Paid Internship - Fourmile Fire Protection District

*Updated on January 7, 2020

Paid Internship Available

Summary

Four Mile FPD is a rural, combination, fire protection district located in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado. Roughly 30 volunteer firefighters comprise the majority of our roster. Four Mile employs a small paid Fire Crew, the intern would work with the Fire Crew, assisting in their job duties and learning about a career in the fire service.

The summer internship program is ideal for college students interested in exploring a career in the fire service, EMS, forestry, natural resource management, or public service.

Despite our relatively low call volume, emergency response is the primary responsibility of our firefighters, and they are expected to work calmly and efficiently in a range of emergency environments, including medical, structure fire, wildfire, motor vehicle accident, etc. The intern would respond to emergency calls under the direct supervision of the paid Fire Crew, or senior volunteer firefighters.

Seasonal wildfire assignment is another core component of the full-time firefighter position, and prospective interns must retain the availability to commit to at least one national fire assignment during the duration of their internship (each assignment can be expected to last 18 days, with 14 days on incident and two travel days to and from the incident; there is no guarantee of national fire assignment, due to the unpredictability of fire activity nationwide, but maintaining availability is a requirement). Our full-time firefighters specialize as an initial attack, wildland fire resource for our district, and wildfire assignment is an essential component of receiving the requisite experience to achieve proficiency as wildland firefighters

Another primary function of the Fire Crew is wildfire mitigation. This is physically demanding, arduous labor, utilizing chainsaws, woodchippers, ATVs, winches and other equipment, the work involves tree felling, moving tree limbs and logs. Physical strength and fitness is required for the internship, as is a willingness to perform this challenging manual work. The intern may be trained to use a chainsaw if the intern is interested, otherwise the intern would support mitigation activities without acting in the Sawyer/Faller position.

The intern will also assist with the following duties: station and apparatus maintenance; construction and repair projects; training; administration; community outreach; disaster planning and emergency preparedness.

Available positions and duration of employment

· Intern(s) – Full-time or part time, temporary position with negotiable duration

· Four the full-time and seasonal employee job posting, visit: www.fourmilefire.org/hiring

Shift structure

· Monday-Friday 0900-1700 with occasional overtime and split shifts

· Irregular hours during local emergencies, critical fire weather periods, and out-of-district fire assignment

Pay

· $15-17/hour depending on experience.

· National fire assignment pays at a higher rate, and may be a source of significant overtime pay.

Minimum qualifications/experience

· No fire/EMS training or experience required

· 18 years of age or older

· Possess or be able to attain Colorado State Drivers License by date of hire

· Possess a good driving history and be insurable by the District’s insurance provider

· Relevant experience in manual labor, outdoor work or recreational outdoor activities

· Ability and willingness to perform arduous manual labor for long hours in difficult conditions

· CPR/First Aid qualification/experience is desired

· Experience with chainsaws, driving large trucks and trailers, operating ATVs is desired

Responsibilities

· Perform all-hazard emergency response functions in hazardous and demanding conditions under the supervision of qualified firefighters

· Perform wildfire suppression duties on 14-day national fire assignments; applicant must have availability for minimum of one national fire assignments each year

· Physically perform and/or develop schedules and tracking methods for all necessary maintenance, upkeep and construction projects (a wide variety that requires a broad skill set; specific projects include engine preventative maintenance, water source testing and repair, general station housekeeping and repair)

· Utilize chippers, winches and ATVs to perform fuels reduction and fire mitigation. This involves hiking, heavy lifting and hauling heavy branches and logs.

· Assist in administrative projects assigned by Crew Supervisor

· Participate in agency trainings as determined by Crew Supervisor

· Exemplify leadership, integrity and trustworthiness in all of your duties.

Working Environment

Work is conducted both inside and outside with exposure to extreme weather conditions and high hazard situations. Exposure to extremes of heat, sun, water, temperature changes, noise and vibration, odors, grease/oils, toxic substances (such as hydrogen cyanide, acids, carbon monoxide, or organic solvents either through inhalants or skin contact), smoke, fumes and gases, electrical energy, carcinogenic dusts, poor ventilation and contagious diseases.

During wildland fire suppression activities, expect to work 16 hour days in extremely challenging conditions, with exposure to many of the hazards outlined above, and also unstable trees with the potential to fall and cause injury, dangerous insects and animals, and other environmental hazards. During fire assignments the job requires lengthy travel, sleeping outdoors, limited privacy and maintaining a constant state of readiness.

Physically demanding work utilizes muscular strength and endurance, aerobic capacity, flexibility, equilibrium and anaerobic power. Work involves heavy (50 lbs. and over) lifting and carrying, sifting, standing, walking, pulling, pushing, crawling, bending, kneeling, and climbing to widely varying degrees depending on circumstances. Must be able to operate in environments of high noise, poor visibility, limited mobility, steep, slippery, and/or uneven walking surfaces, at heights and move within open as well as confined spaces.

Job requires eye-hand coordination to operate fire, rescue and other suppression equipment. Employees must be able to work under pressure/stress in emergency and non-emergency situations, intermittent intense stress and response factors. Employees must be able to assume incident command at emergency scenes. Work involves operating both as a member of a team and independently at incidents of uncertain duration. Work involves shift work hours but may also require irregular/protracted work hours.

Hiring Process

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and 1-3 references (may be professional or personal) to fourmilehiring@gmail.com by 1700 (5pm MT) March 13^th, 2019. Please include only your full name in the subject line of the e-mail.

The internship program is a new development at the Four Mile FPD. In your cover letter, please describe what would make this internship meaningful to you, and what you hope to get out of the internship. Your comments will help us develop this program.

Applicants who have been selected for an interview will be notified via e-mail the week of March 16^th, 2018. Selected applicants will progress directly to in-person interview, to be conducted during business hours, M-F. These will be scheduled via e-mail. Phone interview may be conducted at Four Mile FPD’s discretion.

Upon receiving a conditional offer, the selected applicant may be asked to submit to a medical examination, fit for duty test, psychological examination, drug screening and a criminal background check(s).

Equal Opportunity Statement

The Four Mile Fire Protection District offers Equal Opportunity for employment to all qualified applicants. It is the policy the Four Mile Fire Protection District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, veteran status or disability unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

All Four Mile FPD facilities are smoke free