Firefighter

The purpose of this classification is to perform firefighting and rescue operations in a variety of public safety and emergency situations, such as fires, hazardous materials spills, vehicle accidents, and related situations.

• Responds to alarms and all fire and non-fire emergencies, such as structural fires, hazardous material spills, vehicle accidents, and various rescue operations, and emergency medical service calls. Provide basic life support services, using modern principles and various types of EMS equipment, as directed by standard operating procedures, while responding to calls for service or during special event operations.
• Performs a variety of firefighting and rescue tasks; extinguishes fires, performs vehicle extrication, performs rope rescue, searches for trapped or injured victims; carries, positions, and climbs ladders; performs forcible entry at emergency scene; and operates fire stream nozzles.
• Performs salvage and overhaul operations at fire scene; assists with evacuation, and crowd control; secures utilities at fire scene; performs traffic control tasks at accident scene.
• Assists with flow testing of fire hydrants and record data on charts.
• Provides mutual aid to other fire departments; assists the police department and medical units as needed.
• Drives, operates, and maintains fire pumpers and aerial apparatus; operates and maintains self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Operates a variety of equipment in the performance of duties, such as fire rescue equipment, all fire department vehicles, radio communications equipment, fire extinguishers, various hoses and nozzles, various ladders, power tools, hand tools, and related equipment.
• Performs pre-fire planning and evaluation; maintains familiarity with city maps and charts; cleans and maintains equipment before and after fires to ensure readiness.
• Performs child safety seat inspections and installations.
• Participates in public safety education activities; conducts blood pressure screenings.
• Assists in fire prevention activities; provides lectures, programs, and classes to civic groups, schools, and businesses per fire prevention and fire safety; conducts fire safety inspections of businesses.
• Assist with developing and conducting fire department training exercises
• Performs routine maintenance work involved in the upkeep of fire department property, vehicles, and equipment; records and reports maintenance activities.
• Attends training classes in firefighting and related subjects; maintains required training hours; maintains physical fitness.
• Collects and records information for fire reports; prepares a variety of reports and logs; copies, maintains records, and transmits as appropriate; issues burn permits.
• Operates a personal computer, audio/visual equipment, general office equipment or other equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, to include the use of word processing, spreadsheet, database, e-mail, Internet, or other computer applications.
• Creates/maintains positive public relations with the general public; provides information and education to the public regarding fire safety, fire prevention, and firefighting; conducts fire station tours and blood pressure checks for the public; installs smoke detectors; participates in parades and civic events.
• Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:   

• Knowledge of basic arithmetic operations.
• Skill in operating and controlling the actions of equipment, machinery, tools and/or materials requiring complex and rapid adjustments.
• Ability to ability to calculate and/or tabulate data. Includes performing subsequent actions in relation to these computational operations.
• Ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others regarding the application of procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.
• Ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in critical and/or unexpected situations involving moderate risk to the organization.

Education and Experience: High school diploma or equivalent; supplemented by vocational/technical training in firefighting, hazardous materials, and basic emergency medical care. 

Licenses or Certifications: Valid State of Alabama driver’s license; valid Alabama Fire Fighter I/II certification; Alabama Basic EMT certification; must possess or obtain Hazardous Materials Technician within one year of hire. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work is heavy work which requires exerting up to 100 pounds of force or more. Work requires the ability to exert heavy physical effort in heavy work, with greater emphasis on climbing and balancing, but typically also involving some combination of stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of moderately heavy objects and materials; may occasionally involve heavier objects and materials. Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, taste, odor, depth, texture, and visual cues or signals.  Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work is performed in an outdoor environment. Tasks are regularly performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions; fire suppression, emergency response, and fire inspection tasks may require exposure to such environmental conditions as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, toxic agents, violence, disease, or pathogenic substances.

Salary : $51,695 - $67,195