Firefighter/Paramedic - Government Jobs : Job Details

Join our great team! City of Wausau firefighters/paramedics respond to emergencies and perform fire suppression activities, rescue work, hazardous materials response, and basic or advanced life-support emergency medical services.

Lateral hire opportunity! Candidates who have a minimum of two consecutive years at a previous fire department may be eligible for a lateral transfer to employment with the Wausau Fire Department. View the labor agreement for current salary rates.

It is the mission of the Wausau Fire Department to provide rapid, professional, emergency services to protect and enhance our community. To accomplish this mission, it is imperative we employ members who believe in and live by our core values: Professionalism, Accountability, Integrity, Respect, and Compassion. The Wausau Fire Department is a full-time career department and currently has 74 members, all trained to perform multiple tasks to our high standards. In 2023, the Wausau Fire Department responded to a total of 6,951 calls for service. The Wausau Fire Department is a licensed EMS provider within the State of Wisconsin. EMS is the highest demand on our service and requires all operations personnel working as a team to provide seamless coverage around the clock for our citizens and visitors. We respond to over 6,000 EMS incidents per year and are proud to maintain an average response time of 6 minutes throughout our community.

The City of Wausau is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Respond to fire calls and rescue individuals from emergency situations. Evacuate occupants of burning structures and assist them to safety.

Respond to fire calls and perform fire suppression, exposure protection, confinement, ventilation, salvage, overhaul operations.

Maintain a state of readiness of facilities, vehicles, apparatus, and equipment by inspections, cleaning, testing, and maintenance.

Respond to emergency medical calls and provide service within the constraints of the department's protocol and up to the level of training. Service includes basic and advanced life support.

Function within an assigned role in an incident management system.

Participate in drills and attend training exercises in firefighting, fire equipment, hazardous materials, rescue, and emergency medical skills; successfully complete training programs in all phases of duties and responsibilities.

Perform technical rescues such as confined space, high/low angle, extrication, and ice/water.

Respond to emergencies involving hazardous materials and work within the level of training in operations, technician, or specialist positions.

Perform fire prevention and public education programs including public speaking and conducting classes in such topics as fire extinguisher usage, fire drills, and CPR/first aid.

Interact with the public performing essential non-emergency duties such as fire prevention inspections, public fire education, and injury prevention education.

Respond to non-emergency calls for assistance and safely perform assigned functions required to assist the public, including but not limited to providing information, lifting assistance, and pest removal.

Perform routine maintenance and janitorial duties on buildings and grounds of the fire department.

Perform inspection, maintenance, and cleaning on all emergency and non-emergency equipment and apparatus. Perform general maintenance work and upkeep of fire department property, facilities, equipment, apparatus, and vehicles as directed.

Participate in the department's wellness program.

Perform related work as required.

Minimum requirements for hire:

• 18 years of age or older
• High School Diploma, GED, or HSED
• Valid Unrestricted Driver's License
• Excellent moral character and highest personal integrity
• State of Wisconsin or National Registry EMT-Paramedic
• State of Wisconsin Firefighter I Certification (or IFSAC Accredited)
• State of Wisconsin Firefighter II Certification (or IFSAC Accredited)
• National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System (ICS) 700 and 100 Certifications
• Hazardous Materials Operations Certificate
• CPAT Certification obtained within the last 12 months from anticipated hire date

Candidates who are in the process of, and close to, obtaining the required license and/or certificates are welcome to apply for consideration. Preferred qualifications:

• Associate Degree in related field
• Hazardous Materials Technician

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Ability to wear respirators, to include Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.
• Ability to distinguish color within NFPA standards 1582.
• Ability to drive and operate fire apparatus, ambulances, and other department vehicles; properly utilize equipment for extrication of persons trapped in vehicles or buildings.
• Maintain knowledge of streets, addresses, water supply, and pre-plans within the City of Wausau.
• Thorough knowledge of all firefighting and emergency techniques and procedures authorized by the Wausau Fire Department.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and non-verbally, written or electronic. Specifically, having the ability to accurately document fire reports, fire prevention inspection reports, and patient care reports.
• Ability to keep accurate records and use state of the art technology.
• Ability to read and interpret technical written materials, codes, ordinances, and standards.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, the public, and City personnel.
• Physical ability and endurance to efficiently and effectively perform strenuous physical labor in threatening and stressful situations.
• Ability to obtain and maintain certifications and licensure as required by the position and the department.
• Ability to recognize and protect possible evidence at a fire scene and assist in determining origin and cause.
• Thorough knowledge of the uses, maintenance requirements, and locations of all firefighting and emergency equipment, tools, and apparatus used by the department.

Physical and working environment:

Significant physical demands typically found in heavy industry or construction work, and with significant exposure to workplace hazards. Position requires regular and frequent lifting, moving, bending, twisting, and turning. Significant and frequent exposure to disagreeable and environmental conditions which typically requires the use of extensive or specialized clothing and/or personal protective equipment is normal for the position.

All applications must have a resume attached in the Attachments section of the application. Applications that are not complete and do not have the required attachment will not be considered. Candidates are encouraged to attach copies of the following in the attachments section (please attach all documents as one PDF if possible):

• National Registry EMT-Paramedic License -or- State of Wisconsin EMT-Paramedic License
• State of Wisconsin Firefighter I and Firefighter II Certificates (or IFSAC accredited)
• NIMS-ICS 700 and NIMS-ICS 100 Certificates
• Hazardous Materials Operations Certificate
• Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Certificate

For candidates advancing in the recruitment process, the following steps may be involved up to the point of hire: written exam, oral interviews, writing sample, EMS skills check-off, background check, reference check, psychological evaluation, medical examination, and drug/alcohol screening.

Starting in 2025, an MOU was signed to approve a 1-year trial period for a new 48/96 schedule. The schedule of work is to be 48 hours On-duty, 96 hours Off (On-duty day begins at 6:45 a.m.). A 48-hour shift will be considered a swing. Each day will still count as an individual 24-hour period to coincide with current Labor Agreement language. This schedule change will be voted on at the end of 2025 to determine if this will become the standard work schedule. The on-duty week of all employees who perform firefighting duties shall be an average of not more than 56 hours per week. The normal schedule is: 1-On-duty, 1-Off, 1-On-duty, 1-Off, 1-On-duty, 4-Off. The on-duty day begins at 6:45 a.m. and ends the following day at 6:45 a.m. and consists of 24 hours.

The starting monthly salary for a Firefighter is $5080.42 per the current Wausau Firefighter Association Local 415, IAFF, AFL-CIO