Arlington, VA -- Firefighter trainee

NOTE: Read and retain this job announcement. It contains very important information which you will need in order to complete the entire process. The exam for the current recruitment will be held early in January 2011. After you have submitted your Internet Employment Application and it has been reviewed to see if you meet the minimum qualifications, you will receive specific instructions about test scheduling.

Please bring your completed Credit History Authorization form, Authorization for Release of Personal Information form and a photo ID to the exam. Download those forms and see additional information here (under "The Application Process and Associated Documents").

NOTE: Please refer to pages 15 and 16 of the Exam Study Guide and note that CWH requires that applicant social security numbers be included on specific test materials. For accuracy and tracking purposes, in order to be credited with a test score, your social security number on test materials must match exactly with the social security number on your application.

The Arlington County Fire Department is an all-hazards/emergency medical services department that provides all-hazards response to our community with highly skilled people who care. With this philosophy, a Trainee learns and performs emergency medical services as well as firefighting and other hazards responses in a combination of classroom and on-the-job training. Emphasis on emergency medical services (EMS) is reflected in duties of a full-fledged Firefighter/EMT, such as driving an EMS unit or other fire related vehicle and providing both basic and advanced life support levels of emergency medical services. Other duties include: responding to fire calls, assisting in fire investigations, conducting fire prevention inspections and hazardous materials rescues, and facilitating training sessions on a wide variety of fire topics. During the twenty-four weeks in Fire Recruit School, training will be conducted at the Fire Training Academy as well as the various Fire Stations within Arlington and the City of Falls Church. Want more information about becoming a Firefighter/EMT Trainee?
Visit the Fire Department's website (www.arlingtonva.us/fire).
Visit any one of our ten Fire Stations (specific locations can be found on the Fire Department website) and our uniformed staff will be glad to answer any of your questions.
Call the Fire Department's 24-hour phone line at (703) 228-4678, leave a clearly spoken message, and a member of the Fire Department's Outreach Team will return your call in a timely manner.
Qualification Requirements:
Minimum: Graduation from high school or completion of GED at time of test date. Must be 18 years old at time test date. Must complete supplemental questionnaire (appears as part of the Internet Employment Application). Duplicate applications will not be accepted so PLEASE be sure to read the job announcement and application carefully and submit accurate, complete, and up to date information on your application. You will receive confirmation of receipt of your application to the email address you provide.

Desirable: Preference will be given to applicants with Virginia EMT-I or EMT-P Certification, or National Registry EMT-P Certification.
Special Requirements:
• Must possess a valid driver's license from the applicant's place of residence at time of appointment. (Employees are not required to live in Virginia).
• Arlington County requires that all new uniformed Fire Department employees sign an agreement that they will not smoke or use smokeless tobacco products on or off the job during their tenure of employment.
• Must be in good physical condition, with the ability to do prolonged and physically strenuous work under hazardous conditions.
• By the end of the first year, the Trainee must successfully complete Fire Recruit School and the Firefighter/EMT Trainee written test, and receive a satisfactory Employee Performance Appraisal to move to the full performance position of Firefighter/EMT I.
• At the end of Fire Recruit School, the Trainee will be certified at the level of Firefighter I, Firefighter II (HazMat Operations), EMT-Basic, Emergency Vehicle Operator Course (EVOC) level II and III, (Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) Rope I, and climb fully extended 100' aeriel ladder.
• From the date of status change to Firefighter/EMT I, the employee must successfully complete a probationary period of one year.
• To achieve permanent status, the employee must pass a probationary test during the probationary period and receive a satisfactory Employee Performance Appraisal.
Additional Information:
EXAMINATION PROCESS: Once the application is accepted, applicant must pass a series of qualifying examinations.

• Written Examination - Multiple-choice aptitude test. As noted above a study guide is available online. The tentative date(s) for this written examination are the weekend of January 8, 2011. Test date(s) and time(s) will be confirmed and all applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements will be notified by e-mail for more specific instructions regarding test scheduling. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE (HUMAN RESOURCES AND FIRE DEPT.) HAVE AN ACCURATE EMAIL AND MAILING ADDRESS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION DURING THE ENTIRE HIRING PROCESS.

• Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) - A work sample test similar to duties performed by Firefighters/EMTs. Applicants will have on-line access to a voluntary self-study pre-conditioning guide, will be able to view the CPAT video on the Fire Department's website and on the day of the written exam, demonstrating the tasks to be performed, and be invited to attend approximately 8 weeks of structured practice sessions.

• Character/Background Investigation - The comprehensive Character/Background Investigation questionnaire will be made available to applicants on-line during the recruitment period to be completed and returned within a specified amount of time. The exact due date will be posted online at a later date, however, applicants should begin to collect the necessary documents for the background packet now in order to allow time for processing. An extensive background investigation will be conducted by the Fire Department on those applicants who pass the written exam. The investigation will cover the following areas: accuracy of information on application material; credit history; honesty, integrity and reliability of the applicant; criminal history; traffic history; and involvement with illicit drugs. Applicants who do not successfully complete this portion of the selection process will not normally be allowed to re-enter the applicant process.

Note: The background investigation will be conducted concurrently with all other steps in the selection process. An applicant may be disqualified at any time during the selection process based on a review of background investigation information. Please do not submit any documents for the character/background investigation until the due date is posted!

For those applicants who are ALS certified, the background investigation will cover verification/confirmation of ALS certifications.

• Panel Interview with Fire Department – Applicants will respond to interview questions designed to assess knowledge, skills, and abilities critical to the job.

After a conditional offer of employment is extended, the following steps will occur:

• Medical/Physical/Psychological Examinations - This step includes drug screening, hepatitis and HIV testing, and other screening examinations as deemed appropriate. The County adheres to the medical standards established by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 1582.

Applicants should note the following:

• A good driving record and a clean criminal history are essential.
• Applicants engaging in any activity that would support a felony conviction are unlikely to receive favorable consideration.
• Recent convictions for D.U.I. or D.W.I. or Reckless Driving, as well as multiple convictions for Speeding or other moving violations may result in disqualification.
• Incomplete and/or inaccurate information on the background information questionnaire may be cause for rejection.
• No recent drug use.