.
Knowledge of fire prevention, suppression, and extinguishing techniques.
Knowledge of defensive driving techniques and methods and ability to execute such methods quickly and efficiently.
Knowledge of Alachua County's street systems and geography.
Knowledge of departmental Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG) manuals, and Rules & Regulations.
Ability to rapidly determine locations by quadrant addressing.
Ability to react quickly and efficiently in emergency situations.
Ability to receive, follow and execute orders from a supervisor.
Ability to follow precise technical instructions in an emergency situation.
Ability to learn and operate relatively complex firefighting and rescue equipment.
Ability to perform prolonged and difficult work under adverse conditions.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and representatives from other agencies.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and taste or smell.
The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; frequently lift and/or move 50 pounds; and occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and in outdoor weather conditions and is regularly exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The employee occasionally works in high, precarious places and with explosives and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, risk of radiation and vibration.
The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.
Salary : $10,000 - $47,947
