Airport Firefighter
Category: Classified
Pay Grade: F21
Job Code: 22600
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
JOB SUMMARY
Performs specialized airport crash, fire, and rescue work protecting life and property at the St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport; serves as uniformed airport firefighters, responsible for responding to actual or potential aircraft emergencies to prevent or extinguish fires and rescue aircraft occupants; responds to medical emergencies at the airport, vehicle crashes on or off the airport property, and water rescues; operates specialized aircraft firefighting equipment and rescue boat; applies aircraft fire suppression rescue techniques.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)
- Responds to airport standby, fire, and crash alarms;
- Drives firefighting and rescue vehicles to crash scene or prearranged runway positions in anticipation of disabled aircraft landings;
- Operates vehicle turret nozzles and pumping equipment to spray foam onto runway surface to minimize danger of explosion or fire upon impact and applies water and chemicals to aircraft after landing to prevent or extinguish flames;
- Rescues aircraft crewmembers and passengers from wreckage using specialized cutting equipment and administers first aid to the injured;
- Responds to fuel spills and fires on and off the airport property;
- Responds to medical emergencies on and around airport property;
- Establishes firelines to secure crash areas from unauthorized entry;
- Performs first response structural firefighting and rescue work on Airport property;
- Inspects and performs preventative maintenance on firefighting and rescue equipment;
- Inspects and operates Airport Rescue Boat;
- Responds to water rescues;
- Completes reports on calls and enters data into report system;
- Performs duties of the Airport Lieutenant during their absence;
- Performs other related job duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Candidate must provide evidence by sworn affidavit to be a non-user of tobacco or tobacco products for at least one (1) year immediately preceding application plus possess and maintain a valid Florida Certification as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); candidate must possess and maintain valid Fire Team Test and a Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT); or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.Page Break
Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
- Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
- Employee to obtain a Pinellas County EMT License within six months of employment.
- Employee must complete the National Incident Management System (NIMS) online courses 100b & 700 within six months of employment.
- Rotating shifts, weekend, holiday, and mandatory overtime schedules.
- Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of aircraft and structural firefighting, rescue operations, and first aid methods and techniques;
- Knowledge of the proper operation and maintenance of crash, fire, and rescue equipment;
- Ability to react quickly and calmly and to perform crash, fire, and rescue operations under emergency conditions and possess sufficient physical strength and agility to perform arduous work under adverse conditions for prolonged periods;
- Ability to act in accordance with the National Incident Command System, and with departmental policies and procedures;
- Ability to use or repair small, medium, and heavy equipment and machinery.
PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS
The work is heavy work which requires exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
- Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
- Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
- Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
- Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
- Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
- Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
- Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
- Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
- Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
- Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
- Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
- Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
- Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
- Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
- Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
- Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recordings on transcription device.
- Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
- Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
- Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
- Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
- Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
- Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is performed in an environment with crisis situations that require major decisions involving people, resources, and property.