Job Posting: Lateral Firefighter/Firefighter Paramedic

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Salary: $33.50-35.54/Hourly

LATERAL FIREFIGHTER AND LATERAL FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC ACADEMY

New to the City of Grand Junction Team? Receive 40 Hours Paid Time Off upon hire!

FIREFIGHTER HIRING RANGE – $25.00 – $31.91 Hourly – Based on Experience

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC HIRING RANGE – $33.50 – $35.54 Hourly – Based on Experience

Lateral Firefighter applicants are eligible for a $4,000 bonus upon completion of the Academy and are successfully placed on Mesa County Protocols.

Lateral Firefighter/Paramedic certified Lateral applicants are eligible for Travel and Relocation Reimbursement, as well as, a $6,000 bonus upon completion of the Academy and are successfully placed on Mesa County Protocols.

About the Position: 

Are you looking for a change of pace, a career that makes a difference, and a place you can call home? The Grand Junction Fire Department is experiencing unprecedented growth, and we are excited to welcome the next generation of community servants to our family! 

Firefighters and Firefighter/Paramedics respond to emergency and non-emergency calls, working with their assigned station crew to provide basic or advanced life support care to patients, and performing fire prevention, fire suppression, and emergency rescue operations. The Grand Junction Fire Department has a 48/96 work schedule. 

What We Offer:

We offer an excellent benefits package that supports quality work-life balance including health and dental insurance, Fire & Pension Association (FPPA) retirement, paid leave, a City employee health clinic, wellness program, and an Employee Assistance Program. Of equal importance, we offer an opportunity to serve the community you love and live in. Our employees find their work rewarding and fulfilling, knowing that their day job makes a positive impact.

About the Grand Junction Fire Department:

The Grand Junction Fire Department (GJFD) is the largest career fire department between Denver, CO and Salt Lake City, UT. The GJFD is a self-sufficient organization providing a variety of services for 649 square miles of Mesa County including structural and wildland fire suppression, hazardous materials response, technical rescue, and EMS care for emergent and non-emergent services as the area’s ambulance provider. Learn more about our department’s mission, vision, and values by visiting our website: gjcity.org

Explore the Area: 

Grand Junction, Colorado is the gateway to the mountains and canyonlands of western Colorado and eastern Utah. Centrally located between Denver, CO (250 miles east) and Salt Lake City, UT (270 miles west), Grand Junction is surrounded by 1.2 million acres of public land. Residents enjoy world-class whitewater rafting on the Colorado and Green Rivers, golfing, fishing, skiing and snowboarding, and exploring mountain bike and hiking trails through the Colorado National Monument and the Grand Mesa National Forest. Grand Junction has a robust downtown and hosts multiple art, music, food, and market events annually. With a population of over 150,000 in Mesa County (65,000 within the City limits) we have many of the big town amenities without the big town stresses such as traffic and trail congestion. With an average of 245 days of sunshine, Grand Junction is the perfect place to work and play. 

Duties

What You’ll Do:

• Perform emergency medical services and various firefighting activities to protect life, property, and environment:
• Provide basic life support care (Firefighter) or advanced life support care (Firefighter/Paramedic)
• Respond to calls including fire suppression, traffic collisions, hazardous materials incidents, building collapses, wildland fires, technical rescue, and extrication
• Operate a variety of fire suppression and life-saving equipment, and perform station and equipment inspections and maintenance

To view the full Firefighter job description, click here.
To view the Full Firefighter/Paramedic job description, click here.

Qualifications

What We’re Looking For:

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a full-time paid position on an all-hazards fire department
• Firefighter II certification (ProBoard or IFSAC Accredited) or equivalent
• Hazardous Materials Operations certification (ProBoard or IFSAC Accredited) or equivalent
• Current State of Colorado Driver’s License or ability to obtainDriver Operator Utility Certification (ProBoard or IFSAC) or ability to obtain within first year of employment.Proof of completion of an emergency vehicle operator program (i.e. VFIS, CEVO, EVOC or other equivalent internal department program)
• Current State of Colorado or National Registry EMT or Paraedic Certification.
• Current CPR card
• Current ACLS (Paramedics only)
• Current PALS or PEPP (Paramedics only)
• NWCG Red Card or ability to obtain
• General (for both positions):
  • Must successfully complete a Candidate Level NFPA – 1582 Physical.
  • Color perception resulting in the ability to use imaging devices.
  • High school diploma or equivalent.
  • Must be 18 years of age upon time of hire.
  • Ability to pass a thorough background check.
  • Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certification good through October 14, 2024.
  • If you do not possess a current CPAT certification and are selected for initial testing, CPAT Orientation/Practice sessions and Testing will be offered through the Grand Junction Fire Department, please see the dates listed below.

Important Notice:

During the course of the application and hiring process, you will be asked to disclose information about your past activities. The below list of critical admissions, which may be cause for disqualification from employment with the Grand Junction Fire Department, is provided to applicants, Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) Technicians, and others involved in the recruitment process. It is important that you be completely honest and forthright about this history. While a critical admission may or may not disqualify an applicant from a job, the discovery of misleading or deceitful information provided by the applicant is an immediate cause for disqualification.

• Any felony investigation or conviction.
• Any conviction for a crime of violence, specifically assaults, domestic violence, etc.
• Any conviction for a “hate crime” such as ethnic intimidation.
• Perjury conviction.
• Any theft conviction regardless of value of item.
• Theft from current employer or a previous employer.
• Drug use (including marijuana) and/or current alcohol abuse.
• An alcohol or drug conviction including but not limited to DUI/DWAI, depending on recency
• Hit and run accident conviction.
• Being under or having been under driving restraint, cancelation, suspension or revocation of driving privileges in Colorado or any other state.

Please note: The listed critical admissions are not the exclusive basis for disqualification. The City reserves the right to disqualify any applicant who may or may not have any one or all of the foregoing admissions. 

Supplemental Information

Assessment Process:

The assessment process will include the components below.

• Physical Ability Test: Click HERE to view the CPAT video
• Oral Board Interview
• Firefighter II Skills Assessment:
  • Bunker Drill (PPE)
  • Connect a 5″ hose to hydrant
  • Single Person 24’ ladder throw
  • Minuteman 1 3/4″ hose deploymen
  • Forcible entry
• Emergency Medical Technician/Paramedic Skills Assessment
• Patient assessment/skills
• Suitability/Psychological Evaluation
• Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA)
• Fingerprints/Background Investigation
• Executive Interview
• Pre-employment drug, medical, and psychological evaluation screening

***If you are selected to participate in the assessment process for a Firefighter or Firefighter/Paramedic position, you will be contacted via email. Please check your email regularly for communication about this recruitment.***

The Grand Junction Fire Department will be offering the following CPAT Orientation, Practice, and Test Dates:

Orientation 1: July, 1, 2024.
Orientation 2: July 15, 2024.
Practice/Test Session 1: July 29, 2024.
Practice/Test Session 2: August 12, 2024.
Testing Session: August 26, 2024

Tentative Assessment Dates:
July 15 – 18, 2024September 3 – 6, 2024 (Executive Interviews for Finalists)

Tentative Lateral Fire Academy Start Date:
October 14, 2024

At the City of Grand Junction, we proudly operate as an Equal Opportunity Employer, purposely building an inclusive workforce representative of various cultures, perspectives, and experiences. We believe in respect for all and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, and/or genetic information. 

If you have questions or need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, please contact our Human Resources office at 970.244.1512.