JOB DESCRIPTION TITLE:
COMMUNITY FIREFIGHTER
GRADE:
FIREFIGHTER
LOCATION:
NORTHERN IRELAND FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
RESPONSIBLE TO:
CREW COMMANDER
This Job Description reflects the tasks, responsibilities and accountabilities associated with the post. To meet the changing needs and circumstances of the Organisation, Job Descriptions will be reviewed from time to time, for example, as each new vacancy is advertised. Such reviews will be carried out with the Representative Body.
SECTION I THE ROLE OF THE FIREFIGHTER The primary role of the Firefighter is to protect and save people and property from fire and other hazards and to contribute to improving community safety. The postholder will carry out this role through the performance of key tasks and responsibilities as specified in the job description. KEY TASKS OF THE JOB 1.1
Inform and educate your community to improve awareness of safety. Promote safety matters to inform your community – Assist the Crew Commander to co-ordinate safety matters allocated to the Watch including responding to direct requests for safety information, leaflet drops, house to house visits, home safety inspections, Station visits, chip pan and first-aid firefighting demonstrations. Facilitate learning through demonstration and instruction – Assist learning and promote understanding of safety matters through demonstration of fire safety, first-aid firefighting, calling emergency services and awareness raising of the role of the Fire & Rescue Service in the community.
1.2
Take responsibility for effective performance. Take responsibility for personal performance – Through proactive involvement in taking responsibility for your performance, including ensuring your own health and fitness for work is in line with the Service Occupational Health Policy. Establish and maintain effective working relationships and promote fairness at work and equal opportunities with people – Through commitment to and involvement in developing and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues, team members, line managers and external contacts. Develop your own skills to improve your performance – Through personal involvement in and commitment to continually improving your performance through self-assessment and proactive action to resolve your development needs. It includes your involvement in debriefs and performance reviews and use of your Personal Development Record.
Firefighter
Date of Issue: 8 August 2006
Page 2 of 6
1.3
Save and preserve endangered life. Conduct a search to locate life involved in incidents –Through your ability to search for people who are in some form of difficulty or danger through involvement in an incident. This may include searches in a range of locations and hazardous environments usually as a team member. Rescue life involved in incidents – Through your ability to move endangered people to a place of safety. This may involve extricating the person using relevant equipment, releasing a trapped person, moving conscious and unconscious people to a place of safety. You may also be involved in the rescue of trapped animals. Provide treatment to casualties – Through your ability to administer immediate treatment to casualties, which will assist to stabilise the casualty’s condition and preserve life. The level of treatment you provide must be within the limits of the training you have received, in line with Service policy with the aim of preparing casualties for handing over to other agencies. This will include basic life support and casualty handling. Support people involved in rescue operations – Through your ability to give physical and emotional support to people directly or indirectly involved in a rescue incident. This includes reassuring and comforting people, protecting their dignity, maintaining security at the scene and liaison with other agencies. This also includes dealing with deceased.
1.4
Resolve operational incidents. Control and extinguish fire – Through your ability to work as a team member responding to incidents involving fire. You will apply your skills to control and extinguish the fires. Resolve incidents other than those involving fire and hazardous materials – Through your ability to respond to emergency and non-emergency incidents and special service calls such as lift rescues, lock ins/outs, pumping out water or providing water. Supporting other services for potential incidents and standing by for potential life risks Support people involved in an operational incident – Through your ability to give physical and emotional support to people directly and indirectly involved in operational incidents. This includes reassuring and comforting people, protecting their privacy and dignity, maintaining security at the scene and liaison with other services.
Firefighter
Date of Issue: 8 August 2006
Page 3 of 6
1.5
Protect the environment from the effects of hazardous materials. Mitigate damage to the environment from hazardous materials – Through your ability to work as a team member responding to incidents involving hazardous materials. You are required to use your skills and the appropriate equipment to minimise both actual and potential damage to the environment. Decontaminate people and property affected by hazardous materials – Through your ability to work as a team member and use your skills and appropriate equipment to set up decontamination areas and apply the correct decontamination method with regard to the potential impact on people, property and the environment. Support people involved in hazardous materials incidents – Through your ability to give physical and emotional support to people directly and indirectly involved in hazardous materials incidents. This includes reassuring and comforting people, protecting their privacy and dignity, maintaining security at the scene and liaison with other services.
