ABOUT US

The dedicated professionals of the Rapid City Fire Department are committed to providing excellence in professional emergency services. We serve a diverse population of approximately 75,000 permanent citizens, surrounding communities, and the thousands of tourists who visit western South Dakota. Nestled among the pines of South Dakota's beautiful Black Hills, the Rapid City Fire Department employees train and work to provide the best emergency services available. We strive to meet every challenge with professionalism, integrity, and accountability and will set the standard for others in our field. We provide competent and compassionate care to those in need.

The City of Rapid City offers fantastic benefits including employer-paid health insurance premiums, 8% employer-matching retirement, life insurance benefits, short-term disability and generous vacation and sick leave time off. Starting level and wage depends on qualifications and experience.

For a detailed benefits summary, click here.

Union

This position is part of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 1040 Union.

Position Details

ABOUT OUR JOB

As Rapid City continues to grow and establish itself as a vibrant Midwest community, the fire department will likely become busier and continue to establish itself as a regional resource for public safety. Our approach to the growth is to be a proactive organization focused on efforts that prevent the loss of life, property, and damage to the environment. We maintain this proactive approach through strategically planning for the future, having a shared vision or road map among our employees, and are committed to making Rapid City a safe place for people to live, work, and play. This position provides a flexible work schedule - 24 hours on duty/48 hours off duty (56 hour work week).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

All Levels:

• 
  Reads and interprets street maps, equipment diagram: signs, symbols, placards, and labels for hazardous material.
• Participates in structural, wild-land, aircraft, and other types of fire attack by constructing fire line around wild-land fires, connecting hydrant supply line, advancing and maneuvering fire hose and nozzle to extinguish fires, hoisting equipment using rope and selecting and tying knots in rope, carrying, positioning, and raising ground ladders, choosing and operating portable fire extinguishers, operating hand and power tools, and, other related activities.
• Performs fire and rescue operations to include carrying a victim, climbing ladders in excess of 100 feet in height while carrying tools, equipment, or a victim.
• Performs patient assessment, basic life support, medical care, basic airway management, and mouth to mask, or bag valve mask ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automatic external defibrillation, splint fractures, and control of external bleeding.
• Wears, uses and maintains protective clothing, to include self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Operates two-way radios, light vehicles, brush trucks, large fire apparatus and water tenders.
• Performs routine maintenance of station, equipment, vehicles, and grounds.
• Performs various equipment related tests on fire hose, pumpers, aerial ladders, ground ladders, and hydrants.
• Prepares commercial occupancy fire pre-plans, fire/life safety inspection, and incident reports.
• Designs and delivers fire/life safety presentations.
• Accomplishes or assists others in accomplishing non-routine apparatus service and repair/remodeling of stations.
• Acts as officer in charge when assigned to the ambulance.
• Performs advanced patient assessment for medical and trauma calls.
• Provides advanced airway control, i.e. endotracheal intubation; surgical airway.
• Provides cardiac monitoring, interpretation of 12 lead EKG and manual defibrillation.
• Provides drug administration to include parenteral, IV push and IV drips.
• Performs needle thoracotomy and chest decompression.
• Maintains license through continuing education.

Firefighter I:

• Performs rescue operations by using hand and power tools to extricate victims trapped in motor vehicles, accomplishing elevator, industrial, ice, and water rescues, and rescues in cave-ins and other below-grade/confined space emergencies, accomplishes rescues with ropes in low and high angle environments.
• Uses pumper trucks and hoses, select, produce, and maintain appropriate water supplies, pump and nozzle pressures.
• Chooses proper location and size of vent opening for ventilation and ventilates, in structure fires.
• Protects property from fire damage using covers, fans, and other salvage equipment.
• Performs ladder inspection and maintenance.
• Identifies signs of arson.

Firefighter II:.

• Predicts basic fire behavior and recognizes structural instability in various types of situations.
• Operates aerial ladder apparatus.
• Identifies basic commercial occupancy fire code violations.

Firefighter Journeyman:

• Performs various equipment related tests on fire hose, pumpers, aerial ladders, ground ladders, and hydrants.
• Prepares commercial occupancy fire preplans, fire/life safety inspection, and incident reports.
• Designs and delivers fire/life safety presentations.
• Performs as company officer in the absence of lieutenant or captain.
• Assists the lieutenant or captain in administration of apprenticeship duties.

Additional Information

ABOUT YOU

The Rapid City Fire Department is currently accepting applications for the Summer 2023 firefighter testing process. Testing will be held on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Notification will be sent prior to the established testing date regarding the status of your application.

To be eligible to apply, candidates must possess the following minimum requirements:

• High school diploma or GED equivalency.
• At least 18 years of age by hire date.
• A citizen of the United States (or declare intentions to become naturalized as required by the provisions of South Dakota Codified Law 314).
• Must possess a valid driver's license or ability to obtain within 30 days from date of hire.

Must be able to obtain a SD Emergency Medical Technician Basic (EMT-B) certificate within designated probationary period.

Specialized Operations and Certifications may include these Additional

Advanced EMT:

• Maintains National Registry of EMT’s AEMT Certification and licensure requirements.
• Provides medical aid such as AED, CPR, prevent spinal damage, ventilation, control severe bleeding, prevent shock, bandaging wounds, etc., to stabilize their condition. Administers medications per South Dakota State Guidelines or RCFD Protocols as needed.
• Utilizes a variety of medical equipment, procedures, and medications as required to provide advanced medical care per South Dakota State Guidelines or RCFD Protocols as needed.
• Prepares a patient care report and take notes of the medical treatment given.

Paramedic:

• Maintains National Registry of EMT’s Paramedic Certification and licensure requirements.
• Provides medical aid such as AED, CPR, prevent spinal damage, ventilation, control severe bleeding, prevent shock, bandaging wounds, etc., to stabilize their condition. Administers medications per South Dakota State Guidelines or RCFD Protocols as needed.
• Utilizes a variety of medical equipment, procedures, and medications as required to provide advanced medical care per South Dakota State Guidelines or RCFD Protocols as needed.
• Prepares a patient care report and take notes of the medical treatment given.

Haz-Mat:

• Performs hazardous material risk assessment and mitigation.
• Performs hazardous material control operations within capabilities.
• Performs appropriate decontamination procedures.
• Uses basic monitoring equipment to classify and verify known and unknown materials.
• Understands basic chemical, biological and radiological terms and their behavior.

Rescue:

• Perform rescue operations to include: High/Low Angle, Confined Space, Trench, Structural Collapse, and Vehicle Extrication.
• Performs under water rescue and recovery operations, surface water, swift water and ice rescue.
• May perform rescue operations in a hazardous environment (i.e. night, polluted water, swift water, etc.).

Airport:

• Attains certifications from a Federal Aviation Administration approved training facility for response to Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting.
• Provides Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) for airplane crashes and airplane emergencies.
• Provides fire and life safety protection for sir ambulance aircraft standbys.
• Performs quarterly safety inspections of fuel storage areas and fuel trucks in accordance with the FAR Part 13.