Wildland Fire Engine Captain ~ Seasonal

The Tooele County Fire Department manages a seasonal wildland fire crew. This position acts as the crew's supervisor to ensure the organizational mission, objectives, and management goals are achieved.

Purpose

The primary role of this engine captain position is to direct, lead and supervise the seasonal wildland fire crew. Operational functions include fire suppression, hazardous fuels reduction, public education, equipment maintenance, and lot inspections.

This position may also direct or assist administratively and operationally in structure fire mitigation, emergency medical services, special operations, and may provide coordination of other fire department related activities.

Specific duties are featured herein, but serve only as a general guide, which may be modified by the Tooele County Fire Chief as deemed necessary, based on the needs of the community and knowledge, skills, and abilities of the employee fulfilling the role.

Supervision Received

The engine captain reports to the Tooele County Fire Chief or designee.

Supervision Exercised

Provides direct supervision of the seasonal wildland crew including one lead crewmember and two or more firefighters.

Primary Responsibilities

The engine captain manages personnel and equipment assigned to the seasonal wildland program. This role ensures readiness for and response to fire suppression assignments, implements fuels reduction projects, maintains equipment, completes administrative tasks, participates in public education events, and performs wildfire risk lot assessments.

Specific Duties

• Manage personnel ensuring program effectiveness including fitness for duty, maintaining on-call status, providing training, ensuring the use of safety supplies, time keeping, evaluating performance, addressing employee needs, and initiating corrective or disciplinary actions.
• Planning and scheduling work assignments. Adjusting project schedules and timelines accordingly when they are affected by fire suppression assignments.
• Maintains positive working relationships with partner agencies and the public. Know department policies and standard operational processes. Adhere to chain of command on and off incident command system (ICS) organized assignments.
• Perform and oversee administrative duties, such as purchasing actions, budget management, time and attendance reports, compiling and maintaining records and logs, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
• Ensures proper maintenance, safety, and usage of fire apparatus and equipment. Maintain standards for vehicle and equipment safety, reliability, and readiness.
• Manage and direct moderate to high complexity incidents with various number of resources. Includes: fire management activities, prevention outreach, lead or delegate training, responsible for scheduling, delegating, monitoring and reviewing work.
• Perform wildland firefighting duties.
• Perform and/or develop natural resource projects and improvement tasks to reduce wildfire risk.
• Lead or participate in safety sessions, briefings, and after-action reviews (AAR).
• Maintain knowledge of current firefighting practices by coordinating or facilitating training courses and workshops/drills.
• Educate the public about wildland fire prevention by participating in activities such as exhibits or presentations or by distributing promotional materials.
• Complete inspections, required maintenance, and manage inventory of assigned equipment and assets.
• Evaluate size, location, and condition of wildland fires, protect fire origin(s) to allow for potential investigation, and assess damage caused by fires and prepare reports.
• Responsible for the operation, maintenance, calibration or adjustments of specialized wildland equipment.
• Conduct or represent agency in meetings.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned by the Fire Chief.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• County rules, regulations, and procedures.
• County budgeting and purchasing procedures.
• Knowledge of County training standards and emergency medical procedures.
• Federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to fire protection, firefighting, and employee safety.
• Principles and practices of adult vocational training and education.
• Use of computers and computerized programs.
• Incident command and control strategies and tactics.
• Effective Leadership principles.
• Principles and modern methods of fire suppression/prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material abatement and technical rescue.
• Safety principles and practices associated with County programs and practices.
• Recognized principles of effective Incident Management.
• Principles of employee supervision and personnel management including labor relations, training, disciplining of personnel, and information systems.

Skill in:

• Coordinating multiple priorities and programs.
• Reading comprehension, active listening, writing, speaking, critical thinking, active learning, learning strategies, monitoring, social perceptiveness, coordination, instructing, service orientation, complex problem solving, operation monitoring, operation control, equipment maintenance, quality control analysis, judgement and decision making, time management, management of personnel resources.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others, especially in sensitive relationships with representatives of other agencies or governmental units, employee associations, and citizen groups.

Ability to:

• Maintain managerial control under extremely stressful conditions.
• Make life or death decisions during emergency situations.
• Work safely without presenting a direct threat to self or others.
• Work in a teamwork environment.
• Counsel personnel and conduct performance appraisals.
• Formulate goals and objectives.
• Plan, implement, evaluate, and direct multiple and varying projects, programs, and activities
• Consistently interpret and administer policies, procedures, and applicable regulations and professional standards.
• Adhere to established timelines.
• Motivate individuals to meet departmental objectives.
• Work cooperatively with the recognized employee organization.
• Coordinate and initiate actions, implement decisions and recommendations.
• Deal tactfully and persuasively with others in controversial situations.
• Communicate effectively through oral presentations, written reports, and in-person discussions.
• Drive a Tooele County vehicle to respond to emergency incidents.
• Knowledge of principles and methods for describing features of land, sea and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plan, animal and human life.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience - Associates Degree (A.S.) from an accredited collage is preferred. Graduation from High School or GED equivalent; valid Utah Driver's license. Three years of fire management experience, including wildland fire suppression and prevention.

Required Licensure or Certification - Certified National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) Engine Boss with the state of Utah. NFPA Fire Officer I & II certification preferred. NWCG qualified as Type IV incident commander is preferred. NWCG Facilitative Instructor is preferred. CDL and/or Apparatus Driver Operator - Pumper is preferred.

May be required to complete training from the following: Tooele County Emergency Management, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Utah State Comprehensive Emergency Management Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management. Licensed EMT or paramedic within the state of Utah.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, an employee is regularly required to talk and hear; use hands or fingers to handle and feel; and frequent use of the telephone and computer while communicating with internal and external customers; requires manual dexterity and visual acuity to operate personal computer or other standard office equipment, job site inspections and investigations. Employee may sit for several hours each day but will also need mobility and ability to stand and walk continuously for long periods of time. The work requires considerable and strenuous physical exertion such as duties associated with wildland firefighting, lifting heavy objects over 50lbs in recurring manners and /or for long periods of time in adverse environments under challenging weather. Work may require the employee to climb, balance, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl. This position may require the employee to work under stressful conditions due to deadlines and time constraints.

This position may require the employee to perform strenuous work on occasions for extended periods of time, while performing some or all the following:

• Wear and/or carry over 50lbs of protective clothing/equipment
• Work in overheated, extreme cold, or wet environments
• Work under adverse or stressful conditions

Work Environment

The work area will encompass a wide variety of settings including: administrative duties in an office setting; working outside, in poor weather conditions, in hazardous traffic areas, in and around structures that may be hazardous and/or unstable, and under unfavorable or unsanitary conditions, which may include biohazards, air and blood-borne pathogens. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but may reach extremes where hearing protection is required.

**Tooele County is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or any other protected class.**