Answer the Call of Courage! Become a Milwaukee Firefighter!
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A career in the Fire Service can be both challenging and satisfying, but it is not the right choice for everyone. Think carefully about the following information and take every opportunity to learn more about the Fire Service. You might wish to stop at a local fire station to talk with firefighters. |
Firefighting is a hazardous occupation. In addition to fighting fires, performing rescues and rendering emergency medical assistance, firefighters respond to situations involving chemical spills, building collapses, explosions, floods, tornadoes and electrical hazards. Approximately three-quarters of your "runs" will be medical. You will be trained and certified as an Emergency Medical Technician, to respond when citizens call 911 because of an accident, injury or medical problem. You will perform basic life support services, such as taking pulse and blood pressure, stopping bleeding, immobilizing patients, clearing breathing passages, and performing CPR. As a firefighter, you must have the ability to work as a team member. Teamwork reduces the potential for injuries and loss of life, and increases effectiveness in handling emergency situations. You will be on duty for 24 hours at a time, sharing dormitory space and station house duties such as cooking, washing dishes, cleaning up and scrubbing floors, as well as cleaning, checking and testing vehicles and the equipment that they carry.
INDEX
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- Qualifications
- The Selection Process
- Military, Education and Residency Credit
- Appointment from the Eligible List
- The Background Investigation
- The Medical Examination
- Recruit Training
- The Career
- Promotional Opportunities
- Applications
QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum age 18
- U.S. citizen
- High school graduate, GED or High School Equivalency Diploma
- A valid, regular motor vehicle operator's license
- If you have failed a Milwaukee Fire Department background investigation in the past, you may not apply until two years after the date of that disqualification
THE SELECTION PROCESS
The selection process currently consists of a written multiple choice test, a physical ability test and an oral test. Test components are subject to change. You must achieve a passing score on each test in order to continue in the process. If you pass all components you will be placed on an eligible list in an order determined by your final composite score. Depending on the number of applications, the Fire and Police Commission reserves the right to limit the applicant pool by random selection. If your eligibility number is reached on the eligible list, you must pass a medical examination, drug test, and background investigation. If you fail any one of these components you will be removed from the eligible list.
WRITTEN TEST
You are not expected to know technical material about the job, but you must be able to understand such material presented to you both orally and in writing. The most recent written test consisted of the following components:
ORAL INSTRUCTIONS: You will listen to taped instructions and answer multiple choice questions about what you have been instructed to do. The instructions are like those you will need to follow as a recruit and as a firefighter.
CLASSROOM LEARNING: You will listen to and take notes on several taped lectures, then answer multiple-choice questions about the subjects taught, using your notes as reference. The lectures are like those from which you will be expected to learn as a recruit and later during in-service training.
READING COMPREHENSION: You will read written selections and answer multiple choice questions about what you have read. The selections are like the materials you must read and understand as a recruit and as a firefighter.
THE PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST
The current Physical Ability Test (PAT) is a course on which you will perform a series of strenuous exercises, similar to the activities at a fire scene. You will wear a fire coat and helmet, and carry an air tank harnessed to your back. The total weight of this gear is approximately 45 pounds. You must complete the course within a time limit.
LADDER CLIMB: Climb a 40-foot ladder to the third level of the training tower, then descend the tower by the outside fire escape.
HOSE DRAG: Drag a dry 2 1/2-inch hoseline for 200 feet. The weight being dragged increases as you progress.
CHOPPING SIMULATION: Strike a target with an 8-pound sledge hammer 50 times.
PIKE POLE SIMULATION: Use a pike pole (a pole with both a point and a hook at the end) to alternately push up and pull down a board suspended overhead. Twenty acceptable push/pull sets must be completed.
LADDER LIFT: Pick up a 24-foot extension ladder hanging horizontally on a rack about 30 inches from the ground, lift it to rest on a shelf about 57 inches from the ground, then replace the ladder on the lower rack.
MANNEQUIN CRAWL: Move a 125-pound mannequin from a table and drag it through a simulated tunnel, then pick up the mannequin and place it back on the table.
Preparation: Anyone who intends to participate in the PAT must be in general good health and at a high level of physical fitness in terms of muscular strength and endurance, and aerobic power. The PAT course is more demanding than it may appear from the description. Your preparation should concentrate on weight training combined with aerobic training to develop muscular strength, and the ability to maintain a high level of activity for an extended period without becoming fatigued.
