West Metro Fire Rescue

By: Briana Berzins&

Chris Martinez

Type of work

• Public Safety – Emergency

Preparedness– Community Education

• Going to schools to teach children about fire safety

– Public Service Work– Building Inspections

• Restaurant, Residential– Personal Development– Station and Apparatus

Maintenance• Taking care of the

trucks

Company MissionThe members of the district are committed to

providing professional Fire Protection, Emergency Medical Services, Life Safety, and Community Service with a vision

that shapes the future.

Doing the Right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

Requirements• Any potential Firefighter must

complete the following:– Written Exam– Physical Ability Test (PAT)– PAT Re-Test– Oral Boards– Score

Written Exam• Testing will be held at the West

Metro Fire Training Center, located at 3535 South Kipling in Lakewood, Colorado 80235.

• All individuals that have completed a successful application will be notified of there Written Exam test time via email.

• A VALID PHOTO ID IS REQUIRED.  Be sure to bring this to the Exam. 

•  There are no refunds.• Completed tests will be scored

and the applicants will be notified of their score on site.

Physical Ability Test (PAT)• All Reservations are confirmed via

email. NO CHANGES CAN BE MADE.

• All Applicants have a Transaction ID#.

• You will NOT be able to continue in the testing process without the following completed Releases and a Valid Photo ID:

– You will need to bring this Release of Liability form to the PAT (please put your Transaction # on your Release form).

– You will need to have the Physicians Release form completed by your physician to be able to participate in the PAT

– Bring a Valid Photo ID.

Oral Boards

• The oral boards are a structured oral interview. Members of the Oral Board panel are trained by a commercial testing company. 

• Oral Boards are generally held in August, for 1 to 2 weeks, with the potential of using weekend days.

• It is recommended that applicants dress in business casual or business attire

• Applicants will be invited by email• Applicants will be assigned a time and date

for their interview.– There will be NO RESCHEDULING

ALLOWED.– Late or No-Shows will be disqualified

from the process.

Hiring Requirements• Must be a U.S. citizen • Must be at least 18 years of age• High school diploma or GED

equivalency certificate• Must be able to speak, read, and write

the English language• State of Colorado EMT-Basic

Certification 30 days prior to date of hire

• Valid CPR Certification • Must have a valid driver’s license• Must have Colorado driver’s license

within 45 days of date of hire• Weight must be in proportion to height• Must be insurable by the District’s

insurance carrier at normal rate of insurance 

Hiring Requirements (cont.)• Far visual acuity: at least 20 / 30

binocular corrected with contact lenses or glasses; uncorrected shall be at least 20 / 100 binocular for wearers of hard contacts or glasses.) Successful long-term wearers of soft contact lens shall not be subject to the uncorrected criteria 

• Peripheral vision / visual field performance without correction shall be 140 degrees in the horizontal meridian of each eye 

• Veteran discharge record, DD214 Form, if applicable 

• Copy of vaccination records: MMR, Tetanus (TDap), Varicella (chicken pox), and Hepatitis B series 

• Must be a non-smoker and non-tobacco user at date of hire and thereafter 

Shifts and Staffing• West Metro Firefighters work a

48/96 hour shift. Fire fighters work two consecutive 24 hours shifts, followed by 96 hours off. 

• The 48/96 Schedule has recently gained support among fire departments across the United States because of the many benefits it provides its members. West Metro adopted the schedule in 2007 following a lengthy 2006 study of the pros and cons it might provide the District. West Metro’s experience with the 48/96 includes cost savings on staffing; reduced sick leave; and improved employee morale.

Salary• Firefighter Pay Scale

As of December 1, 2010, the annual starting salary range at West Metro Fire Rescue is from $43,398 to $66,766.Firefighter / Paramedic - $72,766

• Longevity PayAn additional 2%  of the hourly rate will be added to the base pay of each employee starting at the beginning of their fifth (5th), Tenth (10th), fifteenth (15th), twentieth (20), twenty-fourth (24th) years, and  twenty-ninth (29th) years of full-time employment. There is a maximum amount of compensation from longevity which is outlined in the Union Contract.

High School• West Metro Fire Rescue offers four

presentations for middle and high school students. These programs can be scheduled by completing the Request a Middle or High School Program form. 

Current programs include:• Math in the Fire Service• Kitchen Safety & Fire Extinguisher

Training• Forensics/ Arson Investigation• Fire Fighting as a Career• All programs are hands-on

classroom presentations conducted by a West Metro Firefighter. The presentation will be tailored to your classroom period length. There is no cost for the program.

More Information

• http://westmetrofire.org/• personnel@westmetrofire.org• West Metro Fire Rescue

433 S. Allison Pkwy.Lakewood, CO 80226Ph: (303) 989-4307

Bibliography

“West Metro Fire Protection District, CO." West Metro Fire Protection District,

CO. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://westmetrofire.org/>.