1.6
Support effectiveness of operational response. Collect information on risks in your community – Through your ability to collect information to support operational intelligence from a wide range of sources, including SOP 12 and 4.2.d inspections. You need to assess the actual and potential risks in your community, which involve life, property and process risks. To do this you need to visit the risks and exchange information with both internal and external contacts. Collect information on resources in your community – Through your ability to collect information on resources in your community, this relates to the availability of operational resources available in the community. To do this you need to visit existing resources and investigate new resources to establish their availability. Maintain internal resources – Through your knowledge of and ability to undertake routine maintenance, testing and recording of operational equipment, appliances and personal protective equipment available for use.
1.7
Support the development of colleagues in the workplace. Communicate your skills and knowledge to colleagues – Through your ability to pass your skills and knowledge to others at key opportunities, to assist colleagues to improve their understanding and performance. These opportunities will occur during normal working, debriefs, training and performance reviews.
Firefighter
Date of Issue: 8 August 2006
Page 4 of 6
Support development of colleagues – Through your ability to actively provide support to your colleagues in the development of their skills and competence through demonstration and instruction. This may apply to new and existing colleagues who are new to a working situation or demand. 1.8
Contribute to fire safety solutions to minimise risks to your community. Inspect premises to minimise risks to people, property and the environment – Conduct fire safety inspections individually and with Watch/Station members. This will include confirming arrangements with contacts and conducting the inspection to set criteria. Report on issues arising at inspection – Prepare and produce written and verbal reports on fire safety inspections. Your reports will be in the agreed format and produced to a specified deadline.
1.9
Drive, manoeuvre and re-deploy fire service vehicles.* Drive vehicles to incidents – Through your ability to make sure your vehicle is ready for operational use and your ability to plan your route to the incident. Take account of factors that may influence your progress and your ability to take action to deal with contingencies. You will ensure that your vehicle arrives safely and undamaged in the optimum response time. Manoeuvre, site and re-deploy vehicles – Through your ability to site your vehicle in a safe and secure location at incidents. You can undertake your duties at the incident and return your vehicle to its next appointed location.
All Firefighters will be actively involved in the mandatory key tasks 1.1-1.6 and a minimum of one of the key tasks 1.7-1.9.
* Key task 1.9 is only for those Operational Firefighters who are required by the organisation to drive Emergency Fire Appliances to Incidents. Therefore it will be a ‘silent’ unit for some individuals and an ‘active’ unit for others. The status of this unit will be determined by organisational need.
Firefighter
Date of Issue: 8 August 2006
Page 5 of 6
SECTION 2 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB To carry out all duties commensurate with your role in a competent and effective manner to the highest standards of care and quality. To be available to attend for duty in line with Service requirements and to respond immediately and safely to emergency incidents. On a voluntary basis, there may be occasions when you will be required to undertake the duties of a higher role or be recalled to duty to assist with a serious incident. To promote, uphold and implement all Service policies, plans and procedures, including, for example, Attendance Management and those relating to legal requirements such as Equality, Health & Safety, Data Protection, Freedom of Information, etc. To acquire and maintain all skills as determined by Area and Service requirements by undertaking any training deemed appropriate. The level of competence for the skills base will be measured in accordance with the relevant National Occupational Standards and Role Maps. To participate in assessments of workplace performance undertaken by Crew/Watch Commanders including undergoing assessments in the workplace and during training events. To maintain a level of fitness for work to carry out the duties of your role in line with the Service’s Occupational Health Policy when finalised. To serve in any other post at the same role within the Service and carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time commensurate with your role.
Firefighter
Date of Issue: 8 August 2006
Page 6 of 6
