Asheville Reporter

Town of Canton issued the following announcement on Mar. 16.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS: 

  Under general supervision, performs specialized firefighting work in driving a fire apparatus and performs general firefighting work in the combating, extinguishing, and prevention of fires; performs related work as required.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 

• Stands watch to receive alarms and answer phones. 

• Responds to emergency situations within the Town’s jurisdiction to perform fire suppression, hazardous materials incident response, and rescue duties. 

• Respond to automatic aid calls outside of jurisdiction. 

• Drives fire apparatus to and from emergency scenes; properly places apparatus to establish water supply or other needs; ensures proper operation and pressure of hoses; issues equipment to fire fighters. 

• Provides crowd and traffic control at emergency scenes; assists with salvage, overhaul, cleanup, and evacuation activities as necessary. 

• Forces entry into burning structures and searches for and rescues occupants.

 • Provide emergency medical treatment on fire and accident scenes. 

• Participates in post-fire operations of cleaning and salvage.

 • Monitors radio transmissions and relays messages as needed. 

• Documents all fire and other emergency incidents and responses.

 • Inspects station and equipment for proper appearance and condition. 

• Cleans and maintains fire apparatus, equipment, stations and grounds; tests and maintains fire pumpers and hoses; maintains emergency response equipment in a constant state of readiness.

 • Assists in keeping fire station in good condition by cleaning furniture, fixtures, and interior of station. 

• Participates in special projects such as maintaining fire hydrants; may participate in fire investigations.

 • May provide leadership and instruction of lower-ranking fire personnel as assigned. 

• Receives and responds to public inquiries, complaints, and requests for assistance regarding areas of responsibility. 

• Performs fire inspections for commercial businesses.

 • Conducts pre-plans for commercial businesses. 

• Performs other duties as required.

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:  

• Knowledge of modern firefighting principals, practices, and procedures. 

• Strong knowledge of the geography of the Town including the locations of streets, fire alarm boxes, water systems, and hydrants.

 • Knowledge of the operation and maintenance of the various types of apparatus and equipment used by the Department. 

• Ability to supervise the effective use of apparatus and equipment.

 • Ability to operate a personal computer, laptop, and tablet with a Windows operating system and Windows Office Suite.

 • Ability to operate GIS-based software and common fire inspection software such as Emergency Reporter; ability to adapt to new computer software programs.

 • Strong knowledge of emergency medical service techniques.

 • Ability to analyze situations correctly and quickly and to adopt effective courses of action with regard to surrounding hazards and circumstances. 

• Ability to observe or monitor people's behavior to determine compliance with prescribed operating or safety standards, or to assess patient condition. 

• Ability to make life and death decisions during emergency situations. 

• Strong verbal communication skills.

 • Ability to prepare fire related reports. 

• Ability to meet extreme physical demands of the role.

 EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: 

 • High School diploma or GED, supplemented by formal training, special courses or self-education that is equivalent to satisfactory completion of one year of college education or any equivalent combination of training and experience required to perform the essential position functions.

 • A two-year Associates degree or two year technical degree is preferable. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Valid North Carolina driver’s license.

 • NC Certified Firefighter or equivalent.

 • EMT certification.

 Original source can be found here.