INTRODUCTION: The South Bend Fire Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City of South Bend is interested in hiring exceptional individuals with experience as career firefighters. Applicants should be physically fit and committed to service.
As members of the South Bend Fire Department, a Firefighter’s duties include engaging directly in firefighting, emergency medical services requiring assignment to an ambulance, mitigation of hazardous materials emergencies, fire prevention and rescue, and inspections of buildings and properties to ensure compliance with the fire codes and the mitigation of all manners of special hazards and incidents. All Firefighter’s are required to become Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMT) and may be required to become Paramedics.
As you may be aware, becoming a firefighter in South Bend is no easy task. It’s not so much a matter of our requirements being too stringent or demanding. Rather, it’s the fact that the firefighter’s job is in high demand. It’s not uncommon for hundreds of candidates to apply for a few potential vacancies.
Although hundreds of candidates may apply for the vacant firefighter positions, a large number of such job seekers will be disqualified by the time the entrance process is over. Due to a lack of adequate preparation, many will fail the written examination. Some are out of shape or unprepared for the physical abilities test, therefore, will not succeed or will not be competitive. Some will perform poorly or will fail the oral interview. The medical examination will disqualify a few, and yet more will be disqualified by the background investigation. By the end of the process, those hundreds of candidates will have dwindled.
Nevertheless, a substantial number of candidates will successfully pass all phases of the entrance process, and they collectively will comprise your competition. Whether you are selected will depend on how well you prepare and how well you perform in comparison with your competition. It’s not a matter of luck. It’s a matter of understanding the entrance process, understanding what the fire department is looking for, and preparing well.
There are definite steps that you can and should take to improve your chances of being hired as a firefighter. We encourage you to study as much preparatory material as you reasonably can. This preparation will better familiarize you with the process and will increase your chances of being hired. You can view our recruitment website at www.joinsbfd.com to learn more about our hiring process.
Without a doubt, the firefighter’s job is one of the best jobs in the world. We hope that you will soon find this to be true by first-hand experience.
DESCRIPTION: The dedicated professionals of the South Bend Fire Department are committed to providing excellence in professional emergency services. We serve a diverse population of over 103,000 permanent citizens and provide mutual aid response to the University of Notre Dame, the City of Mishawaka, and other areas of St. Joseph County.
SBFD personnel train and work to provide the best emergency services available. We strive to meet every challenge with professionalism, integrity, and accountability, and we will set the standard for others in our field. We provide competent and compassionate care to those in need.
Under the direction of the Fire Chief, the SBFD has five divisions/bureaus, each led by an Assistant Chief: Operations, Services, Prevention, EMS and Training. The SBFD consist of 256 sworn members staffing 11 engine companies, 4 truck companies, 1 Heavy Rescue company, 7 ALS ambulances, 2 Battalion Chiefs, 1 safety Officer, and EMS Captain and 2 Lead Paramedic Chase Vehicles. The companies are stationed at our 11 firehouses strategically placed throughout our city.
Our Advanced Life Support ambulances are staffed with EMT's, Advanced EMTs and Paramedics. We work closely with Medical Directors from 2 area hospitals to provide the most current, evidence-based EMS care available. All SBFD personnel are trained to provide advanced life support service and fire apparatus respond as first responders to EMS calls.
The SBFD provides training courses in firefighting, EMS, swift water rescue, hazardous materials response, confined space, technical rescue and officer development.
Lateral Fire Recruits will be required to successfully complete a 4-5 week Lateral Firefighter Recruit academy prior to becoming a South Bend Firefighter.
Once sworn on, Lateral Firefighters will receive 1-year credit for every 2 years of documented career experience on the SBFD pay and benefit schedule.
All firefighters must serve a minimum of three years before applying for a promotion or permanent assignment.
THE PROCESS: The purpose of this position is to perform fire suppression and emergency medical response duties as a member of a fire and rescue team.
- Applicants will be required to pass the South Bend Fire Department Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) as a condition of hire.
- Following the closing of the job posting and a review process, all qualified applicants will be sent an email (at the email address listed on the application) informing them of the written examination session which will be virtual/online at no cost. This exam will require a device with internet access and a camera focused on the applicant. This exam will be remotely monitored.
- Applicants who meet the required criteria on the written exam will then be scheduled for an in-person structured interview at a location to be determined in South Bend, Indiana. After the interview phase, the written exam and interview scores will be calculated, and the applicant's name will be placed in one of three categories:
- High Probability for Success
- Likely Successful
- Potential For Success
- Upon completion of the Lateral FF testing process, selected applicants (as firefighter vacancies occur) will be required to complete an in-depth personal history and criminal background packet.
- The data provided in this packet will be used to conduct the background investigation phase of the hiring process. All applicants must give truthful answers to all questions. Any misrepresentation or omission of facts will disqualify the applicant from further consideration. During the investigative process, applicants may be required to take a polygraph examination or Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA). Areas of inquiry include, but are not limited to, criminal activity (including illegal drug use and theft), employment, and driving history.
