Firefighter Trainee

Summary

About our opportunity:

The City of Asheville invites you to apply to begin your career as a firefighter. A firefighter serves as a member of a crew responding to fire calls, disaster calls, and emergency medical calls, and studying and training in the methods and techniques for fire fighting, hazardous materials handling, and emergency medical care. A firefighter performs responsible, technical work in protecting City residents from fire and environmental emergencies or disasters, rendering emergency treatment to the sick and injured, and responding to emergency rescue situations involving bodily injury or potential loss of life. Work includes training in control and extinguishment of fires and/or mitigating other disasters, applying necessary emergency medical care to sick or injured persons, and participating in the maintenance of station equipment and quarters. Work is frequently performed under hazardous conditions, requiring rapid response and strenuous physical exertion. Tact, and courtesy are required in dealing with sick or injured persons and with the general public. Work is performed in accordance with established emergency procedures and techniques, and often requires independent judgment. Work is performed under the general supervision of a Fire Officer and is evaluated by the employee's ability to respond effectively to emergency situations.

For more information on the hiring process including a timeline, links to practice exams and assessment descriptions please visit the Asheville Fire Department's website: https://www.ashevillenc.gov/service/city-job-opportunities-fire-department/

The City of Asheville is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and persons of all genders and races are encouraged to apply.

Tentative start date is July 8th 2024. The academy lasts from 3-5 months based on certifications.

Academy Pipelines

Existing Firefighter/NC EMT or NREMT/ Technical Rescuer certification: 12 weeks

Existing Firefighter/NC EMT or NREMT: 18 weeks

Existing NC EMT / or NREMT: 18 weeks

No Experience or FF Only: 25 weeks

CPAT:

Practice Dates 2024:

• February 12-16
• March 11-15
• April 8-12

Official test dates 2024:

- April 29 - May 3

Written Testing:

Scheduled test dates

- May 9 - 15

Chief Interviews:

May 20 - 22

NFPA Physical:

June 3

Start date of July 8th, 2024.

Final applicants are subject to pre-employment drug screening, a driving record check and, a background check. Final applicants must successfully complete physical per National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 (Download PDF reader) (Download PDF reader)(Download PDF reader)guidelines which includes hearing, vision, breathing capacity and cardiology tests. These physicals require a scheduled appointment. The City's Physician or Physician Assistant must provide final clearance. The exams are at the City's expense after a conditional offer is made, but before a final offer of employment.

All successful candidates will attend the City of Asheville Fire Department's Fire Academy as a paid Firefighter Trainee for approximately 3-5 months. The training schedule is generally Monday - Friday; typically varying between 7:30 AM and 6:00 PM but hours may vary due to instructional scheduling. After successful completion of the academy, the firefighter schedule is comprised of 24 hour shift rotations.

An education incentive is available for successful candidates who have an Associate's Degree or higher. The City also offers a language incentive for successful candidates who are proficient in more than one language and can successfully pass a foreign language competency test.

All applications must be submitted by the 5:00 PM on Wednesday, March 20. This position is non-exempt.

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  What you’ll be doing:
  • Responds to fire calls as a firefighter; performs necessary work related to fire suppression.
  • Responds to calls for environmental and other disasters involving hazardous materials, such as gas leaks, fuel spills and chemical emergencies; takes proper steps to mitigate hazardous situations.
  • Responds to emergency calls as an emergency medical technician, performs necessary rescue work; administers necessary emergency medical care.
  • Responds to non-emergency calls, such as requests to assist other emergency medical care providers in moving patients into transportation vehicles and assisting disabled persons in their homes when other assistance is inadequate.
  • Participates in a continuous training program to improve competence in all areas related to fire fighting functions and meet Federal, State and Local standards.
  • Assists in inspection and maintenance of assigned apparatus and equipment and performs station maintenance.
  • Actively participates in public fire and life safety education activities, hydrant maintenance, professional development reviews, and any other assigned duties.
  • Utilizes specialized hand and power tools in rescuing victims of fire, disaster and other emergencies.
  • Performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation or defibrillation as necessary.
  • Maintains appropriate level of physical fitness for duty.
  • Participates in as a member of a company in pre-fire planning.
  • Utilizes computerized data entry equipment and various word processing, spreadsheet, file maintenance and/or database programs to enter, store and/or retrieve information.
  • May assist with traffic control duties as required.
  • May be required to respond on an off-duty basis in event of major fire, rescue, hazardous-materials or other emergency.

  • Performs related work as required.

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  Benefits:

  • For City of Asheville employee benefits information click here.

About you:

• What you Bring:

We know your time is valuable. Applicants who meet the following minimum requirements or have comparable experience and/or education will be considered:

Graduation from high school (or equivalent) by the start of the Fire Academy with verbal and written communications skills and reading comprehension skills required to successfully complete basic firefighter training and certification; and/or any equivalent combination of training and experience required to perform the essential position functions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Possession of a valid driver's license.

• Must be at least 18 years of age by starting date of the academy.

The following certifications issued by the State of North Carolina to be obtained within one (1) year of the date of hire (all courses and tests required will be offered during academy): Firefighter II, Hazardous Materials Operations, EMT-B, Technical Rescuer, Child Passenger Seat Technician.

Persons of all genders and races are encouraged to apply.

About us:

The City of Asheville is dedicated to providing quality service for the residents and visitors of our beautiful city, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Asheville, NC is a thriving mountain city that has a culture enriched in diversity.