ORAL EXERCISE
In the oral exercise, you will view situations that could be a part of a firefighter's job. The situations will be acted out by professional actors and shown to you on a television screen, and your responses to the scenes will be videotaped. A monitor will seat you in front of the screen and give you a chance to get settled so that you can see and hear. The monitor will also see that you are situated correctly for the camera that will film you. You will view 8 scenes. After each scene, you will see the word RESPOND on the screen. You will then have 45 seconds to give your response. Talk to the monitor as if you were talking to the real people in the situation that has been depicted. Do not respond by describing what you would do if you were in the situation. Rather, respond as if you were actually there. Before the test begins, you will have the opportunity to warm up with some routine questions and a practice scene that will not be scored. The monitor will leave after starting the scenarios. No one will be in the room with you as you take the test. The actors on the screen may look expectantly at you, or change expression as you are responding to them, but they will not be able to interact with you. Your response might not require the entire 45 seconds. When you have said everything you think you should say, you may just wait quietly for the next scene. Your videotaped responses will be evaluated later by a panel of trained and certified raters.
MILITARY, EDUCATION AND RESIDENCY CREDIT
Qualified military service veterans receive preference points added to their final passing score in accordance with Wisconsin State Statutes and Commission Rules. If you are a veteran, evidence showing type of discharge or release and dates of active service must be presented. (Military form DD214 preferred.) Education preference points may also be granted to candidates who have Associate or Bachelor's Degrees in Fire Technology or Fire Science. Preference points will also be awarded for City of Milwaukee residence at time of application. Candidates will be required to provide documented proof to receive military, education, and residency preference points.
APPOINTMENT FROM THE ELIGIBLE LIST
When the Fire Department anticipates sufficient vacancies to fill a recruit training class (25-35 positions), a conditional offer of employment is made to the top candidates on the eligible list. If they pass the background and medical examinations, they may be appointed to the position of Firefighter.
THE BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION
You will complete a detailed questionnaire that is the basis of the background investigation conducted by the Fire and Police Commission staff investigator. The investigator will check police, motor vehicle, credit, employment, and school records, contact personal references, and perform whatever additional investigation is necessary to verify the information provided on the questionnaire.
THE MEDICAL EXAMINATION
The Fire and Police Commission has contracted with an occupational medicine clinic to conduct the medical examination. If doctors medically disqualify you, you will be removed from the eligible list. You are also required to pass a drug test conducted by an independent laboratory.
RECRUIT TRAINING
As a recruit, you are a Fire Department employee, working a 40-hour week and receiving a salary. You must pass recruit training and the remainder of your 16-month probationary period to become a permanent employee. Many seasoned firefighters will tell you that recruit training was the most exhausting and stressful period of their careers. They do not exaggerate. As a new recruit, you should be prepared for 18 weeks of more strenuous, more demanding, more tiring work than you have ever done before. You will run, climb, and chop in heavy turnout gear, lift heavy ladders onto roofs, and crawl on your stomach and back while struggling with hoselines spewing water. You will attend classes and study firefighting tactics and strategy, emergency medical techniques, and department policy.
THE CAREER
After completing recruit training, you will be assigned to one of the City's 36 engine houses. You will work 24-hour shifts, from 8 a.m. one day until 8 a.m. the next, and then have two 24-hour shifts off. The shift rotation continues without regard to weekends or holidays, though firefighters often arrange trades so that they may be off on days of particular importance to them. Current starting salary is $31,123 (2003 rates). Firefighters receive regular pay raises, vacation and sick leave, tuition reimbursement for job related education, a uniform allowance, health and life insurance coverage, and an excellent pension plan. City of Milwaukee residency is required within six (6) months after hire.
PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
As you gain experience, opportunities for advancement open up. Promotion to higher ranks is by competitive examination. You may become a member of a special team, as a specialist in dive rescue, technical rescue or hazardous materials emergencies. You may volunteer for paramedic training. You may take a promotional examination for heavy equipment operator and become the driver of the engines and ladder trucks and operator of the pumping and aerial equipment. You may take a promotional examination for lieutenant and assume supervisory responsibility for a company. Becoming a lieutenant is the first step in a career ladder, which can lead to captain, battalion chief, deputy chief – possibly all the way to fire chief.
APPLICATIONS
Although Firefighters are employees of the Milwaukee Fire Department, the hiring agency is the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. Applications were taken in March 2003. We will not take applications again for at least two years. Check the web site periodically for updated information.
City of Milwaukee
Department of Employee Relations
Fire and Police Commission
200 East Wells Street, Room 706
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414.286-5000
or click here: www.milwaukee.gov