Fire Engineer

City of Wilmington; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Wilmington is seeking Fire Engineers to protect life and property. This role serves as second in command to the Company Officer and may assume leadership in their absence.

It requires supervising tasks at emergency scenes and at the fire station, maintaining training, and ensuring safe apparatus response to fire and EMS alarms. External and internal candidates must meet rigorous certifications, including NCOSFM Firefighter and EMT credentials, plus detailed promotional requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum of High school degree or GED.
• 4 years of full time experience with a career fire department.
• NCOSFM Certified Firefighter or IFSAC/Pro-Board-Certified Firefighter.
• EMT credential or National Registry EMT with NC reciprocity.

Responsibilities

• Serve as second in command to the Company Officer and lead at emergency scenes and in the fire station.
• Drive, operate, and supervise fire apparatus; ensure water supply and safety at scenes.
• Assist in preparing reports and maintain training hours and documentation.
• Participate in ongoing professional development in fire ground operations, EMT, and related areas.
• Perform supervision duties and act as Team Leader for routine station tasks as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Emergency response

Driver/operator

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

The Wilmington Fire Department is hiring Fire Engineers! The purpose of this position is to protect life and property of the citizens of Wilmington. Serves as second in command to the Company Officer; implementing, directing, and conducting tasks at emergency scenes and the fire station. May assume the lead in the absence of the Company Officer and carry out supervisory responsibilities; maintaining documents; and maintaining training and knowledge of firefighting principles and practices. Also, provides for the safe response of the firefighting apparatus and personnel to fire and EMS alarms. May temporarily assume the role of incident commander (Safety Officer, RIT Member, or Accountability Officer) at emergency scenes. Performs all other duties as assigned and/or as necessary at the discretion of the Battalion Chief.

Selection Components

Career Plan Report

The Career Plan Report shall be a document that details the candidate's professional growth. The document will describe the candidate's Experience, Formal Education, Professional Development, and Organizational Commitment. The assessment must be completed in accordance with the specific guidelines included in Section 8 of the Promotion Process Engineer/ Lieutenant/ Captain/ Battalion Chief/ Assistant Chief (210). Assessment documentation will be supplied to candidates at required WFD Candidate School sessions outlined below.

WFD Candidate School I

All candidates submitting an application must attend one of the virtual sessions below in order to meet this requirement for qualification. Participant attendance will be taken at beginning of the meeting.

• October 26 : 09:00-10:00 AM EST
  • Join the meeting now
• October 27 : 1:30-2:30 PM EST
  • Join the meeting now

Testing Phases

• Phase I – By closing date: Nov 1; Title: Career Plan Report; Scoring: Top 20 candidate scores move forward
• Phase II – Tentative Nov 16-17; Title: Fire Problem; Scoring: 35% of final score
• Phase III – Tentative Nov 16-17; Title: Interview; Scoring: 25% of final score
• Phase IV – Tentative Nov 23-24; Title: Pumping Practical; Scoring: 40% of final score

Phases II-IV require candidates to have a passing score of 70% or higher to move forward

Final List

The cumulative scores obtained in phases II-IV of the process with determine the final ranking of the candidates. A candidate that scores less than 70% at any phase, or overall, will not be eligible for the final list. This selection process will produce a certified roster in rank order. When a vacancy occurs the Fire Chief will select the top candidate on the certified list unless a written disciplinary action has been taken or poor performance has been documented as per the Promotional Procedures for Engineer. In the event of a tie after the final score, promotion will be determined by the final score provided on the Career Plan Report. The eligibility roster generated by this promotional process will expire 1 calendar year from the certification date.

For external candidates selected for hire, the anticipated Engineer orientation date will be February 8, 2027.

