Firefighter Recruit Experienced

Our Organizational Culture: The Town’s vision is that Wake Forest’s vibrant, diverse, and welcoming community fosters its distinct character, thriving economy, and high quality of life. 

Opportunities for Professional Development: We are committed to investing in our employees' growth through training, workshops, conferences, and other opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills in Human Resources.

Competitive Benefits Package: The Town of Wake Forest offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, long-term and short-term disability programs, retirement plan, paid time off, volunteer leave, paid parental leave, paid elder care leave, non-matching required 401k contributions, longevity pay bonuses, Employee Assistance Program, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and more. 

The primary function of this class upon school completion is to respond to fire, medical, and other emergency situations and provide appropriate assistance in accordance with the level of training.  This position also participates in equipment and building maintenance and continuous training dealing with all phases of fire suppression, prevention, pre-plans, rescue and emergency operation. This is firefighting and rescue work, controlling and extinguishing fires using a variety of specialized equipment and techniques, evacuating persons from areas of danger, and performing emergency treatment. Work also requires the employee to respond to emergency medical calls and render care as required. Firefighters work together in fire companies performing general firefighting and rescue duties in assigned geographic areas of the district. The dangers inherent in the work represent conditions which can be only partially controlled through preventive measures. Work requires moderate to strenuous physical effort when using hose line, ladders and tools, and when performing rescues. A portion of a employee's work also consists of the routine maintenance of apparatus and equipment and to maintain them in a response-ready mode. The firefighter's work also includes active participation in EMS, public education, training, and physical fitness programs. Work is performed under the supervision of a company officer who reviews his/her progress through observation and review.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

Essential Duties and Tasks 

• Responds with personnel, equipment, and apparatus to fire, emergency medical, hazardous materials and rescue incidents 
• May respond on an engine, ladder or rescue unit and perform duties such as: stretching hose lines, manipulating nozzles and directing streams of water, climbs aerial and ground ladders, conducts forcible entry, ventilates structures, utilizes handheld fire extinguishers, utilizes hand-tools, pneumatic tools, hydraulic tools, utility and rescue rope and other equipment
• Provides emergency medical care and assistance to sick and injured persons; removes entrapped victims from motor vehicle accidents and other hazardous situations; assists with loading and may participate in the transportation of sick and injured persons to appropriate medical facilities
• Performs rescue type operations involving water, high and low angle, trench, collapse, search, and confined space
• Performs salvage operations; throwing tarps, removing water and debris
• Wears protective clothing including self-contained breathing apparatus, while making entry into burning and smoke-filled structures to perform firefighting operations
• Assists in maintaining fire apparatus and equipment, and cleaning firehouse and the firehouse grounds
• Maneuvers and connects hose from engine; climb ladders, use fire extinguishers and other mechanical equipment as required; ensures that assigned hand tools and other equipment are on the apparatus and are in good working order
• Performs inspections and preventative maintenance on hydrants
• Conducts pre-incident surveys
• Assures readiness of equipment and apparatus
• Work may require additional training and associated duties for assignment to the Ladder Company or other specialized apparatus
• Completes duties in accordance with department SOG’S

• Responds punctually to alarms and to all assignments
• Safely operates a motor vehicle for the purpose of conducting official duties of the Wake Forest Fire Department
• Develops and/or assists in developing SOG/SOP’s and reviews their relevance to our department goals and objectives

• Addresses critical fireground safety hazards
• Communicates effectively with the command center and personnel, conveying unusual conditions and/or dynamics of an incident
• Attends in-service classes in firefighting, emergency medical service, and related duties to ensure that minimum company standards are maintained
• Participates in physical fitness activities to maintain physical conditioning
• Maintains regular and reliable attendance in accordance to the leave policies 
• Demonstrates superior seamless customer service, integrity, and commitment to innovation, efficiency, and fiscally responsible activity
• May be required to move to other companies or stations on a daily basis, based on staffing needs.
• Performs other tasks as required.

