FIREFIGHTER - TRAINEE

Description

POSITION SUMMARY 

The purpose of this position is to provide fire protection, fire safety and emergency medical care to the citizens of the City of Brandon, MS through on-the-scene fire suppression and extinguishment, rescue, emergency medical services, salvage and overhaul, exposure protection, ventilation, and general property conservation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responds to calls for fire suppression, protection, and safety; secures fire hydrant for use in extinguishing fires; uses forcible entry to into structures; creates horizontal and vertical ventilation of heat and smoke from structures; enters dangerous areas; pulls down ceilings and walls; extinguishes fire with water from charged hose lines; always ensures the safety of the firefighter team.
• Conducts searches for victims in structures and at accident scenes; rescues victims and provides emergency medical assistance as necessary; administers first aid and CPR to sick/injured persons; assesses nature and extent of illness/injury; takes, records, and monitors patient's vital signs.
• Performs salvage and overhaul of buildings and structures after fire has been extinguished; protects property and contents as much as possible; preserves fire scene and relating evidence for investigators and officers to use in determining fire cause.
• Responds to vehicular accidents; uses hydraulic tools to extract and rescue victims from vehicle entrapments; provides emergency medical assistance when needed; maintains accident scene evidence for investigators and officers conducting analysis and investigation of accident scene; maintains confidentiality of all evidence.
• Maintains fire engines/trucks and other emergency vehicles; performs regular tests and maintenance checks of vehicles at the beginning of each shift; performs safety checks and ensures engines are functioning properly; conducts inventory of supplies and equipment such as hoses, emergency medical and rescue equipment and other tools and equipment to ensure vehicle is fully prepared for emergency responses; washes trucks; refills water tanks regularly.
• Communicates with supervisors, employees, dispatchers, other departments, law enforcement officials, hospital personnel, ambulance personnel, property owners/occupants, patients, family members, utility companies, civic organizations, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems.
• Mitigates spills and releases of hazardous materials; implements site safety and control plan; controls, contains and/or confines hazardous substances to prevent or alleviate public exposure to contaminants; maintains current knowledge of hazardous materials.
• Operates, tests, and inspects hoses, aerial ladders, hydrants, hand tools, emergency tools, equipment, and personal protection gear; ensures all apparatus and tools are functioning properly; tests self-contained breathing apparatus regularly to ensure proper functioning; refills air bottles; tests hoses and nozzles for leakage; tests and maintains fire hydrants to ensure proper water pressure and control; cleans hydrants and paints as necessary.
• Maintains physical fitness to properly respond to rescue calls; performs regular practice runs and trains to increase call response time; adheres to standard operating procedures and policies; always maintains a pre-fire plan of operation.
• Maintains fire department inventory of supplies and tools; stocks station with cleaning supplies and other necessities; delivers supplies to stations as needed; orders new supplies to replenish inventory.
• Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, logs, fire/medical incident reports, maintenance records, pre-fire plan drawings, supply orders, or other documents; receives forms, reports, correspondence, orders, logs, schedules, medical records, pre-incident plans, maintenance records, drawings, maps, manuals, policies, procedures, reference materials, training materials, or other documentation; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate.
• Performs routine building and grounds maintenance; cuts grass and maintains grounds; washes sidewalks and driveways; sweeps, mops and waxes engine bay and fire department sleeping and eating quarters.
• Conducts informational fire safety training classes at schools, organizations, clubs, and other events as requested; educates the public regarding fire prevention and safety procedures.
• Uses two-way radio to communicate with communications division, firefighters, medical personnel, supervisors, and law enforcement.
• Performs other related duties as required.

The above essential duties and responsibilities are representative of the major obligations of the position. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job. Not all the duties may be assigned to a position.

The City of Brandon, MS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the city will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer. 

Requirements

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

Minimum Education

Education: High school diploma or GED

Vocational training in Fire Science, Fire Prevention, Suppression, administration, or closely related field 

Experience (yrs.)

Meet all requirements, rules, and regulations of the City of Brandon Fire Department. 

Substitutions Allowed for Education

None 

Substitutions Allowed for Experience

Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Certificates and Licenses

Possession of valid state Firefighter Certificate within one (1) year of employment. 

Possession of an appropriate, valid driver’s license.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES 

• Principles, practices and procedures of modem fire suppression and prevention.
• Proper utilization and maintenance requirements of fire apparatus equipment, tools, devices, and facilities.
• Rules, regulations, and operational procedures of the City of Brandon Fire Department.
• Principles, practices, and procedures of emergency medical services. 
• The geography of the city and surrounding area, and the location of water mains and hydrants.
• Emergency communication system procedures and operations.  
• International Fire Code.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local building codes.
• Analyze emergency situations quickly and correctly; adopt effective courses of action.
• Operate various apparatus and equipment used in modem firefighting activities and operations.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES 

• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others regarding the application of procedures and standards to specific situations.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise dependent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

ADA COMPLIANCE

Physical Ability

Maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities which may include participating in fire suppression activities; running, walking, crouching or crawling during emergency operations; moving equipment and injured/deceased persons; climbing stairs and ladders; walking, standing or sitting for extended periods of time; performing lifesaving and rescue procedures; operating assigned equipment. 

Sensory Requirements

Maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations; reading and writing; operating assigned equipment; assessing the situation at an incident scene; communicating with others. 

Environmental Factors

Effectively deal with personal danger which may include exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials; fumes and smoke; intense heat; electrical hazards; confined or high workplaces; dangerous persons and/or animals; extremely loud noises; hazards of emergency driving; hazards associated with traffic control and working in and near traffic; natural and man-made disaster.