• Serves as second in command to Company Officer by implementing, directing, and conducting tasks at emergency scenes and the fire station, may assume the lead in absence of the Company Officer. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies, tactical guidelines and applicable laws.
• Assists Company Officer in preparing reports as required, demonstrating general knowledge of forms used and ability to complete forms in timely and accurate manner.
• Drives, maintains, spots, and operates fire apparatus. Secures a water supply and enhances the execution of the safety and operational need on emergency scenes.
• Participates in continuous professional and personal development by attending training in areas such as fire ground operations, EMT, search and rescue, driver/operator training, NIMS, physical fitness, hazmat operations, water rescue, car seat technician, SCBA technician, and fire boat operations.
• Performs operational support and administrative duties by facilitating fire prevention education, fire truck displays, station tours, installing smoke detectors, performing duties as a car seat technician and assisting the public in emergency and non-emergency situations.
• Assist Company Officer with planning, organizing, conducting and documenting training activities and/or maintaining training hours, and keeping current with materials, instruction of co-workers, and documentation.
• Acts as Team Leader for routine station duties, tasks or other functions, including but not limited to housekeeping and grounds maintenance, equipment checks and station/equipment maintenance.
• Will perform all other duties as assigned and/or as necessary.

All Applicants Must Possess

• Education
  • Minimum of High school degree or GED
• Experience
  • Minimum of 4 years of full time experience with a career fire department
• Minimum Requirements for all candidates
  • Valid driver’s license
  • NCOSFM Certified Firefighter or IFSAC/Pro-Board-Certified Firefighter
  • NCOEMS EMT credential or National Registry EMT with the ability to obtain North Carolina reciprocity
  • Hazardous Materials Operations certification
  • NIMS IC 100, 200, and 700 certifications
  • WFD Candidate School I
  • Fire Instructor I certification
  • NCOSFM Emergency Vehicle Driver Certification
  • Driver Operator & Pumps or IFSAC/Pro-board
• Additional Requirements by Applicant Type
  • Internal Applicants (Current Employees)
    • Must possess valid Class B in the state you reside
    • Must possess completed Engineer Task Book
    • Must meet all apparatus certification requirements as set forth by the Training Department
    • Have no more than two points on record for a preventable vehicle or nonvehicle accident within 12 months of the closing date
    • Have no formal disciplinary action above a first written reminder within 12 months of the closing date
    • Most recent annual performance rating must be “Meets Expectations” or better
    • Must provide a letter from his/her immediate supervisor recommending the candidate for the position and stating that the candidate meets job requirements as outlined in the Engineer’s job description and is ready for the position
  • External Applicants
    • NC Class B must be obtained within six (6) months of hire
    • Fire and Life Safety Educator 1 certification within six (6) months of hire
    • Must complete the Engineer Task Book within six (6) months of hire
    • Must meet all apparatus certification requirements as set forth by the Training Department within six (6) months of hire

Additional Information

• Continued employment is contingent upon obtaining and maintaining all required certifications and credentials within the specified timeframes.
• Failure to meet certification requirements may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Internal candidates

• A driving history and a criminal history check will be performed on all internal candidates who are placed on the certified roster for promotion.

External candidates

The next steps are only for those candidates given a conditional offer of employment after the process has completed:

• Required documentation submitted to HR
  • Copy of a High School Diploma, High School Transcript or GED Certificate. Note: Copy of a College Diploma and/or official or unofficial transcript may be attached in lieu of High School Diploma and/or HS Transcripts. Continuing education credits are not accepted
• Driving History Check, Personal and Professional Reference Checks, Fingerprint-based state and national criminal record check
  • This position has been identified to interact with children and must comply with NC G.S. 153A-94.2(b) requires an applicant for employment that “works with children in any capacity, must require the applicant, if offered the position, to be subject to a criminal history record check conducted by the SBI.” These checks must be conducted in accordance with G.S. 143B-1209.26 (Download PDF reader), the statute which authorizes the SBI to provide a fingerprint-based state and national criminal record check to cities and counties.
• Post-offer Pre-Employment Physical, Stress Test and Drug Screen