DFPC WFMS Firefighter I: Engine Crewmember - Sterling

State of Colorado; Sterling (CO); On-site; USD 58,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Wellness program

PERA retirement benefits

Paid holidays

Job summary

State of Colorado, Department of Public Safety (DFPC) in Sterling, CO, seeks a Firefighter I (FFT2) to perform wildland firefighting and incident response. The role requires NWCG FFT2 qualification and the ability to operate under demanding field conditions.

The position offers full-time, in-person work with comprehensive benefits. Engine crewmember duties include suppression, fuels management, training support, and adherence to NFPA standards.

Qualifications

• NWCG FFT2 qualification is required.
• Upload IQCS Master record showing FFT2 with this application.

Responsibilities

• Fire suppression and incident response; follow safety protocols.
• Construct firelines and conduct mop up and patrol operations.
• Support training, qualification systems, and incident documentation.

Skills

FFT2 qualification

Job description

This position is within 30 miles of the state border; therefore is exempt from the residency requirements. Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.

This recruitment will be used to establish an eligibility list for current and future vacancies at the following location(s):

• Northeast District 1: Sterling Engine Crewmember - Sterling, CO

An eligibility list may be established with this recruitment and could be used to fill similar positions within the Colorado Department of Public Safety in the next 12 months.

Please refer to DFPC Fire Management Regions and Staff Link for more information regarding district boundaries. Fire Management Regions and Staff

Our Mission - Engaged employees working together to safeguard lives and to provide diverse public safety services to local communities.

Our Vision - Creating safer and more resilient communities across Colorado.

Our Core Values - Unity, Honor, Service

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.

The State is dedicated to non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

At CDPS, our culture is driven by our commitment to creating a safer Colorado and guided by a public service focus. We strive to provide effective solutions and services to our fellow Coloradans. We model a culture of collaboration, innovation, and growth for our employees. We maintain a professional and inclusive workplace.

Careers with a purpose:

If you are passionate about public safety and public service, and are eager to dedicate your career to serving Coloradans, consider joining CDPS. Our team at CDPS consists of exceptional individuals and is an environment where you can challenge yourself and acquire new capabilities to build a rewarding and fulfilling career.

We are committed to providing public safety services to our communities including safety on our roads, preparing for and mitigating environmental disasters such as floods and wildland fires, disaster recovery, combating crime, promoting school safety, and victim services.

Classification and Salary:

FIREFIGHTER I

Anticipated Hiring Range: $4,839 - $5,806/month; $58,068 - $69,672/year

Full Salary Range: $4,839 - $6,775/month; $58,068 - $81,300/year

Benefits:

We provide a wide range of benefits to our employees.

• Medical and dental options are available for permanent employees and their dependents. We also offer short and long-term disability coverage, and life insurance that includes legal resources and discounts.
• Eligible employees receive Basic Life and AD&D insurance equal to their annual earnings subject to a minimum benefit of $50,000 and a maximum of $250,000. Basic Life and AD&D are provided by the State of Colorado at no cost to employees.
• The State of Colorado's Wellness Program, State of Health, is a no-cost, year-long program that supports an employee’s health and wellness goals. This program offers personalized health coaching, skill groups and more. Participants can earn a $20 per month health insurance premium discount.
• Through BenefitHub, State of Colorado employees have access to discounts, promotions and special programs from hundreds of retailers, restaurants, travel and entertainment venues throughout Colorado and across the country.
• State contribution into a Health Savings Account when enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan.
• Eligible employees have access to medical leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the State of Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI).
• Eligibility for hybrid or other flexible work arrangements based on the nature of the role.
• We offer excellent retirement benefits including mandatory PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans. For information on mandatory employee salary deferral (in lieu of contribution to Social Security), visit Colorado PERA for details.
• We provide generous time off including 11 paid holidays annually and accrued annual and sick leave and four annual wellness days.
• The Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP) is available in every region of the state. It is our effort to support the well‑being of employees and the workplace. EAPs provide short‑term counseling, referrals and resources, as well as training and organizational development services.
• Tuition reimbursement and reduced college tuition at CSU Global and DeVry University.
• We offer Credit Union of Colorado membership eligibility.

