FIRE FIGHTER I

Firefighter I
The City of Alexandria is in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population estimated at 159,200 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. Approximately one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. Former Alexandria Fire Department employees who meet qualifications are invited to apply for theFirefighter I–IV position.

TheOverview
Former Alexandria Fire Department, Firefighters I - IV, that have been separated from the department for more than 1 year but have continued employment as a Firefighter in a jurisdiction that is a signatory of the Northern Virginia Emergency Services Mutual Aid Response Agreement (2021) are eligible to apply to this posting.Reinstatement guidelines are provided in the notes section below.

Firefighter I - IV perform firefighting duties including the safe and efficient operation of Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) apparatus and equipment, provides medical care to the level of a basic emergency medical care technician, performs fire-suppression activities, conducts pre-emergency analysis, maintains equipment and grounds, performs public education in fire prevention, and participates in the physical-fitness program. The work is performed on a shift basis and is done in accordance with instructions and a well-defined routine. Considerable time is spent in the special and routine maintenance of equipment, apparatus, and facilities. Work is normally performed under close supervision and is supervised by a Fire Lieutenant or Fire Captain.

The Opportunity
• Responds to and participates in firefighting, medical emergencies, auto extrications, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescue incidents.
• Safely drives and operates fire engines, ladder trucks, heavy rescue squads, medic units, and other specialized apparatus.
• Supplies water from hydrants and static water sources and maintains proper pressure to supply lines, attack lines, master streams, foam devices, and fire protection systems, and operates aerial ladder devices.
• Trains and drills on SCBA use; forcible entry, ventilation, deployment of ground ladders, utility control, elevator rescue, search and rescue, railroad and metro emergencies, natural disasters, terrorism, and WMD responses, communicating with portable radios, and handling detection and suppression systems.
• Maintains a ready physical condition per department guidelines to be able to respond to the incidents listed above, including strength, aerobic, and flexibility conditioning.
• Performs and evaluates necessary maintenance and cleaning of department vehicles, equipment, and tools to assure a constant state of readiness.
• Maintains and inventories necessary supplies.
• Learns and maintains skills related to computers and computer technologies; maintains required certifications at City, State, and Federal levels.
• Attends city-required courses/classes.
• Maintains area familiarization of target hazards to include high-risk locations such as nursing homes, assisted living, special needs facilities, schools, hospitals, federal buildings, industrial facilities (ex. ethanol plant), water plants, and historical buildings.
• Maintains area building familiarization to include building construction, water supply, utilities (gas, electric, water), access, security, suppression, and detection systems.
• Maintains public relations through station tours, neighborhood and City events, school visitations, smoke alarm installations, and public education activities.
• Provides public fire education training to students in Alexandria schools, both public and private, and the residents of Alexandria.
• Dedicated to teamwork with a strong desire for community service.
• Passionate about learning and growing in both Fire and EMS.
• Performs related work as required.

About the Department
"To Serve the Community by Protecting Lives, Property, and the Environment"
The Alexandria Fire Department provides fire, emergency medical services, and special operations such as technical rescue, hazardous materials, and marine response with additional capabilities including fire prevention, inspections, protection, and investigation to a 15-square mile city. The Alexandria Fire Department employs more than 300 personnel, which include firefighters, paramedics, fire prevention staff, and administrative support. A network of ten stations protects 15 square miles. Among the department's specialized teams are the Northern Virginia Regional Hazardous Materials Team, Technical Rescue, Marine Operations, and the Special Operations Team. The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is also a city-wide function within the Alexandria Fire Department.Firefighter I
Must be at least 18 years of age and possess a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) at the time of application.
Must possess a valid driver's license with no restrictions issued by their state of residence, City residency is not required.

Additional Requirements:
Additional Requirements: Must achieve the status of minimum staffing and be non-probationary before deemed fully qualified and must gain the following certifications in recruit training: Firefighter I & II; EVOC IV, Hazardous Materials Awareness & Operations; Emergency Medical Technician; AHA Healthcare Provider CPR, Driver Pump Operator, Driver Aerial Operator and Introduction to Technical Rescue Module I.

