Volunteer Firefighter

Department

Public Safety-Fire

Location

Huntsville Fire Department #1

Position Type

PT Employee

Salary

$13.50 p/call

Requisition

6350

Open Date

09/04/2015

Close Date

Description

Job Description

A Firefighter-Volunteer participates in fire suppression activities including firefighting rescue EMS ventilation forcible entry salvage and overhaul and pre-plan fire inspections. He/she may also be responsible for performing fire prevention education.

Job Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities described below are indicative of what the Volunteer Firefighter may be asked to perform; other duties may be assigned. The volunteer firefighter will be required to attend 25% of main alarm call outs and 50% of the regular monthly training drills. There are some allowances for calls missed while the volunteer firefighter is at his/her primary job only. These decisions and allowances are at the discretion of the Fire Chief

Firefighting:

• Directs fire streams and extinguishes fires in a variety of situations includingresidential occupancies; commercial building; vehicle fires; and grass fires.
• Rescues victims from occupancies filled with heat; smoke; and toxic gases byentering 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 firesin upper levels.
• Opens by force all types of doors and windows to gain entrance to areas involvedin 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 preventrekindle.

Non-Emergency Duties:

• Assists in cleaning and maintaining apparatus quarters; building; equipment; grounds; and other related work as required.
• Pre-plans fires in occupancies to record information pertaining to location of firehydrants; exposure hazards; life hazards; etc.
• 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.

**QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:**To perform this job successfully; an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. Must successfully complete a City of Huntsville background investigation; physical agility test; oral interview; drug test and physician’s physical. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge; skill and/or ability required at the time of hire or for continuation of employment.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE; EDUCATION; DEGREES; CERTIFICATES AND/OR LICENSE:

• Applicant must be at least 18 years of age
• May be required to obtain a Texas Driver’s License Class B exempt

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to cooperate with staff and the public.
• Ability to work independently and with a team.
• Acts a representative presenting oneself as a calm; knowledgeable; efficient; and effective public servant.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of materials.
• 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 response boundaries.
• Thorough knowledge of life saving techniques.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

• Ability to communicate effectively with employees; 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 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.

• An employee 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.
• An employee 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.
• Employees may be expected to perform duties outdoors in all types of weather on emergency scenes.
• At emergency scenes the employee may be required to lift persons and objects in excess of 100 lbs.
• Employees 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 and hazardous situations.