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit State of Colorado benefits.

About the Work Unit

The mission of the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) is to serve and safeguard the people and protect the property, resources, environment, and quality of life in Colorado. DFPC’s vision is to be the Nation's premier state fire organization by acting with foresight, providing bold leadership, enhancing our partnerships, and exemplifying the highest level of professionalism in fire prevention and protection, while building a safe and supportive work environment for our employees.

The Division achieves this mission and vision through its four (4) Sections: Center of Excellence, Fire and Life Safety, Professional Qualifications and Training, and Wildland Fire Management. Each of the four sections serve Colorado’s fire community in a different capacity- from training firefighters to technological advancements in public safety, responding to and managing wildfires to building code enforcement, DFPC is dedicated to serving and safeguarding the people of Colorado while protecting property, resources, environment and quality of life.

One of the Wildland Fire Management Section’s (WFMS) primary roles is to assist and support local agencies with a range of wildland fire management programs including administrative, technical, preparedness, planning, response, and prescribed fire and fuels functions. Wildland fire management in Colorado is a cooperative, interagency partnership between local, county, state, tribal, and federal entities. Wildland fire protection responsibilities on non-federal lands in Colorado follow a hierarchy of: local jurisdiction > county sheriff > and finally to the State of Colorado (DFPC). WFMS plays a crucial role in coordinating with external partners and representing Colorado at both regional (multi-state) and national levels.

This position is a field level operational position whose primary purpose is to: provide wildland fire suppression response and incident response; assist in mitigation, fuels, and prescribed fire functions; assist in fire‑preparedness support including training; and provide response and support in other all hazard incident response as qualified.

Work Environment

• 100% In‑person position
• This position may require call‑back, extended staffing, and days‑off staffing based on fire conditions, incident activity and availability of firefighter resources.

About the Position

The Engine Crewmember works as part of a firefighting resource - typically an engine crew, but may also be assigned to a helicopter module or suppression squad/module/hand crew - to provide a range of firefighting and related services.

As a crewmember, the primary purpose of this position is to function, at minimum, as a NWCG Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) in support of fire suppression and mitigation projects (i.e. prescribed fire, hazardous fuel reduction, resource management). The Position operates in alignment with the DFPC values of honor, integrity, service, and loyalty.

Engine Crews regularly support diverse missions, including wildfire suppression response, mitigation projects (i.e. prescribed fire, hazardous fuel reduction, and resource management), and prevention and education. As assigned, equipped, and qualified, this position may assist with all-hazard incident operations such as search and rescue and other incident response. Additionally, this role assists with training programs, qualification and dispatch systems, and other preparedness activities.

Key Responsibilities

Fire Suppression and Incident Response

• While providing for their individual safety, the employee works as a crewmember during fire suppression and incident response. Fire suppression and incident response work includes, but is not limited to:
  • constructs fireline utilizing hand tools;
  • cuts and clears vegetation utilizing power saws;
  • performs structure protection;
  • conducts mop up and patrol operations;
  • assists with ignition operations;
  • operates pumps;
  • installs hose lays and water delivery systems;
  • performs and assists with rescue operations;
  • operates and travels in vehicles on and off‑road;
  • hauls and packs fire related equipment and supplies;
  • uses various tools and equipment such as chainsaws, shovels, drip torches, fusees, pulaskis;
  • uses various communication methods including radios;
  • assists with safety inspections, maintaining and repairing of tools and equipment;
  • assists and follows demobilizing duties, including required incident documentation.
• Based on location and business needs, the position will perform non-wildfire and all-hazard incident response and support functions as trained, qualified, and equipped including, but not limited to: structure fire, hazmat, search and rescue, medical, etc.
• Requires use of basic fire experience and knowledge, rudimentary skill in firefighting tasks, and the ability to recognize and communicate safety considerations and other factors (fire intensity, fuel conditions, weather observations, etc.) used by higher qualified firefighters in the decision making process. This knowledge, skill, and ability is shown by being qualified as an National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Firefighter 2 (wildland)
• Follows established processes and chain of command for collecting, producing, and distributing information.
• As qualified on an incident, the employee may temporarily work as a Firefighter II
• Incident response may require travel to active fires, severity assignments, and pre‑position assignments throughout Colorado and across the nation at times.
• Incident response may require travel in rotor and/or fixed‑wing aircraft for detection, reconnaissance, communication, coordination, command and control purposes prior to, during, and following wildland fire and all-hazard incidents.
• Incident response may require crews to be assigned to an incident for two weeks or longer in austere living and working conditions.
• Incident response may require working long hours (up to 16 hours per day) in outdoor settings and performing strenuous manual labor under extreme environmental conditions.
• Work schedules will be expected to be flexible and modified at times to fit the business need based on fire conditions.
• Work duties include participation in physical conditioning activities for up to one hour each day.