The South Bend Fire Department reserves the right to give preference to applicants who are certified Firefighter II, Advanced EMT, and/or Paramedics.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.
- Willingness to place the needs and safety of our citizens and visitors above your own. Cowardice cannot be tolerated.
- Responds to various emergency situations including, but not limited to, fires, accidents, medical and rescue emergencies and hazardous materials incidents.
- Performs search and rescue, ventilation, fire suppression and hazardous materials clean-up duties at the scene of a fire or accident.
- Responds to medical emergencies as a certified emergency medical technician and performs various duties, including administering basic first aid, checking vital signs, stabilizing victims, and providing transportation to an area hospital.
- Clears roads during inclement weather; may operate the boat as a member of a water rescue team.
- Inspects, cleans, and restocks equipment, tools, and supplies on vehicles and in the fire station.
- Enters fire and emergency rescue data in a personal computer; updates records and generates computer reports as needed.
- Performs routine building and equipment maintenance and repair work at the fire station.
- Participates in Departmental training activities and programs to maintain required certifications and to learn of new equipment and techniques; attends district training to update specific knowledge of assigned district.
- Performs fire code inspections and fire investigations as assigned.
- Provides tours of the fire station and distributes public education materials to school and community groups and the general public.
- Provides assistance with special events, holiday functions, and other City activities.
- Performs other related duties as required.
- Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Ability to collect, assess and record data.
- Ability to utilize a variety of reference and descriptive and advisory data and information.
- Ability to exercise discretion in identifying and selecting from alternative courses of action.
- Ability to communicate effectively with superiors and co-workers and members of the public.
- Ability to perform tasks in changing and stressful circumstances; includes the ability to maintain control of emotions and actions and to make rapid decisions.
- Ability to calm and comfort individuals who are distraught, ill, or injured.
- Ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and to calculate decimals and percentages; ability to calculate surface areas, volumes, weights and measures.
- Ability to operate a personal computer, utilizing word processing, spreadsheet, database management, mapping, incident reporting and other software applications as may be necessary to perform essential job functions; ability to operate a mobile data computer.
- Ability to utilize a variety of tools, equipment and supplies associated with firefighting, EMS and rescue activities, including, but not limited to, turnout gear, radios, cameras, gas detectors, chain saws, smoke ejectors, extrication tools, hand tools, pumps, foam chemicals and first aid equipment.
- Ability to operate a motor vehicle to conduct work activities.
- Ability to work a 24-hour shift with limited downtime, which may allow for limited rest.
- Ability to exert heavy to extremely heavy, though not constant, physical effort, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching and crawling, and the lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials weighing 21-50 pounds; may occasionally involve objects and materials up to and exceeding 100 pounds.
- Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as fire, smoke, moisture, dirt, dust, snow, rain, severe weather, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, violence, fumes, toxic agents, disease or pathogenic substances.
- Performance of essential functions may require life-or-death decisions based on circumstances beyond incumbent's control; decisions may affect the general public and co-workers as well as incumbent.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL LATERAL FIREFIGHTER APPLICANTS:
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Must have at least two years of career firefighting experience.
- Must be a high school graduate, as evidenced by a transcript issued by an accredited high school. An achievement test certificate from an accredited high school or State Board of Education is acceptable.
- Shall possess a valid driver’s license.
- Shall possess Indiana or IFSAC/NREMT Firefighter II, HazMat Operations, and EMT-B (or higher) certifications.
- Shall be a member of the Indiana Pension 77 Fund or be eligible for entry into the Indiana Pension 77 Fund.
- Be at least 18 years of age, and under the age of 40 at the date of hire.
- Shall not have used marijuana for a period of 1 year or any other illegal drug use for a period of 5 years.
- Shall have no more than two (2) alcohol-related violations.
- Shall not have a conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI), or operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) in excess of the legal limit as set by State Law within the past 5 years.
- Shall have no felony convictions.
- Shall not have received any discharge from the military other than an honorable discharge or other discharge with honorable conditions.
- Shall agree to become certified as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and may be required to become a Paramedic.
- Copies of the Following Documents will be Required During the Hiring Process
- DD214 (Armed Services Discharge – if applicable).
- Valid driver's license.
- Indiana or IFSAC Firefighter II Certification
- Indiana or NREMT-Basic Certification
- Indiana or IFSAC Hazardous Materials Operations Certification.
SOME FACTORS THAT MAY DECREASE EMPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
- Involvement in criminal activity.
- Misdemeanor convictions.
- Military rejection or early discharge for reason/concern.
- Drug selling.
- Illegal acts.
- Past job problems or firings.
Hiring for the City of South Bend Fire Department is contingent on successfully passing all parts of the Lateral Firefighter Academy which include but are not limited to: cognitive and manipulative skills in: Firefighter I/II, Haz Mat Awareness and Operations, Emergency Vehicle Operation, Physical Fitness, and EMT training.
If you meet these minimum standards and wish to apply, please complete the application COMPLETELY AND TRUTHFULLY.
The City of South Bend is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities.
INCOMPLETE PRE-APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
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