Wildland Firefighter

Human Resources

105 Albright Street, Suite J Taos, New Mexico 87571

Telephone: (575) 737-6313      Facsimile: (575) 737-3891

www.taoscounty.org/jobs

Email applications to _ _hr.jobs@taoscountynm.gov

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Employment Opportunity

Internal/External

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

 JOB TITLE:    Wildland Firefighter *                                                                                                             SALARY:  $23.04*

DEPARTMENT:  Fire & EMS  **                                                                                                                     POSITION STATUS:    Part-Time/Seasonal**

FLSA STATUS:    Non-Exempt                                                                                                                     UNION ELIGIBILITY:    **Non-Eligible **

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**I.          Position Function SUMMARY: **

 Under the direction of Wildland Engine Captain, the Wildland Firefighter is responsible for responding to wildland fires and other all hazard activities or fuel related restoration projects. 

 

Department Job Assignments: This Job Description is intended to be somewhat general in nature with respect to the job family, and as such it does not detail all duties of a particular job assignment. Additional duties, responsibilities, and accountabilities may be assigned to an employee in this position depending on the Department Job Assignment.

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II.         ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  The following statements are essential functions of this position and not intended to be all-inclusive; rather, they are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the employee, and an employee may be directed to perform other reasonably related job duties and responsibilities. The incumbent will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties reasonably requested by their supervisor. Taos County reserves the right to revise or change the job duties and responsibilities as the need arises, based on business need, and this Job Description may be updated accordingly. This Job Description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.

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JOB DUTIES:

• Provides for crew and self-safety.
• Carries out suppression actions. 
• Keeps supervisor informed and requests additional assistance as necessary. 
• May serve as a driver for engines.
• Participates in project work in support of ecosystem management such as prescribed fire, brush disposal, back logged fuels preparation and disposal. 
• Adheres to agency physical training program to enhance the ability of self and crewmembers to perform the required arduous firefighting duties.
• Manages assigned property and maintains equipment including hand tools, chainsaws, firing equipment, food and water provisions, and personal protective equipment to ensure that assigned personnel meet fire readiness standards on a daily basis.
• Maintains vehicles and equipment to a specified degree of fire readiness and appearance.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

 

 

 

**III.        CORE TAOS COUNTY VALUES, BEHAVIORS, & COMPETENCIES:        **

As a requirement of their employment, all Taos County employees are expected and required to support and demonstrate Taos County’s core values and behaviors, and to perform the essential functions and elements of this position competently. Employees are expected to demonstrate these values and behaviors through their behavior and performance throughout the course of the introductory period of employment and continuing throughout employment with Taos County. The values, behaviors, and competencies that need to be demonstrated by all Taos County employees include but are not limited to:

 

• Quality/Compliance : Achieving a standard of excellence with our work processes and outcomes, honoring Taos County policies and all regulatory requirements.

• Customer/Client focus : Striving for high external and internal customer/client satisfaction, going out of our way to be helpful and pleasant, making it as easy as possible on the customer/client, rather than on self, department, or organization.

• Clear Communication:  Expresses oneself clearly and effectively when speaking and writing to individuals and groups; listens attentively and ensures all parties involved understand communication; responds in a timely manner using appropriate communication methods.

• Interpersonal Skills : Interacts effectively with others using discretion, empathy and self-regulation when working toward resolution of divergent interests; recognizes and appreciates the quirky or unusual traits of others.
• Professional Expertise : Achieves a proficient level of ability or knowledge in job-related areas; continues to grow with the changing requirements of the job.

• Adaptability : Adjusts to changing circumstances by altering attitudes and behaviors; displays resilience and flexibility in response to setbacks and stressful situations with energy and optimism.

• Collegiality :  Being helpful, respectful, approachable, and team oriented, building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. 

• Initiative :  Takes action to influence events, generate ideas for improvement, takes advantage of opportunities, and does not wait to be told what to do next.
• Efficiency and Continuous Improvement :  Planning ahead, managing time well, being on time, being cost conscious, thinking of better ways to do things.
• Coachability : Being receptive to feedback, willing to learn, embracing continuous improvement in personal and professional growth & development, performance, and productivity.
• Team Player : able to work collaboratively with others in the organization, and to work well with diverse groups of people and gain and maintain the respect of others, both inside and outside Taos County.
• Decision Making : Uses sound judgment to make good decisions based on information gathered and considers all pertinent facts and alternatives before deciding. Commits to decision.

• Performance Standards : Sets and maintains high performance standards. Pays close attention to detail, accuracy and completeness and follows up on work outputs.

• Problem-Solving : Analyzes problem by gathering and organizing all relevant information. Identifies cause and effect relationships and comes up with best solution.

• Integrity : Shares complete and accurate information. Maintains confidentiality and meets own commitments and adheres to organizational policies and procedures. 

• Motivation : Displays energy and enthusiasm, commits additional effort, and maintains a high level of productivity and self-direction.

 

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IV.        POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

  **Fair Labor Standards Act Provisions:  **

This position is non-exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is subject to the organization’s policies and procedures pertaining to overtime hours.

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Independence of Action; Supervision Received:

The Wildland Firefighter works under general supervision of the Wildland Engine Captain. Employee works alone on routine work and checks with supervisor only when in doubt. Production generally precedes a check on the quality control. Established methods and procedures are clearly established, and general instructions provided.