Mitigation, Fuels Treatment and Resource Management Projects

• While providing for his/her individual safety, the employee works as a crewmember in implementation of mitigation, fuels treatment and resource management projects, including but not limited to:
  • cuts, clears, piles, and disposes of treated vegetation;
  • uses tools and equipment such as chainsaws, firing equipment, portable pumps, chippers, air curtain burners and more;
  • constructs firelines and prescribed fire burning as assigned;
  • performs ignitions and holding operations;
  • conducts mop up and patrol operations;
  • uses various communication methods including radios;
  • uses and maintains on and off‑road vehicles;
  • hauls and packs fire related equipment and supplies;
  • assists with safety inspections, maintains and repairs tools and equipment;
  • cleans, reconditions, and stores properly.
• Follows instructions to assist with gathering data and records information on fuels sampling, fuel types, weather conditions, fire behaviors, and status of work accomplished.
• Follows established processes and chain of command for collecting, producing, and distributing information.
• Work duties include participation in physical conditioning activities for up to one hour each day.

Fire Preparedness Support and Other Duties as Assigned

• Establishes and maintains the physical fitness level necessary to effectively perform hard physical labor for extended periods under adverse climate, fuel, and terrain conditions.
• Assists with inspection & maintenance of assigned crews response equipment, vehicles, tools, PPE and more; assists with maintaining inventory of tools, PPE, equipment.
• Assists with collecting, compiling and calculating various wildland fuels and fire danger rating indices.
• On‑going training in the basic understanding of multichannel radio operations, including plain language and incident command system (ICS) terminology.
• On‑going training and professional development in the State of Colorado; CDPS, DFPC & WFMS standard operating policies, procedures & guidelines. This includes time‑keeping systems, time & leave policies, incident documentation requirements, travel & purchasing policies and more.
• Assists with the logistics and instruction of various courses, trainings and events, such as wildfire suppression, incident management, structural firefighting, medical and first aid, job fairs and community outreach to DFPC employees and external agency personnel.
• Assists other DFPC programs (reports, data entry, filing, training and testing, inspections, research, fire billing, logistics etc.) as needed and available to support the mission of CDPS and DFPC.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

This must be specifically documented in your application submission. Additional information submitted after the closing date of this announcement will not be considered in the review of your application. Please note, your application will not be considered if documentation to support this qualification is not provided.

• Qualification to NWCG standards as a Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2).
  • Please upload a copy of your IQS or IQCS Master record or incident qualification card showing your NWCG qualification to a Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) with this application.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) or more years of wildland fire, fire service, fuels management or related experience.
• Previous experience with state level fire programs, with a preference for experience with the state of CO fire programs.
• Exceptional candidates will also have one or more of the following NWCG qualifications:
  • Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1)
  • Basic Faller (FAL3) or higher
  • Incident Commander Type 5 (ICT5)
  • Helicopter Crewmember (HECM)
• State of Colorado/DFPC : Structural Firefighter I or equivalent.
• Medical certifications and qualifications including: Wilderness First Responder, Emergency First Responder, or Emergency Medical Technician.
• Demonstrated commitment to public service and community involvement.

Complete Applications Must