Firefighter II
High School Diploma or GED, and two years experience at the level of AFD Firefighter I; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities; all additional requirements must be met before elevation to AFD Firefighter II; must meet and maintain the following certification and experience standards AFD Fire Inspector, and NFPA Standards for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications certification for apparatus equipped as follows: with an attack or fire pump, with an aerial device and with a tiller, heavy rescue squad, medic unit, and specialized emergency equipment to include trailers; some Firefighter IIs pilot a Fireboat and or an inflatable rescue boat; employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the State of their residence; training, hands-on, Working, Knowledge and Experience of Emergency Medical Services and fire-fighting principles, methods and techniques; ability to operate all Alexandria Fire Department emergency vehicles; knowledge of fire-fighting equipment and supplies; knowledge of the street system and physical layout of Alexandria; knowledge of housing, building, fire and related codes and of code enforcement procedures; knowledge of basic Departmental record keeping and reporting systems; ability to react quickly and calmly in emergencies; ability to meet such physical and certification standards as may be established by the City; ability to perform prolonged, manual work under adverse conditions; and the ability to maintain effective working relationships with employees and the general public; ability to maintain a state of readiness primarily over a 24 hour period and up to a 72 hour period.

Firefighter III
High School Diploma or GED. Candidates for this class are required to meet the requirements set forth by the Fire Fighter I and II training courses, and must meet one of the listed specialty area's minimum requirements listed:

Hazardous Materials:
Meet the requirements of, and maintain proficiency as, AFD Hazardous Materials Team Technician II.

Technical Rescue:
Meet the requirements of, and maintain proficiency as, AFD Technical Rescue Team Technician.

Marine Operations:
Meet the requirements of, and maintain proficiency as, AFD Fire Boat Engineer.

Firefighter IV
HS Diploma or equivalent; successful completion of a criminal background; must achieve the status of minimum staffing on fire apparatus; be cleared by the Operational Medical Director to practice ALS skills; and must meet NFPA 1582 medical standards.

The required certifications a Fire Fighter IV must possess include: NFPA Firefighter I and II certifications; EVOC III; Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations certification; the CPR Healthcare Provider certification; must maintain National Registry Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic (NREMT-P) that is recognized by the Virginia Office of EMS; and must possess a valid driver's license issued by their state of residence.
Firefighter I - IV

The ability to acquire knowledge of the street system and physical layout of Alexandria; knowledge of building, housing, fire, related codes, and code enforcement procedures; ability to understand and follow written and oral instructions; ability to learn a variety of firefighting duties and methods, including the operation of firefighting apparatus, within a reasonable working period; aptitude for mechanical work; conscientiousness and dependability; physical strength, agility and freedom from serious physical defects as indicated by a physical examination, and the ability to perform prolonged manual work; and the ability to perform the tasks of the class under adverse conditions.

High School Diploma or GED; Some college education and/or continuing education in fire related fields is preferred along with other technical/vocational and college courses that relate directly or indirectly to the fire service; years of experience in the fire service or related fields may be substituted for years of college.Firefighter I - IV
Conditions of Employment: All persons selected for the Firefighter I - IV position must agree to sign a Condition of Employment: Maintain Virginia Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, Emergency Medical Technician - Intermediate or Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic certification that meets or exceeds the minimum standard adopted by the Department. Maintain a driver-operator license for the class of vehicles specified by the Fire Chief. Maintain at least an overall satisfactory rating on annual Performance Evaluations. All persons must also maintain all relevant certifications for any specialized teams. Participate in and successfully complete a mandatory Physical Fitness Program designed by the Fire Department. Maintain the medical standard according to National Fire Protection Association standard 1582.

Firefighter I-IV reinstatement requires all applicants to successfully complete and pass each of the following pre-employment hiring steps to be considered for reinstatement:
• Submission of online application through the applicant tracking system
• Upload of all certificates relevant to level applying to (FFI-IV)
• Fingerprint and ongoing Background Check
• Medical Examination
• Fire Chief Selection

*Steps are subject to change

SALARY
Reinstatement compensation will be determined case by case based on prior grade and step, current certifications, cohort alignment, and the applicant’s ability to document and demonstrate the requested level of reinstatement.

The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you require reasonable accommodations during the hiring process, contact the Recruitment Section at (703) 746-5276 or submit an email to Fire.Recruitment@alexandriava.govbefore the scheduled event. Questions or concerns can be emailed to the address listed above.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. These protections extend to all management practices and decisions, including recruitment and hiring practices, appraisal systems, promotions, and training and career development programs.

"This institution is approved to offer GIBILL® educational benefits by the Virginia State Approving Agency• GI BILL® is a registered trademark for the US Department of Veterans Affairs(VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government Website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/”