Recruitment and Selection Guidelines

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of, and skills in, applying principles, practices and methods of modern fire suppression techniques

• Knowledge of fire department policies, procedures, rules, and regulations
• Knowledge of North Carolina motor vehicle laws and Emergency Vehicle Driver rules and regulations
• Knowledge of the geographical layout of the Wake Forest Fire District, street names and numbers, and hydrant locations.
• Knowledge of Emergency Medical techniques.

• Possess good working knowledge of personal computers and experience with Microsoft Office software and should be familiar with Firehouse software
• Ability to work with a minimum amount of supervision
• Ability to recognize and correct safety hazards for firefighting personnel
• Ability to determine the need for apparatus and equipment repair and maintenance
• Ability to understand and carry out complex oral and written instructions
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, to groups and to individuals
• Ability to react quickly and calmly in an emergency situation and to determine the proper course of action
• Ability to report for work on time, complete assigned tasks within a reasonable period of time and perform the duties of the job for a complete workday
• Ability to concentrate and accomplish tasks despite interruptions
• Ability to effectively communicate on two-way radio system
• Ability to properly operate office equipment such as telephones, calculators, computers, and copy machines
• Ability to read and write at a high school graduate level
• Must be proficient in intermediate math skills

• Ability to tolerate extreme fluctuations in temperature while performing job duties.
• Ability to work for long periods of time, requiring sustained physical activity and intense concentration.
• Ability to work in a variety of weather conditions with exposure to the outdoor elements.
• Ability to make fine, highly controlled muscular movements to adjust the position of control mechanisms such as operating levers, pedals, and valves.
• Ability to understand apparatus limitations as related to apparatus response and fire suppression activities. 
• Ability to pass an annual SCBA fit test with minimal accommodations.

Desirable Experience and Education

A high school diploma is the minimum educational requirement, however, graduation from a community college or a four-year college or university is preferred.

Special Requirements

All incumbent and new Firefighters must possess at the minimum the following qualifications and certifications and maintain them thereafter. 

• North Carolina Firefighter II
• Hazardous Material Level I
• North Carolina EMT-B
• North Carolina EVD (within one year of hire date or based on availability)
• North Carolina Class B driver license (within one year of hire date)
• NIMS ICS 100, 200, 700, 800

Physical Requirements

Primary functions require sufficient physical ability to respond to emergency alarms.  Work in this class is extremely physical and requires normal dexterity in the hands, feet, legs, body, and head to perform firefighting and rescue work.  Occasional lifting and carrying objects weighing more than 100 pounds is required in the work.  Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing which permits the employee to discern verbal instructions, communicate effectively on the telephone, department radio equipment, and in person is extremely important.

• North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission’s Firefighter Certification Program
• North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission’s Hazardous Materials Operations Level
• North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission’s Driver Operator Emergency Vehicle Driver
• North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission’s Technical Rescuer Vehicle
• North Carolina Fire & Rescue Commission’s Rapid Intervention Crew Program (Gaston College)
• North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services Emergency Medical Technician-Basic Program
• National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100, 200, 700, 800
• Candidates will need to demonstrate the ability to maneuver through and perform required task in an environment of confinement of no less than 18 inches in diameter.
• Candidates will need to demonstrate the ability to successfully ascend/descend and perform task on various size ladders including ascending/descending 105’ open aerial ladder.

• Monday, March 23, 2026 - In person Written Exam (Photo ID Required)
• March 30 - April 2, 2026 - In person Fireground Endurance Assessment (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily)
• April 20 - April 24 - In Person Panel Interview / Chief Interview (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Daily)
• Monday, May 4, 2026 - Job Offers Initiated
• Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Anticipated Start Date

Once an offer of employment has been extended, candidates will undergo a thorough background investigation, including NC State Bureau of Investigation fingerprinting.