Airport Firefighter

Classification Title:  Firefighter

Location:  St. Pete/Clearwater Airport, 14700 Terminal Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33762

This is specialized airport crash/fire/rescue work protecting life and property at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.  Employees in this class serve as uniformed airport firefighters, responsible for responding to actual or potential aircraft, structural, medical, vehicle and water rescue emergencies.

Respond to aircraft, structural, medical, vehicle and water rescue emergencies.  Operates specialized ARFF equipment ARFF vehicles and Marine vessel.

Essential Functions

• Responds to aircraft emergencies on and off the airport.
• Respond to vehicle accidents on and off airport
• Provide Basic Life Support to injured and sick victims.
• Operate rescue boat on water rescue calls.
• Assist structural first responders on incidents on and off the airport.
• Operate rescue tools and equipment.
• Take command in the absence of the Lieutenant.
• Effectively communicate with tower and fire dispatcher.

Position Specific Requirements

• Candidate must provide evidence by sworn affidavit to be a non-user of tobacco or tobacco products for at least 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) (www.nationaltestingnetwork.com).
• The selected candidate must pass a fingerprint-based criminal history records check and Security Threat Assessment as required by the Transportation Security Administration within 30 days of employment.
• This position requires rotating shifts, weekends, holidays, and mandatory overtime schedule.
• This position requires the employee complete the National Incident Management System (NIMS) online courses 100b & 700 within 6 months of employment.  Must be able to learn and operate the fire boat independently within one year.
• Must be able to swim without any assistance from flotation devices.
• Must be signed off by Airport Operation to operate vehicles on the airport runways and taxiways within 6 months.
• The candidate has one attempt to complete and pass 40-hour ARFF certification school.
• Possession and maintenance of a valid State of Florida Driver’s License upon hire with eligibility based upon evaluation of a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) driving report.

Highly Desirable

• Current ARFF certification.
• Previous aircraft rescue and firefighting experience.

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/rescue equipment.
• Knowledge of office automation, data processing principles and practices.
• Ability to react quickly and calmly and to perform crash/fire/rescue operations under emergency conditions and possession of 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.

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.

This position has supplemental questions. If unable to complete all questions, you may save your answers as a draft during the application process and return at any time prior to the closing date. Please note that the application is complete upon final submission.