Volunteer Firefighter

Volunteer Firefighter

Under the direction of the Fire Chief, Volunteer Firefighters protect life and property by responding to emergency situations including fires, rescues, and other incidents. Duties include extinguishing fires, performing rescue operations, attending regular training, and maintaining firefighting equipment and facilities. This position involves hazardous and physically demanding work, often performed under stressful conditions.

Volunteer firefighters receive a $8,000 pension per year of service. Members must serve a minimum of 10 years to become vested. The vested level at 10 years of service is 60% and that level increases 4% every year after that until the member is 100% vested at 20 years of service ($160,000). You must ensure you make 45% of fire calls and 65% of meetings/trainings. Volunteer firefighters also receive $15 per call, which is paid out at the end of the year. Interviews will be conducted in September 2026.

Essential Functions of the Job / Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

• Respond to fire and emergency calls.
• Assist with medical emergencies.
• Deploy hoses and ladders; operate pumps and booster lines.
• Use extinguishing agents, ventilation techniques, and firefighting tools as appropriate.
• Rescue and evacuate individuals from fires and other emergency situations.
• Conduct salvage operations and mitigate further damage to structures.
• Operate under stressful conditions while wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
• Use forcible entry techniques such as breaking glass, doors, windows, walls, or gates.
• Cutting locks or bars using appropriate safety gear and equipment.
• Participates in regular drills, demonstrations and training programs.
• Clean, inspect, and maintain fire apparatus, tools, and protective gear.
• Assist in refueling vehicles and restocking equipment and vehicles post-incident.
• Respond to specialized emergency calls, including hazardous materials and confined space rescues.
• Work collaboratively in a team under the direction of officers.
• Maintain required certifications and licenses per department policy and state/federal regulations.

The aforementioned functions are normal for this position. They are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Basic understanding of firefighting principles, techniques, and tools.
• Familiarity with building construction, fire behavior, and basic electrical/fire codes.
• Familiarity with city street layouts, major landmarks, and key commercial or industrial sites.
• Knowledge of emergency rescue and firefighting equipment.
• Capable of operating firefighting equipment at heights and in extreme conditions.
• Knowledge of and ability to properly use required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions accurately and quickly.
• Ability to think clearly and act decisively under pressure.
• Physically able to lift and carry 50 – 100 pounds regularly.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and professionalism.
• Ability to operate emergency vehicles in varied situations.

Education and Experience

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Any equivalent combination of education, training, or experience that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Conditions of Employment

• Must meet medical standards and be able to wear SCBA.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Must reside within ten (10) minutes of the New Ulm Fire Station driving under normal driving conditions and posted speed limits.
• Must pass a background check, physical exam, and drug screening.
• Completion of the following within the specified timeframe:
  1. Firefighter 1001 Essentials course - within 8 months.
  2. FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) courses 100, 200, and 700 - within 12 months.
  3. Advanced First Aid and CPR certification - within 24 months.
  4. Accredited Firefighter I and II certification - within 12 months.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the regular exertion of 50 to 100 pounds of force; work regularly requires standing, walking, speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms, tasting or smelling, pushing or pulling and lifting and frequently climbing or balancing; work requires close vision, distance vision, ability to adjust focus, depth perception, color perception, night vision and peripheral vision; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires visual inspection involving small defects and/or small parts, operating machines, operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work regularly requires exposure to fumes or airborne particles, exposure to outdoor weather conditions, exposure to vibration, wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus and exposure to bloodborne pathogens and may be required to wear specialized personal protective equipment, frequently requires working near moving mechanical parts, working in high, precarious places, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, exposure to extreme cold (non-weather) and exposure to extreme heat (non-weather) and occasionally requires wet, humid conditions(non-weather), exposure to the risk of electrical shock and working with explosives; work is generally in a loud noise location (e.g. grounds maintenance, heavy traffic).