General Description
Firefighting is skilled work, with an emphasis on combating, extinguishing and preventing fires; answering emergency calls; providing emergency first aid and maintenance of fire department equipment, apparatus, and facilities.
The work involves training and participation in duties protecting lives and property by fire fighting and rescue activities, usually under close supervision. Members in this class are required to learn and participate in the operation of the apparatus and the performance of hazardous tasks under emergency conditions, which may require strenuous exertion under such handicaps as heat, smoke, and cramped surroundings.
Although fire fighting and rescue work are most difficult and responsible areas of activity, a portion of time is spent drilling and studying methods, techniques, and organization, and routine duties in the care and maintenance of fire department property and equipment. Superior officers give specific orders and directions, but work requires initiative and a thorough individual understanding of fire fighting/EMS methods.
Firefighting Functions
Note: In all of the firefighting job duties, it shall be understood that the firefighter must be able to perform the functions while wearing firefighting gear, clothing, protective equipment and positive pressure equipment.
Firefighting:
- Directs fire streams and extinguishes fires in a variety of situations including residential occupancies, commercial building, vehicle fires, and grass fires.
- Rescues victims from occupancies filled with heat, smoke, and toxic gases by entering occupancy and physically removing victims.
- Frees victims trapped in automobile accidents, truck accidents, airplane crashes, etc. using a variety of extrication tools.
- Advances fire hose lines up stairways, ladders, and fire escapes to extinguish fires in upper levels.
- Opens by force all types of doors and windows to gain entrance to areas involved by fire, using numerous manual and mechanical entry tools.
- Removes fire hose lines from fire apparatus and assists fire apparatus driver in Fire Department pumper connections.
- Removes fire debris after fire is extinguished to locate hidden fires and prevent rekindle.
Non-Emergency Duties:
- Assists in cleaning and maintaining apparatus quarters, building, equipment, grounds, office equipment, and other related work as required.
- Assists in conducting tests on hose and equipment in order to ensure that it is in good working and safe condition.
- Assist in the maintenance of inventory records for all equipment.
- Pre-plans fires in occupancies to record information pertaining to location of fire hydrants, exposure hazards, life hazards, etc.
- Performs fire inspections as required.
- Provides fire prevention and public fire safety education programs as necessary.
- Demonstrates firefighting tools, equipment, and emergency medical equipment in quarters to groups visiting stations when assigned.
- Assists in the reporting of fire/EMS incidents to various federal, state, and other agencies as appropriate.
- Gathers information for fire department grant proposals. Prepares, submits and presents all grants to organizations that contribute.
Training
- Assists in conducting training of various fire education courses as assigned.
- Participates in training activities as required to maintain skills, certifications, and knowledge.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required at the time or hire or for continuation of employment.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- High School diploma or equivalent.
- Must complete the requirements for a firefighter in the State of Wisconsin.
- Instructor certifications preferred for training personnel.
- Valid Wisconsin Driver’s license.
- Good driving record.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to cooperate with staff, and the public.
- Knowledge of fire investigation and inspections.
- Able to face and make life or death decisions during emergency conditions.
- Ability to work independently and with a team at incidents of uncertain duration and at unpredictable times.
- Acts a representative presenting oneself as a calm, knowledgeable, efficient, and effective public servant.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of materials and patient information.
- Ability to work in a hectic, busy, and sometimes stressful environment.
- Ability to perform duties with minimal supervision.
- Thorough knowledge of firefighting techniques.
- Thorough knowledge of fire and EMS boundaries and emergency rescue procedures.
- Thorough knowledge of life saving techniques.
- Ability to use manual and power tools in performance of duties.
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
- Ability to communicate effectively with members, officials and the public.
- Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Ability to perform basic math skills – add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
REASONING SKILLS:
- Ability to organize time and resources.
- Ability to define problems and deal with a variety of situations.
- Ability to think quickly, maintain self-control, and adapt to stressful situations.
- Ability to use good judgment and effectively solve problems.
- Ability to plan work and establish priorities.
PHYSICAL WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- The physical demands and work environment described are representative of those that must be met by a member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- A member must regularly be required to stand, walk, sit, talk, and hear, use hands to finger, handle or feel. Also regularly must be able to bend, stoop, twist, and reach with hands and arms. On occasion, a member must be able to climb or balance.
- Ability to wear protective equipment that weighs approximately 50 pounds, while performing various strenuous firefighting, rescue, and other related tasks.
- A member may be asked on a regular basis to lift 50 pounds.
- Vision requirements are close, distance and color vision, peripheral and depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
- Members may be expected to perform duties outdoors in all types of weather on emergency scenes.
- At emergency scenes the members may be required to lift or drag persons and objects in excess of 100 lbs. Additionally members will be required to stand, walk, stoop, reach, bend, climb and/or balance.
- Members at emergency scenes will be required to work at excessive heights via use of ladders or lifting devices and will be exposed to excessive heat, cold, wet, air contaminants, confined spaces, and hazardous situations.
- Will come in contact with individuals who are injured, sick, mentally unstable or violent.
