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Fire Fighter Recruit/2023-A #2208-300500-01

Date Opened
Friday, September 16, 2022 8:00 AM
Close Date
Friday, September 30, 2022 11:59 PM
Section
Fire
Employment Type
  • Full Time

Introduction

With 43 stations spanning over 300 square-miles, the Charlotte Fire Department provides fire suppression, emergency medical, technical urban rescue, fire prevention, fire investigation, and public education services. The department’s ISO Class 1 Public Protection Classification rating and International Accredited status rank it among the top fire departments in the world.

Overview

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 17th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 875,000 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation’s largest banks and technology companies. 

Also known as the Queen City, Charlotte is home to the Carolina Panthers, the Charlotte Hornets and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. We work hard to ensure that the community will be a winning city for everyone - a truly remarkable place to live, work, learn and play. Join us in helping keep our City thriving, ensuring upward mobility and advancement in the workplace.

Function

Public Safety

Summary

Performs general firefighting duties to achieve fire suppression and rescue activities. Responsibilities include protection of life and property through firefighting, rescue, acting as a first responder Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and performing related duties. Assignments are given by a superior officer at both emergency scenes and the Fire Station.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Responds to fire alarms with a company; lays and connects hose; holds nozzles and directs water streams; climbs ladders; uses chemical fire extinguishers, bars, hooks, lines, and other equipment.

Ventilates burning buildings by opening windows and skylights or by cutting holes in roofs and floors.

Provides medical assistance to fire victims or as fire responders to emergency situations, until arrival of county medical unit.

Performs salvage operations such as applying salvage covers, sweeping water and removing debris.

Participates in fire drills and attends training classes in apparatus operation, firefighting, emergency medical and related subjects; studies assigned materials relating to firefighting and fire prevention.

Inspects buildings and premises for familiarization; checks for fire hazards; participates in the inspection and maintenance of fire hydrants.

Operates fire apparatus and assumes command of a fire company on an occasional basis.

Performs general maintenance and cleaning work in the upkeep of departmental apparatus, equipment, and structures; cleans kitchen, sleeping quarters, walls, and floors; washes, hangs and dries hose; washes, cleans and polishes apparatus.

Performs related work as required.

Works a 24-hour day (average of 10 days per month, including weekends and holidays). There are three shifts (A-shift, B-shift, and C-shift) and firefighters work to provide continuous service. An example work schedule is WORK-off-WORK-off-off-WORK-off-WORK-off-off-off-off. This cycle then starts over after the 4-day break.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

All newly hired Fire Fighter Recruits will go through an initial training program of approximately 26 weeks, Monday through Friday, approximately 8:00am to 5:00pm. The training academy curriculum is required of all new hires, regardless of previous education or experience. In order to graduate from the training academy, recruits must meet all standards established by the department, including but not limited to:

  • Attendance in all classes and training functions
  • Successful completion of all academic portions of recruit training
  • Certification as a North Carolina Emergency Medical Technician
  • Participation in physical fitness training and achievement of goals set forth by the Fitness Coordinator and Training Staff
  • Adherence to all standards, rules, guidelines, and requirements as established by department General Orders and by Training Staff expectations

Physical Requirements:

All applicants must pass a physical ability test during the hiring process. For more information on the physical ability test please visit our website https://charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx.

 

Fire Fighters must have the agility and physical strength to do prolonged and arduous work under adverse conditions. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to lift, move and maintain position on items (e.g. charged hoses) up to 90 pounds, push objects up to 25 pounds, pull objects from 25 to 50 pounds, and lift or pull victims weighing more than 150 pounds. In addition, Fire Fighters must think critically and solve complex problems during physical exertion in stressful, hazardous environments.

