General Summary: This position is responsible for performing firefighting and emergency response activities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

All Levels:

·     Reads and interprets street maps, equipment diagrams: signs, symbols, placards, and labels for hazardous material.

·   Participates in structural, wildland, aircraft, and other types of fire attack by constructing fire line around wildland fires, connecting hydrant supply line,advancing and maneuvering fire hose and nozzle to extinguish fires, hoisting equipment using rope and selecting and tying knots in rope, carrying, positioning, and raising ground ladder, choosing and operating portable fire extinguishers; operating hand and power tools; and, other related activities.

·    Performs fire and rescue operations to include carrying a victim, climbing ladders in excess of 100 feet in height while carrying tools, equipment, or victim.

·     Wears, uses, and maintains protective clothing to include self-contained breathing apparatus.

·      Operates two-way radio; and operates cars, light vehicles, brush trucks, large fire apparatus and water tenders.

·      Performs routine maintenance of station, equipment, vehicles, and grounds.

·      Provides public emergency education.

·      Maintains certification through continuing education.

·      Responds to 911 calls for emergency medical assistance and reports to the scene

·      Determines the right course of action after evaluating the patient's condition.

·      Evaluates the patient's condition, determines the nature and extent of illness or injury, and establishes priorities for required care, which may include; providing basic life support to victims before they are transported to the hospital, first-aid treatment or life support care.

·      Provides basic life support to the victims before they are transported to the hospital.

·   Provides medical aid such as AED, CPR, prevent spinal damage, ventilation, control severe bleeding, prevent shock, bandaging wounds, etc., to stabilize their condition. Administers activated charcoal, oral glucose and oxygen as needed.

·      Prepares a patient care report and take notes of the medical treatment given.

·      Sterilizes the ambulance's interior, if it is used to carry a patient suffering from infectious disease.

·       Transports patients not requiring advanced care to medical facilities.

·       Restocks and replaces all supplies in the ambulance as needed.

·       Calms down the victim's family members. Deal with the public courteously and effectively.

·       Reports observations and treatment to physicians, nurses, or other healthcare facility staff.

·       Attends refresher programs and continuing education as required by medical control, employers, and certifying or licensing agencies.

·    Meets medical and physical agility standards as established and maintains physical conditioning necessary to perform effectively in emergency situations.

Firefighter EMT R, I, and II:

·       Performs rescue operations by using hand and power tools to extricate victims trapped in motor vehicles, accomplishing elevator, industrial, ice, and water rescues, and rescues in cave-ins and other below-grade/confined space emergencies, accomplishes rescues with ropes in low and high angle environments.

·       Uses pumper trucks and hoses, select, produce, and maintain appropriate water supplies, pump and nozzle pressures.

·       In structure fires, chooses proper location and size of vent opening for ventilation and ventilates.

·       Protects property from fire damage using covers, fans, and other salvage equipment.

·       Performs ladder inspection and maintenance.

·       Identifies signs of arson.

·       Predicts basic fire behavior and recognizes structural instability in various types of situations.

·       Operates aerial ladder apparatus.

·       Identifies basic commercial occupancy fire code violations.

·       Performs tests: fire hose, annual pumper service, annual ground ladder, annual aerial ladder, and hydrant flows.

·       Prepares commercial occupancy fire pre-plans, fire/life safety inspection, and reports.

·       Prepares basic fire incident reports.

·       Designs and delivers fire safety programs.

·       On occasion supervises one to three lower or equal-ranking firefighters.

Journeyman Firefighter EMT:

·       Performs tests: fire hose, annual pumper service, annual ground ladder, annual aerial ladder, and hydrant flow.

·       Prepares commercial occupancy fire pre-plans, fire/life safety inspection, and incident reports.

·       Designs and delivers fire safety programs.

·       Applies the Incident Command System as necessary by assigning tasks and resources to accomplish strategic objectives.

·       On occasion supervises one to three lower or equal-ranking Firefighter-Medics.

·      Identifies basic commercial occupancy fire code violations; accomplishes or assists others in accomplishing non-routine apparatus service and repair/remodeling of stations.

·       Performs as company officer in the absence of lieutenant or captain.

·       Assists the lieutenant or captain in administration of the apprenticeship program.

·       Performs fire inspection and hazard analysis.

Assignments to Specialized Operations may include these Additional Tasks:

Haz-Mat:

·       Performs hazardous material risk assessment and mitigation

·       Performs hazardous material control operations within capabilities.

·       Performs appropriate decontamination procedures.

·       Uses basic monitoring equipment to classify and verify known and unknown materials.

·       Understands basic chemical, biological and radiological terms and their behaviors.

Rescue:

·       Perform rescue operations to include: High/Low Angle, Confined Space, Trench, Structural Collapse, and Vehicle Extrication.

·       Performs under water rescue and recovery operations, surface water, swift water and ice rescue.

·       May perform rescue operations in a hazardous environment (i.e. night, polluted water, swift water, etc.).

Airport:

·       Attain certification from a Federal Aviation Administration approved training facility for response to Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.

·       Provide Aircraft rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) for airplane crashes and airplane emergencies.

·       Provides fire and life safety protection for sir ambulance aircraft standbys.

·       Performs quarterly safety inspections of fuel storage areas and fuel trucks in accordance with the FAR Part 13.

·       Conducts inspections for vehicles entering the Airport Operations Area (AOA) and Secure Identification Display Area (SIDA) of the airport.

·       Assists with Wildlife Hazard Management Plan issues when requested by Airport Operations.

·       Assists Airport Operation with duties required by SIDA badge holders in resolving security breaches and alarms.

·       Assists Airport Operations with enforcement of parking restrictions.

Qualifications:

Education and/or Experience, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

For Entrance as Firefighter EMT Recruit:

·       High school diploma or GED equivalency; attain the age of eighteen (18) before hire date.

·       Be a citizen of the United States or declare intentions to become naturalized as required by the provisions of South Dakota Codified Law. 

·       Must possess a valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain within 30 days from date of hire.

·       Must be able to obtain a South Dakota Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B) certificate within probationary period.

For Advancement to Firefighter EMT I:

·       At a minimum, be certified as an EMT by the State of South Dakota or be Nationally Registered as an EMT.

·       Must possess a valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain within 30 days from date of hire.

·      Complete a minimum of 4 months as a Rapid City Fire Department Firefighter-Medic Recruit and demonstrates proficiency in departmental written, verbal, and/or manual skills exam.

For Advancement to Firefighter EMT II:

·       At a minimum, be certified as an EMT by the State of South Dakota or be Nationally Registered as an EMT.

·       Must possess a valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain within 30 days from date of hire.

·       Complete 8 months as Rapid City Firefighter-medic and demonstrates proficiency in departmental written, verbal, and/or manual skills exam.

For Advancement to Journeyman Firefighter EMT:

·       At a minimum, be certified as an EMT by the State of South Dakota or be Nationally Registered as an EMT.

·       Must possess a valid South Dakota driver's license or ability to obtain within 30 days from date of hire.

·     Complete 12 months as a Rapid City Firefighter-medic and demonstrates proficiency in departmental written, verbal, and/or manual skills exam.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold; extreme heat; risk of electrical shock; explosives; risk of radiation and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here 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. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Employees must be able to perform these duties while wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and all personal protective equipment (PPE) commensurate with the environment (structural fire, wildland fire, Haz-Mat, rescue, and etc.).