Position Function

The recruit volunteer firefighter is in a training status waiting to go through Fire Academy or equivalent recruit training program as approved by the fire chief. The recruit firefighter serves the community by responding to a wide variety of situations, ranging from emergencies that immediately threaten life or property to routine citizen requests for information or assistance. The recruit volunteer firefighter is called upon day or night to perform duties in the following general categories: fire suppression, emergency medical aid or rescue, hazardous material responses, emergency standby, training, and public education.

Supervision Received

Receives general supervision from higher-level supervisory staff.

Supervision Exercised and Responsibilities (Direct & Indirect)

None

Duties

• Respond to fire alarms quickly.
• Maintain personal equipment and keep it ready for use. 
• The recruit firefighters' tasks include but are not limited to routine and special fire drills and training, receiving instructions on all phases of firefighting, emergency medical services, fire control, fire suppression, salvage and overhaul, plans and methods of fire attack, and driver training.
• The recruit firefighter supplements on-the-job training with study of manuals, standard operating guidelines, and other applicable fire service literature provided by the fire district.
• The recruit firefighter may be responsible for fire station and fire equipment maintenance. The recruit firefighter is responsible for his/her appearance and behavior.
• Recruit firefighters are responsible to know and abide by all district policies.

Education and Training Requirements

• Graduation from high school or GED equivalent.
• Current Washington State driver's license (or acceptable state driver's license if active military) and be Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention (EVIP) certified.
• Maintain auto insurance
• Must complete next available fire training academy, after employment.

Physical Demands

• Wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) while performing firefighting tasks (e.g., hose line operations, extensive crawling, lifting, and carrying heavy objects, ventilating roofs or walls using power or hand tools, forcible entry), rescue operations, and other emergency response actions under stressful conditions, including working in extremely hot or cold enviroments for prolonged periods.
• Wearing the respirators required by the jursidiction (e.g., N-95, half-face elastomeric, PAPR, SCBA), which includes a demand-valve-type postive-pressure facepiece or filter respirator, achieving a successful fit-test and tolerating increased respiratory workloads.
• Exposure to toxic fumes, irritants, particulates, biological (i.e., inectious) and nonbiological hazards, or heated gases, despite the use of PPE and SCBA. 
• Climbing at least six (6) flights of stairs or walking simiarly strenous distance and incline in jurisdictions without tall buildings while wearing PPE and SCBA, commonly weighing 40-50 pounds (18-23 kg) and carrying quipment/tools weighing an additional 20-40 pounds (9-18 kg).
• Wearing PPE and SCBA that is encapsulating and insulated, will result in significant fluid loss that frequently progresses to clinical dehydration and can elevate core temperature to levels exceeding 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit (39 Celsius).

Work Enviroment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts inside and outside in all weather conditions. Fifty to ninety percent of the work time is spent outside a building and exposed to the sun, wind, rain, or snow. Recruit firefighter’s work location and environment is conditional based upon the location of an emergency and/or assignment. Personnel may find themselves working at, and/or neighboring jurisdictions; on state highways, county roads, city streets, and the like; open space such as pastures, fields, forests; office setting; apparatus bays etc. The noise in the work environment is moderately noisy.