 

Initial Testing Information:

Soon after the application period has closed and all completed applications have been received, invitations to the Structured Oral Interview (SOI) will be emailed. Structured Oral Interviews (SOIs) will be held between Saturday, October 22 and Sunday, October 23, 2022. Applicant SOI dates and times will be assigned at random. In this exercise, applicants will be given hypothetical situations to respond to. Applicants may visit https://charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx to review the Candidate Introduction Document.

After completion of the Structured Oral Interview, upon exiting, each applicant will receive a randomly assigned appointment time and location to report to for the Written Exam on Monday, October 24, 2022. The exam does not require applicants to have prior knowledge about fire services work. Applicants may visit https://charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx to review the Candidate Introduction Document.

General Information:

Please visit https://charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx for details regarding the full Fire Fighter Recruit hiring process and starting a career in Firefighting.

Personal application status and Notices that have been emailed to applicants will be stored for 24/7 access in their JobAps Applicant Profile at https://jobapscloud.com/oec/Charlotte after submitting an application. Applicants should log in frequently to review.

Minimum Qualifications

Eligibility Requirements:

  • The Charlotte Fire Department requires its Fire Fighters to have a valid driver's license in their current state of residence as a condition of employment; all applicants must have a valid driver's license to apply.
  • At least 18 years of age by the date of the Written Exam: October 24, 2022
  • High school diploma/GED by the date of the Written Exam: October 24, 2022
  • Must meet medical requirements set forth in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 Chapter 6: Medical Evaluations of Candidates

Automatic Disqualifiers Include, but are not Limited to:


  • Reason(s) other than Honorable discharge from military
  • Admission and/or conviction of felony offense
  • Admission and/or conviction of misdemeanor involving moral turpitude
  • Illegal drug use (including marijuana) within twelve months before or after written test date: October 24, 2022
  • Pattern of illegal drug use including distribution
  • Pattern of theft
  • Six or more points for moving violations on driving record during past three years. Three-year period calculated from date of conviction for each violation: October 24, 2019 to present. Court decisions such as Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will be counted as convictions.
  • Conviction of DUI / DWI within the last five years. Five-year period calculated from date of conviction for each violation: October 24, 2017 to present. Court decisions such as Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will be counted as convictions.
  • Prior to receiving a Formal Offer of Employment, candidates will be expected to be in full compliance with the GO 209.01A-Body Art-Tattoo Policy linked on the Charlotte Fire Department website at www.charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx which includes the following: 1) No tattoos above the shirt collar to include the neck, face, or anywhere on the head, or anywhere below the wrist to include the entire hand (with exception to a single tattoo on the ring finger in place of a wedding band). 2) No tattoos that express hate or defame any group of citizens to include, but not limited to, race, gender, sex, color, or national origin, or any tattoos that are vulgar, profane, drug related, offensive, racist, gang related, or sexually explicit.

Salary

Starting salary is $48,319 annually for all Fire Fighter Recruits.

Upon completion of Recruit School, Fire Fighters receive a 5% incentive for Associate’s degree or a 10% incentive for Bachelor’s degree; an official transcript is required.

Conditions of Employment

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

 

Final candidates must pass a physical examination and pre-employment drug-screening test. During the selection process, candidates will be required to participate in various testing and assessments. Please visit https://charlottenc.gov/fire/employmentopportunities/Pages/default.aspx for details regarding the full Fire Fighter Recruit hiring process and starting a career in Firefighting.

 

The City of Charlotte now requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment for any new City of Charlotte employees. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, as such, will consider reasonable accommodation as required by law. Proof of vaccination is NOT required until a candidate receives and accepts a Conditional Offer of employment, at which time the candidate will be advised that proof must be submitted to CFD HR prior to their first date of employment.

How To Apply

Apply online by the deadline.

By submitting this application, you are agreeing that you have read and understand the above information, to the best of your ability, including the NFPA 1582 Medical Requirements.

 

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.

 

Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may email CityHrJobPostingsNotify@ci.charlotte.nc.us.

 

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where there are workstations available to submit your online application. The office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202 and the hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

Benefits

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.

In Conclusion

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