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First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of workers engaged in firefighting and fire prevention and control.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.
    • Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
    • Assess nature and extent of fire, condition of building, danger to adjacent buildings, and water supply status to determine crew or company requirements.
    • Drive crew carriers to transport firefighters to fire sites.
    • Perform maintenance and minor repairs on firefighting equipment, including vehicles, and write and submit proposals to modify, replace, and repair equipment.
    • Maintain required maps and records.
    • Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
    • Schedule employee work assignments and set work priorities.
    • Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
    • Direct the training of firefighters, assigning of instructors to training classes, and providing of supervisors with reports on training progress and status.
    • Inspect and test new and existing fire protection systems, fire detection systems, and fire safety equipment to ensure that they are operating properly.
    • Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
    • Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
    • Assign firefighters to jobs at strategic locations to facilitate rescue of persons and maximize application of extinguishing agents.
    • Instruct and drill fire department personnel in assigned duties, including firefighting, medical care, hazardous materials response, fire prevention, and related subjects.
    • Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.
    • Evaluate fire station procedures to ensure efficiency and enforcement of departmental regulations.
    • Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
    • Serve as a working leader of an engine, hand, helicopter, or prescribed fire crew of three or more firefighters.
    • Recommend personnel actions related to disciplinary procedures, performance, leaves of absence, and grievances.
    • Direct investigation of cases of suspected arson, hazards, and false alarms and submit reports outlining findings.
    • Study and interpret fire safety codes to establish procedures for issuing permits to handle hazardous or flammable substances.
    • Monitor fire suppression expenditures to ensure that they are necessary and reasonable.
    • Evaluate the performance of assigned firefighting personnel.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
    • Supervise and participate in the inspection of properties to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable fire codes, ordinances, laws, regulations, and standards.
    • Provide emergency medical services as required, and perform light to heavy rescue functions at emergencies.
    • Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
    • Communicate fire details to superiors, subordinates, or interagency dispatch centers, using two-way radios.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as compiling and maintaining records, completing forms, preparing reports, or composing correspondence.
    • Recommend equipment modifications or new equipment purchases.
    • Maintain fire suppression equipment in good condition, checking equipment periodically to ensure that it is ready for use.
    • Direct firefighters in station maintenance duties, and participate in these duties.
    • Participate in creating fire safety guidelines and evacuation schemes for nonresidential buildings.
    • Inspect stations, uniforms, equipment, or recreation areas to ensure compliance with safety standards, taking corrective action as necessary.

    Skills

    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    Abilities

    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.

    Knowledge

    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    Education

    Education
    Postsecondary certificate
    Work Experience
    Less than 5 years work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    125640/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    60.41/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    2,600
    Yearly Projected Openings
    210

    Personality

    Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Leadership
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Dependability
    • Concern for Others
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Acoustic sensors
    • Agricultural tractors
    • Air bags for loading
    • Air exhausters
    • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled
    • Anemometers
    • Armored recovery vehicle
    • Binoculars
    • Bolt cutters
    • Busses
    • Cargo trucks
    • Claw hammer
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Electrocardiography EKG units
    • Electronic blood pressure units
    • Fans
    • Fire escape equipment
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Fire fighting chemical truck
    • Fire fighting ladder truck
    • Fire fighting water tank truck
    • Fire fighting watercraft
    • Fire hoses or nozzles
    • Fire pump sets
    • Fire retardant apparel
    • Fire suppression hand tools
    • Flares
    • Flatbed trailers
    • Gas generators
    • Geological compasses
    • Global positioning system GPS receiver
    • Glucose monitors or meters
    • Goggles
    • Hard hats
    • Hazardous material protective apparel
    • Hazardous material protective footwear
    • Heat tracing equipment
    • Intubation laryngoscopes
    • Ladders
    • Life rings
    • Life vests or preservers
    • Lighters
    • Manlift or personnel lift
    • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
    • Medical gas cylinders or related devices
    • Mercury blood pressure units
    • Metal cutters
    • Minivans or vans
    • Mobile medical service intravenous IV kits
    • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
    • Mobile medical services basket stretchers
    • Mobile medical services cervical or extrication collars
    • Mobile medical services first aid kits
    • Mobile medical services litter
    • Mobile medical services spine boards
    • Mobile medical services suction antichoke devices
    • Mowers
    • Multi gas monitors
    • Notebook computers
    • Nylon rope
    • Personal computers
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Power saws
    • Protective gloves
    • Pry bars
    • Psychrometers
    • Pulse oximeter units
    • Rescue truck
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Respirators
    • Resuscitation masks
    • Safety glasses
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Safety helmets
    • Saws
    • Shovels
    • Sledge hammer
    • Specialty wrenches
    • Surface thermometers
    • Track bulldozers
    • Two way radios
    • Utility knives
    • Weapon or explosives detectors and supplies
    • Weather stations
    • Wheel chocks
    • Wheel nut or lug wrench
    • Winches

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Geographic information system
    • Helpdesk or call center software
    • Internet browser software
    • Map creation software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software