Position Description - Queensland Fire and Rescue Service ...

The following is the QFRS Firefighter Position Description effective as of 2005.DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICESQUEENSLAND FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICEPOSITION DESCRIPTIONFirefighterQueensland Fire and Rescue ServiceSalary Range: from $1072.70 per fortnight plus AllowancesDate of Review: September 2004first steps to applying www.fire.qld.gov.auORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENTThe Department of Emergency Services (DES) contains the following Divisions. These are:Queensland Fire and Rescue Services (QFRS)Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)Counter Disaster and Rescue Services (CDRS)Strategic Policy and Executive Services (SP&ES)Business Support Services (BSS)Operations Support Branch (OSB)The Vision of the DepartmentWe are moving forward as one innovative, integrated Department, recognising with pride our various operational servicestogether with our essential support services, so that we maximise planning and use of resources for the most effectiveoperational service delivery to the community.DES includes approximately 5,500 permanent officers, 2,000 auxiliary staff and approximately 85,000 volunteers. TheDepartment's headquarters is located in Brisbane. Regional headquarters are also located at Beenleigh, Brisbane,Cairns, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville. These headquarters provide support to more than 400ambulance and fire stations throughout Queensland.Queensland Fire and Rescue ServiceQFRS is the primary provider of fire and rescue activities throughout Queensland. QFRS is responsible for communitysafety, the protection of people, property and the environment from fire and chemical incidents, and in conjunction withother agencies for the rescue of people trapped in vehicles, buildings and other emergency situations. QFRS plays animportant community safety role and undertakes a comprehensive range of community education and awarenessprograms. It is the role of QFRS to provide a responsive service to the community, which will result in the minimisation ofpreventable fire fatalities and casualties and the minimisation of damage to property and the environment from fire andother hazards.PURPOSE OF THE POSITIONFirefighters are part of a team (fire crew) at station level, responsible for maintaining a constant state of readiness and apositive ability to respond to emergency incidents and participate in operational training, community safety andeducational programs.The purpose of the position is to assist with and participate in the day-to-day operations of a fire station including station,vehicle and equipment maintenance and testing, and the delivery of community safety and suppression strategies.REPORTING RELATIONSHIPSFirefighters report to Senior Firefighters, Leading Firefighters and Station Officers, as operational needs require.PRIMARY DELEGATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITIESNo financial delegations or accountabilities are attached to this position.06

(continued)KEY ACCOUNTABILITIESAs part of a fire crew, respond to fire, road accident rescue/entrapments, technical rescues, hazardous material andother emergency incidents.Promote community awareness in fire prevention by supporting and participating in community education programsand activities.Promote community safety by assisting with the inspection of property, buildings and emergency response equipmentand assisting with the development of evacuation plans and emergency response procedures.Develop and maintain competencies as required by QFRS and pursue opportunities for self development throughparticipating in relevant training programs.Operate emergency response vehicles and equipment in a safe and effective manner, including driving a fire applianceand other emergency response vehicles as required, under varying circumstances and conditions.Provide first aid and resuscitation where required.Undertake administrative duties and contribute to the maintenance of manual and computerised station records.Contribute to a safe and healthy work environment by adhering to organisational health policies and principles.Maintain QFRS equipment, resources and facilities to ensure a constant state of operational readiness.Contribute to all station activities and promote a productive work environment through a positive team approach to alltasks.Communicate effectively and appropriately within the workplace, with other emergency service personnel and withmembers of the community.Undertake a range of functions requiring the practical application of acquired skills and knowledge.Undertake all duties with the highest level of personal integrity and professionalism as required in the Code ofConduct and other Codes of Practice.Comply with legislative, policy and procedural requirements appropriate to the position and perform duties in line withcorporate governance practices.SELECTION PROCESSThe selection process, for the limited number of Firefighter positions available, requires applicants to provide a great dealof documentation and undertake a range of assessments. Applicants will be required, upon application, to nominate apreferred location for employment as a Firefighter, should they be successful.All completed and successful applications will be processed and, when vacancies occur, QFRS will offer positions to themost suitable applicants available at that time for the nominated location.Applicants will need to be aware of the mandatory requirements for applications to be accepted, the documentationrequired, the assessment processes, assessment venues, and associated costs before submitting an application. Thisinformation is available on the QFRS website www.fire.qld.gov.au .MINIMUM REQUIREMENTSBefore an applicant can submit an application to be considered for a position as a Firefighter, they must provide evidenceof the following:Current Senior First Aid Certificate;Australian residency status;Possession of a manual car (C) licence for the period of one year;Minimum year 12 education / or Year 12 equivalent; andMinimum two years full time equivalent work history.Before an applicant can be appointed to a recruit Firefighter training course, they must provide evidence of the following:Medium Rigid Vehicle (MRV) driver's licence as recognised by Queensland Transport;Current Senior First Aid Certificate;Current Advanced Resuscitation Certificate; andCompliance with QFRS medical and fitness standards.SELECTION CRITERIASC1 Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a member of a team.SC2 Demonstrated ability and willingness to learn new skills and solve problems in an innovative and logical manner.SC3 Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and apply sound interpersonal skills with a variety of audiences.SC4 Demonstrated mental and physical ability to perform operational activities effectively.SC5 Demonstrated ability to undertake all duties and operate equipment in a safe and effective manner.SC6 Demonstrated integrity and an ability to interpret and apply legislation, policies and processes.first steps to applying www.fire.qld.gov.au07

