Paid On Call Firefighter

City of Albert Lea; Albert Lea (MN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Albert Lea is seeking a dedicated firefighter to perform fire prevention and suppression duties, respond to emergency medical problems, and inspect properties for hazards. You must complete Firefighter I & II or be willing to attend a fire academy and live within 30 minutes of the station.

Interviews and agility testing are scheduled; a pre-employment physical, drug test, and background check are required. Applicants should be at least 18 years old with a valid driver's license.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; completion of NFPA 1001 curriculum and/or MN Firefighter I certification or equivalent.
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
• Live within 30 minutes of the station and be 18+ years old.

Responsibilities

• Responds to fires and emergencies; handles hoses, ladders, pumps, and extinguishers.
• Performs rescues and ventilation; assists in entry and forcible access.
• Participates in drills, patrols safety outreach, and conducts pre-employment testing.
• Assists in fire prevention activities, inspections, and public demonstrations.
• Maintains quarters, equipment, vehicles, and grounds; participates in safety days.

Skills

Firefighting

Emergency response

Public safety

Teamwork

Physical fitness

Education

NFPA 1001

Firefighter I/II

Tools

Firefighting equipment

Safety protocols

Job description

General Statement of Duties: Performs responsible fire prevention and suppression work involving the protection of life and property from fire and other hazards, the extinguishing of fires, the treatment of emergency medical problems and the inspection of property; performs related duties as required.

Required to complete a minimum of 100 training hours a year, maintain a 50 percent attendance record for emergency calls and attend truck checks one Saturday every six weeks.

Applicants must:

Have completed Firefighter I & II or willing to participate in a fire academy.

Live within 30 minutes of the station in any given situation.

Be 18+ years of age.

Possess a valid driver's license.

Pass a pre-employment physical and drug test, background test and physical agility test.

Interviews and Physical Agility Testing will be held November 9th @ 6:00 p.m. Will be contacted by November 3rd for a time slot.

Supervision Received: Works under the general and technical supervision of the Fire Captain on duty and the general direction of the Deputy Fire Chief.

The listed examples may not include all duties performed by all positions in this class. Duties may vary somewhat from position to position within a class.

*Responds to fires and emergency calls; connects and handles hose lines and nozzles; places or hoists ladders; turns water on and off; uses axes, bars, or hooks as appropriate; and utilizes chemical extinguishers or hoses to extinguish a fire.

*Performs rescues as appropriate, including water rescues.

*Ventilates burning buildings by opening or breaking doors or windows or cutting holes through walls, roofs or floors.

*Forces entry into buildings in emergencies by breaking glass, springing or forcing doors, windows, or gates, cutting locks, bars, or wire grating, or breaking walls.

*Assists in crowd control in emergency situations.

*Participates in initial arson investigation by preserving evidence and noting the location.

*May perform fire engineer duties including driving vehicles to the scene and managing pump operations during fire suppression.

*Participates in drills, demonstrations, and courses related to equipment use, firefighting techniques, and rescue procedures.

*Participates in the cleaning, maintenance and care of quarters, equipment, tools, vehicles, apparatus, and grounds.

*Assists in searches for missing persons and lost children as needed.

*Lubricates, cleans, and polishes firefighting equipment.

*May advising and teaching fire safety, evacuation procedures, and fire prevention;

*Tests for carbon monoxide in homes, installs smoke detectors and changes batteries for elderly and others who need assistance as requested.

*Assists with fire prevention and fire safety activities such as Safety Days at nursing homes, presenting fire safety information to pre-school and school-age children, organizing poster contests, helping with Safety Camp, speaking to employees at the request of businesses, conducting fire extinguisher or other demonstrations and developing and presenting information for Radio Talk.

Assists in giving tours and demonstrations to the public.

Performs other duties as needed or required.

Albert Lea Fire Physical Ability Test (ALFPAT)This is a PASS/FAIL test that you have 10 minutes to complete.

Objective: The following eight events are used to determine if the candidate is physically and mentally fit to perform essential job tasks on a fire scene. This portion of testing is strictly a Pass/Fail evaluation and you will have 10 minutes to complete the test to pass.

Requirements: Throughout all events, you will wear a 50-pound vest (used to simulate the weight of full turnout gear and SCBA). An additional 25 pounds will be added to the shoulders for the first event and removed when the first event is completed. In addition to the vest, all candidates throughout all events must wear long pants, a hard hat with chin strap, work gloves, and footwear with no open heel or toe. The vest, helmet, and gloves will be supplied. Watches and loose or restrictive jewelry are not permitted. The events are placed in a sequence that best simulates fire scene events. The clock will start once the 20 second warm up is complete on the first event, and stop once you cross the line of the final event. There is no running during the events or between the events, with the acceptation of the hose drag.

EVENT 1: Stair Climb-The candidate will mount the step mill and begin climbing. When the candidate begins climbing the 20 second warm up will begin at 50 steps per second. After the 20 seconds is complete the machine will speed up to 60 steps per minute, the time will begin, and the candidate will remain on the step mill for 3 minutes. During the warm up the candidate may grasp the handrail momentarily to gain balance. Once the speed increases and the 3 minute timing start the handrail may be grasped with a single hand. If for some reason the candidate falls off the step mill during the warm up you may remount the step mill and continue the test. If the candidate falls off during the 3 minute testing time the test is a failure. The purpose of this event is to test aerobic conditioning and lower body strength.

