Firefighter/EMT Trainee

A CAREER IN FIREFIGHTING: THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME
The Chesapeake Fire Department is a “family” promoting teamwork, innovation and compassion. We are committed to fairness, honesty, and respect. We are motivated by an environment of trust and driven by the desire to help others. Our mission is to protect and improve the quality of life by providing responsive and caring service to the citizens of and visitors to the City of Chesapeake. Our services include, but are not limited to:

WHO IS A FIREFIGHTER?
A person interested in a career as a firefighter should possess the following qualities:

TRAINING:
All successful applicants, upon employment, must attend a 9 month recruit school. Some of the many skills taught during this training program include driving and operation of a fire engine, search and rescue techniques, use of ladders, structural fire fighting, handling hazardous material incidents, and basic investigation of fire and arson. Each recruit must qualify as a state certified emergency medical technician. During the recruit school, instruction in emergency medical procedures is also provided.

THE WORK SCHEDULE:
Each firefighter works an average of ten, 24-hour shifts each month. The shift begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 a.m. the following day. During a typical 21-day work cycle, a firefighter will be on-duty for seven shifts and off-duty for fourteen with one, two, three or five days off between shifts.

A FIREFIGHTER’S DUTIES:
The firefighter reports for duty at the assigned station at 7 a.m. Each station is equipped with all the necessities of home as well as some of the luxuries of home.

The day typically begins with an inspection of equipment and fire apparatus to ensure that all equipment is ready to perform its function or task.

Remaining hours of the shift are devoted to a combination of tasks: training, inspections, public education, pre-fire planning, emergency response to fire, medical and emergencies as well as the routine chores associated with life at the fire station.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE:
Several levels of responsibility create the rank structure of the Chesapeake Fire Department. As training and required in-service time is acquired, the firefighter can advance by either of two paths:
the Command Ranks (Firefighter, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief) or Career Path (Senior Firefighter or Master Firefighter).

The City of Chesapeake offers an exceptional range of benefits.

VOCATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Requires high school diploma or GED and any combination of education and experience equivalent to satisfactory completion of one year of college education.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES: Requires a valid driver’s license and a driving record in compliance with City Driving Standards. Special skills or equipment certification such as Firefighter, CPR and EMT will be required.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT: None Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies. Emergency operations support work and work locations may be outside of normal job duties.

AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFYING FACTORS: Disqualification factors from the date of the application include, but are not limited to, the following:

Medical marijuana:
In accordance with City policy, this position is deemed safety-sensitive. As such, applicants for this position are subject to pre-employment drug/alcohol testing after receiving a conditional offer of employment and may also be subject to random testing. This drug test includes testing for marijuana. Possession of a medical marijuana card will not excuse an applicant from the testing process; however, a test will not be considered positive for marijuana if a valid medical marijuana certification is presented unless the position requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or is a sworn law-enforcement officer/deputy.

All applicants for the Firefighter/EMT Trainee position are required to successfully complete the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) process—including passing the CPAT—in order to be invited to interview.

You will receive an invitation via SignUpGenius to schedule your time for CPAT Orientation, Trial #1, Trial #2, and the Final.

Click https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Assets/images/departments/fire/CPAT+Orientation+Video.mp4 to view a video of the entire CPAT process.

Click
https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Assets/documents/departments/fire/CPAT+Orientation+Guide.pdf to access the CPAT Orientation & Practice Session Guide.

Click https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/Assets/documents/departments/fire/CPAT+Candidate+Preparation+Guide.pdf to access the CPAT Preparation Guide.

It is highly recommended that you read and are familiar with both documents prior to your scheduled orientation date.

Upon successful completion of the CPAT trials, all who qualify will be invited to schedule a written test and panel interview with the CFD. Once all steps of the process have been successfully completed, an eligibility list will be established.

A background investigation, pre-employment physical/drug screen, and polygraph examination are required once a conditional offer of employment has been made.

Medical marijuana:
In accordance with City policy, this position is deemed safety-sensitive. As such, applicants for this position are subject to pre-employment drug/alcohol testing after receiving a conditional offer of employment and may also be subject to random testing. This drug test includes testing for marijuana. Possession of a medical marijuana card will not excuse an applicant from the testing process; however, a test will not be considered positive for marijuana if a valid medical marijuana certification is presented unless the position requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or is a sworn law-enforcement officer/deputy.