 

Supervision Exercised:

The Wildland Firefighter is responsible for own work and has no supervisory authority. The Wildland Firefighter may also be responsible for organizing and reviewing the work of volunteers or others working on special projects s/he is overseeing that are assigned by the position’s supervisor. 

 

Coordination and Cooperation with Internal and External Parties:

Internal:

Responds to requests for information from the Wildland Engine Captain; and works with other department staff on issues and special projects that may have a moderate impact on provision of Taos County’s programs and services. 

 

External:

Employee has a moderate amount of independent contact with external parties. Under direction of the Wildland Engine Captain, may work with external vendors, applicants, agencies, and others to provide accurate services.

 

V.          POSITION AUTHORITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:

  **General: **

Position has low level of line responsibility and moderate authority to make independent decisions over an assigned function.  A person in this position regularly takes responsibility for a key operation or function due to their level of accountability.  

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**Budgetary/Financial Authority and Accountability: **

Position has low to no level of accountability for budgetary or financial decisions, and decisions will have a low level of impact on resource utilization within Taos County.  Not responsible for impact on an operating budget for the Department.

 

Equipment/ Asset/ Material ** Authority and ** Accountability:

Position has a moderate level responsibility for equipment & other assets, materials, and supplies; proper utilization is required plus accountability for first-level maintenance may be required.     

 

VI. POSITION QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

 As a requirement of their employment, all Taos County employees are expected and required to perform the essential functions and elements of this position competently, demonstrating adequate progress throughout the course of the training and introductory period of employment and continuing throughout employment with Taos County. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Education and Experience:

Required:

• High School Diploma (GED or High School Equivalence).
• One (1) year similar or related experience. 
• Arduous Pack Test certification

Preferred:

• State of New Mexico Class E Driver’s License. 
• Read, write, speak, and comprehend the English language.
• Working knowledge of the Incident Command System and various fire line reference materials.
• Task Force Leader Certification. 
• Working knowledge of Taos County policies and ordinances applicable to the GIS Division.

 

Substitution:

• Additional education or professional training may substitute for experience requirements. 

  

Language Requirements:

 

Required:

Ability to read and write English in order to understand and interpret written procedures and technical manuals. This includes the ability to give and receive instructions in written and verbal forms and to effectively present information and respond to questions from vendors, contractors, supervisors, co-workers, residents, and city/county agencies.

 

Preferred:

Bi-lingual (English/Spanish)

 

Certification, Licenses and Registrations:

• Must have ( or obtain within 3-months from the date of hire ) and maintain a current, valid State of New Mexico driver’s license; must have and maintain a Taos County-insurable driving record. 
• NWCG S-130, S-190, L-180, I-100, IS-700, Arduous Pack Test.

 

Training/Professional Development Requirements:

• Must successfully complete all Taos County-required safety and other training within required timeframes. 
• Must successfully pass and maintain training certification in all state, Taos County, and/or other training requirements of the position and job assignment. 
• Additional training requirements for this position may be mandated by Taos County. 

 

**Tools and Equipment Used: ** An employee in this position must be knowledgeable and skilled in the safe use and maintenance of the following tools and equipment:

• Standard office equipment and software, including desktop computer, and standard MS-Office applications or equivalent.
• Must be able to operate chainsaws, hand tools, firefighting equipment, wildland fire engines, etc. 
• Must be able to operate a company vehicle, command units, ambulances, and fire trucks. 

 

Other:

• In accordance with the conditional offer of employment, individual must pass drug screen, and other required background investigations. 
• Additional drug screening and background investigations may be required depending on the job assignment, regulatory or policy requirements, job transfer, or in accordance with Taos County’s Drug-Free Workplace policy.

 

VII.        PHYSICAL & MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

 The physical and mental demands and working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

  Physical Effort and Demand:

• High physical demand. Work is performed primarily outdoors in high hazard mountain and grass lands.
• Normal working hours are 14-16 hours a day when called out on assignment to include working night or day shift. 
• While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to: walk up and down hills or mountains, pulling fire hose throughout small areas within a fire incident, use of hand tools throughout the entire shift. The employee will regularly carry, lift, and/or move up to 50 pounds throughout the duration of the shift. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

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**Visual Acuity, Hearing, Speaking, Manual Dexterity: **

• Must have visual acuity and manual dexterity to perform timely and accurate data entry. 
• Must be able to make individual, small group, and large group presentations as required by position.
• Must effectively convey ideas, images, and goals to diverse group of personalities.

 

**Mental Demand: **

• Effective performance requires continual thinking and attention to work/detail demanded by the essential functions of the job. 
• Must be able to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect pertinent data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and initiate appropriate course of action. 
• Must be able to work non-standard work hours as required to fulfill job responsibilities.

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Environment/Working Conditions:

• High hazardous conditions exist in the work environment to include Wildland firefighting. The work environment is unpleasant; negative physical factors exist. 
• Moderate amount of negative psychological factors; these factors must be addressed and considered in the performance of duties and have minimal potential for a negative impact on job employees.
• Exposed to extreme weather, potential physical harm, or other conditions while working. 

Driving/traveling needs :

• Will be required to use a county vehicle during working hours to travel to assignments. 

 

Safety-Sensitive Position Designation :

• This position is classified by Taos County as “safety-sensitive.”

 

Conditions of Employment

• Employees are required to be in compliance with Taos County’s policy on current influenza and other vaccination requirements for employees.