EVENT 2: Hose Drag- The candidate will grab a nozzle that is connected to an un charged 1 ½” hose line and drag it 125’ to a designated area where the candidate will go down to one knee and pull the remaining hose line into the designated area. The hose will be marked 8’ from the nozzle, to indicate how much hose can be draped over the shoulder. Once the candidate touches the nozzle it cannot be set down for any reason until it reaches the designated area, if it is dropped this will stop the test and the candidate will fail. When completed walk to the next event. The purpose of this event is to test aerobic conditioning and upper and lower body strength.

EVENT 3: Equipment Carry- The candidate will grab a gas chain saw from the table and place it on the floor, then grab a gas chop saw from the table and place it on the floor. Now the candidate will grab and carry both saws 50’ go around a cone and back to the starting position, then the candidate will place both saws on the ground and place them one at a time back on the table. The candidate can stop at any time and place the saws on the ground to adjust their grip, if the saws are dropped the test will stop and the candidate will fail. When completed walk to the next event. The purpose of this event is to test aerobic conditioning and grip strength.

EVENT 4: Ladder Raise and Extension- The candidate will walk a hinged 24’ extension ladder hand over hand touching every rung until the ladder is safely against the wall. Once the ladder is safely against the wall the candidate will extend the ladder until it hits the stops and then lower it in a controlled fashion. Now the candidate will lower the ladder to the starting position using a hand over hand technique touching each rung, until the ladder is in the starting position. If the candidate uses the rails to raise or lower the ladder they will get one warning and the second time the test will stop and the candidate will fail, also if the ladder drops or is not lowered in a controlled fashion this will stop the test and the candidate will fail. When completed walk to the next event. The purpose of this event is to test upper body strength.

EVENT 5: Forcible Entry- The candidate will stand on the Keiser sled and then grab the mallet, and then strike the weight until it reaches the end of the sled. Then place the mallet back in the starting position. If the mallet is not placed back in the starting position or the mallet leaves the candidates hands, the test will stop and the candidate will fail. When completed walk to the next event. The purpose of this event is to test the whole body strength and aerobic condition.

EVENT 6: Rescue - The candidate will grab a 170# rescue randy with a strap in each hand and drag him 35’ around a cone and 35’ back to the starting position. The candidate can stop at any time to readjust the grip on the handles, if the candidate drops the rescue randy or they fall down the test will stop and the candidate will fail. The time will stop and you will move to the staging area and remove the vest. The purpose of this event is to test whole body strength and aerobic conditioning.

UNTIMED EVENTS - The candidate will get a ten minute rest before starting the last two events.

EVENT 7: Search- The candidate will don a blacked out face piece and crawl through a 50’ maze by following a hose line, once they reach the end the candidate will be instructed to follow the same 50’ hose line back to the starting position. Then remove the mask and walk to the next event, if the candidate panics and has to be helped out of the maze the test ends and the candidate fails. The purpose of this event is to see if the candidate is claustrophobic.

EVENT 8: Ladder Climb- The candidate will put on a harness with a safety line attached, and proceed to climb the aerial ladder (105’) touching every rung on the way up and down. Once the candidate reaches the top they will pause for 60 seconds then they will be instructed to climb back down, and remove the harness and walk to the staging area. If the candidate skips any rungs or panics and has to be helped down, the test will stop and the candidate will fail. The purpose of this event is to test overall strength and conditioning while also checking for a fear of heights.

*Knowledge of firefighting and emergency rescue techniques and practices.

*Knowledge of risks and standard safety practices related to firefighting and emergency rescue.

*Knowledge of fire behavior.

*Knowledge of emergency Management and the incident command system.

*Knowledge of building construction, math, and hydraulics.

*Working knowledge of departmental rules and regulations.

*Skill in the operation and maintenance of a wide variety of firefighting equipment, tools, and apparatus.

*Skill in fire suppression and emergency rescue.

*Ability to work at heights of over 10 feet, under adverse weather conditions, around smoke, heat, fire, hazardous materials, irritants, fumes, as well as exposure to electrical hazards and other adverse conditions.

*Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

*Ability to frequently climb ladders and/or stairs, lift and maneuver equipment occasionally weighing up to 100 pounds and frequently weighing 40-50 pounds, and occasionally up to 150 pounds and to maintain balance with heavy loads and under adverse conditions.

*Ability to communicate effectively with department staff and the general public.

*Ability to react appropriately under pressure.

*Ability to stand, walk, bend, stoop, crouch, kneel, twist, turn, perform repetitive movements, work in confined spaces, push, and pull while performing the regular duties of this position.

*Ability to see, hear, touch, smell, and use both large and fine motor skills while performing the functions of this position.

*Working ability to safely operate a motor vehicle or fire apparatus, sometimes under adverse conditions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

High School Diploma or equivalent, completion of an NFPA 1001 curriculum and/or MN Firefighter I certification or equivalent. Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.