Lead Firefighter and Squad Boss

Summary

Four Mile Fire Protection District is a rural combination (career/volunteer) district located in the foothills of western Boulder County. Four Mile is comprised of 4 full-time/year-round firefighters, 5-7 full-time/seasonal firefighters, and approximately 20 volunteer firefighters.   

Four Mile’s paid Fire Crew focuses primarily on wildfire suppression, wildfire mitigation and all-hazard call response. We are currently hiring two full-time/year-round positions for Lead Firefighter and Squad Leader. 

Four Mile responds to 100-150 emergency calls for service annually, covering 47 square miles and 4200 residents between our district and automatic aid agreements with neighboring districts. Despite our district’s relatively low call volume, emergency response and training is the primary responsibility of our firefighters, and they are expected to work calmly and efficiently in a range of emergency environments, including: medical, wildland fire, structure fire, motor vehicle accidents, and other call types under the supervision of the Fire Chief, Crew Captain, and volunteer officers.  

Wildland fire assignments are another core component of the paid position, and prospective employees interested in these positions must retain availability to commit to 2-4 national fire assignments each year, although opportunity may exist for more assignments (these are typically 14-day but can be up to 21-day deployments). Additionally, the Fire Crew specializes as an initial attack resource for our district and Boulder County and may be requested for short 2-3 day statewide “surge” assignments. 

Another primary function of the Fire Crew is wildfire/fuels mitigation, which makes up the majority of day-to-day work throughout the year. This is physically demanding, arduous labor; utilizing chainsaws, woodchippers, ATVs, winches and other equipment for fuels reduction and defensible space projects. Physical strength and fitness are required, as is a willingness and enthusiasm in performing and learning this challenging manual labor. Additionally, members of the Fire Crew are expected to compete in daily physical training, which includes running, hiking, weight training, and occasionally sports. 

Our paid firefighters are involved in every aspect of Four Mile’s general operations, including: station, equipment, and apparatus maintenance; construction and repair projects (e.g., water sources, storage sheds, signage); training (including planning and teaching); administration (e.g., emergency run reporting); community outreach; disaster planning and emergency preparedness.

Position Details

• Squad Leader: $25.50 – $28.50/hour depending on experience/qualifications
• Lead Firefighter: $23.50 – $26.50/hour depending on experience/qualifications
• Wildfire assignments pay at a higher hourly rate depending on qualifications and may be a source of significant overtime (maximum 140 hours OT in a 2-week assignment)
• Overtime pays at 1.5x wage including on assignments; end of season bonus based on fire assignments
• Full-time employees receive health/dental insurance and 48 hours of paid sick time
• Shift structure during summer is Monday-Thursday or Tuesday-Friday, 0730–1730 with occasional overtime; winter schedule is Monday-Friday 0900–1700
• Occasional irregular hours during local emergencies, critical fire weather periods, and out-of-district fire assignment
• Opportunities for promotion and additional qualifications

Minimum qualifications/experience

• 18 years of age or older
• Possess or be able to obtain a Driver’s License by date of hire; possess a good driving history and be insurable by the District’s insurance provider
• Squad Leader: experience as a firefighter is required; experience as a wildland firefighter is strongly desired. Example qualifications/experience include:
• • FFT1/ICT5 (qualified) and/or ENGB/CRWB(t) and FAL2; or

• • 4+ years as Structure Firefighter 1 or higher and relevant outdoor/manual labor experience and EMT or higher and demonstrated leadership position; or

• • 4+ years of experience on wildfire mitigation, forestry/fuels, trails or another similar crew and relevant leadership experience in that role and FFT2

• Lead Firefighter: experience as a firefighter is strongly desired. There are no hard requirements and there are many possible combinations of qualifications/experience that we will consider, including:

• • FFT1/ICT5 (or significant progress as trainee) or higher and FAL3; or

• • 2+ years as Structure Firefighter 1 or higher and relevant outdoor/manual labor experience; or

• • 2+ years of experience on wildfire mitigation, forestry/fuels, trails or another similar crew and relevant leadership experience in that role
• CPR/First Aid qualification, or higher level of EMS qualification is desired
• Experience with chainsaws, driving large trucks and trailers, operating ATVs is desired

Duties and Responsibilities

• Perform all-hazard emergency response functions in hazardous and demanding conditions commensurate with training/qualification level while maintaining the department’s culture of safety
• Perform wildfire suppression duties on national fire assignments as part of a Type 6 or Type 3 engine company or the county-wide handcrew (Shadow Canyon T2IA)
• Utilize chainsaws, chippers, winches, ATVs, and other equipment to perform fuels reduction and fire mitigation
• Physically perform and/or assist in developing schedules and tracking methods for all necessary maintenance, upkeep and construction projects, including engine preventative maintenance, water source testing and repair, general station housekeeping and repair
• Exemplify duty, integrity, and respect in all actions
• Squad Leader specific duties:

• • Be able to fill in for the Crew Captain as needed

• • Day-to-day supervision of a 3-7 firefighter squad during summer season, including operational supervision on mitigation projects

• • With direction from the Crew Captain, develop and lead daily crew PT and medical/fire training

• • Assist in project planning, administration and documentation for large-scale wildfire mitigation/forestry projects

Lead Firefighter specific duties: 

• Be able to fill in for Squad Leader as needed
• Provide leadership and mentorship to new seasonal firefighters in day-to-day work under the direction of Squad Leader or Crew Captain