Duties, Responsibilities, Work Environment and Physical Demands

Duties and Responsibilities

The essential duties and responsibilities of Poudre Fire Authority firefighters include the following:

• Provide outstanding service and perform duties as necessary to best serve customers in the PFA response area.
• Respond to emergency calls, including structure fires, wildland fires, vehicle accidents, rescue and other emergencies.
• Respond to automatic fire alarms.
• Inspect buildings and businesses for fire hazards and compliance with fire prevention ordinances, resulting in directing fire violations to be corrected.
• Maintain fire apparatus, quarters, buildings, equipment and grounds.
• Administer first-aid to ill or injured individuals and those overcome by fire and smoke with medical intervention at an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) level; perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR); and operate a semi-automatic external defibrillator (AED).
• Advance and position hose lines for suppression activities.
• Position and climb ladders to gain access to upper levels of buildings or to assist individuals from burning or unsafe structures.
• Create openings in buildings for ventilation or entrance/egress.
• Provide Haz-Mat response capabilities.
• Protect property from water and smoke damage by use of waterproof salvage covers, fans and deodorants.
• Communicate with supervisors during fire and other incidents by portable two-way radio.
• Participate in drills, demonstrations and courses in hydraulics, pump operation and maintenance, and fire fighting techniques.
• Drive and operate fire fighting vehicles and equipment.
• Use computers for preparing reports and electronic-mail communication.

Work Environment

Poudre Fire Authority Firefighters are required to work a 24-hour rotating schedule, including holidays and weekends, and overtime and emergency call-ins on an as-needed basis.

Work is performed in a variety of settings, including hazardous environments and medical/trauma situations. Work areas include a closed-office environment when preparing reports; fire prevention and safety demonstrations to a variety of community groups; a variety of building types and conditions while performing inspections; and buildings whose structural integrity may have been weakened by fire conditions.

Firefighters regularly work in outside weather conditions. They are regularly exposed to vibration and frequently work near moving mechanical parts and are exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, extreme cold, extreme heat, rain, snow and risk of electrical shock.

The firefighter occasionally works in high, precarious places and with explosives, and is exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and possibly the risk of radiation exposure. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

Physical Demands

The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) will measure the ability to perform tasks related to the job of fire fighter.

Firefighters must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds while wearing protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus, operating in super-heated atmospheres and performing an assortment of firefighting duties. These duties may include, but are not limited to, dragging hose weighing up to 150 pounds, carrying fire fighting tools weighing 80 pounds, performing rescue of any victims, and operating power tools weighing over 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus with vision correctable to 20/20.

Firefighters are regularly required to use hands to handle or feel objects; operate hand and power tools, and equipment or vehicle controls; stand, walk and sit; reach with hands and arms; climb and balance, maneuver over unseen terrain, and operate on ground ladders, all structure roofs, and high places; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and operate in a confined space with limited visibility; and talk, hear and smell.