(continued)first steps to applying www.fire.qld.gov.auCAREER PROGRESSIONProgression between pay points at the Firefighter level will be dependent upon:Completion of predefined components of Q-STEP;Satisfactory ongoing performance;Competent delivery of operational skill requirements; andAchievement of necessary accreditations and satisfactory achievement for all formal assessments.Firefighters are required to participate in an ongoing approved study program, including theory and practicalassessments, over a period of three years. Firefighters may then choose to participate in further leadership anddevelopment programs to advance to the classifications of Senior Firefighter and Leading Firefighter.ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONA successful applicant may be required to work continuous shift work, or day work.Firefighters are often required to operate under unpredictable, emotional and sometimes extended and dangerousconditions.Firefighters may need to deal with potentially traumatic incidents in a professional, responsible and caring manner,such as incidents involving injuries, loss of life and property. This may include undertaking post-incident CriticalIncident Stress Debriefing or other professionally recommended procedures to protect self and colleagues' health andsafety at work.Terms and conditions of employment for this position will be in accordance with the QFRS Interim Award - State 2003,the QFRS Enterprise Partnership Certified Agreement 2003 and any other industrial instrument (including anyenterprise bargaining agreement) applying from time to time.Whilst supervision of other employees is not normally a feature at this level, employees will however, be required toassist new staff and trainees (including auxiliary firefighters and volunteers) by providing general information,guidance and advice.Firefighters are required to work in a team environment with people from diverse backgrounds.A Firefighter position is location specific and the successful applicant may be required to report to a number of stationswithin a defined location statement.Firefighters are required to maintain a level of physical and personal fitness necessary to satisfactorily performfirefighter duties.Successful completion of ongoing training and development is an important requirement of this position.DES is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and particularly encourages applications from:- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;- People from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds;- Women; and- People with a disability.Applicants may be required to provide documentation to confirm membership of a target group.A non-smoking policy is effective in Queensland Government buildings, offices and motor vehicles.Each officer within DES is required to take an active role in managing risk in accordance with DES policies andGuidelines. The contribution each officer makes, collectively allows DES to achieve organisational goals, dischargeaccountability, manage competing priorities, use resources effectively, and continue to achieve high standards ofcustomer service, both internally within DES and to the community.Any statement in an application, which is found to be deliberately misleading, will result in disqualification from furtherconsideration, and if that person is already employed within DES, may result in disciplinary action.Privacy Notice - The personal information you provide will only be used for the purpose of processing your application.It will only be disclosed to authorised persons or where disclosure is required to fulfill statutory, administrative or otherpublic responsibilities.Criminal History Check - The Director-General of DES has decided that it is necessary to obtain a criminal history reporton the recommended person for this job because of the nature of the duties to be performed.The recommended person will be asked to provide the Director-General with proof of identity and written consent toconduct a criminal history check through the Queensland Police Service.Appointment to this position is conditional upon a satisfactory criminal history report. Having a criminal history maynot necessarily result in disqualification from selection, and will depend on the nature of the offence.If an adverse criminal history report is received and the Director-General has concerns regarding the suitability of therecommended person to perform the advertised duties, an opportunity will be given to the recommended person tomake written representation before any further decision is made. Persons considering self selecting out of theselection process may consider contacting the Executive Manager, Ethical Standards Unit on 3247 8627 before makinga final decision.08