Fire Apparatus Technician

About the role

This classification performs complex maintenance and repair of County-owned fire apparatus, including heavy-duty trucks over 1-ton, fire engines, fire aerial apparatus, and fire tractor-drawn aerials. The role provides lead guidance and training to less experienced Truck and Equipment Technicians.

Responsibilities

• Leads and coordinates daily work activities of assigned co-workers, conferring with supervisors to prioritize tasks and monitor work progress.
• Maintains familiarity with current National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) Standards, including NFPA 1900, 1910, and 1917.
• Inspects and tests truck systems such as drive train, engine, transmission, suspension, steering, brakes, electrical systems, hydraulics, HVAC, fire pumps, emergency lighting, radio systems, ladder racks, aerial apparatus stabilization, and emission systems.
• Completes or revises work orders for repairs, obtains parts, and updates records.
• Performs routine and complex repairs on trucks using diagnostic data, fault codes, and operator reports.
• Conducts preventive maintenance, including fluid checks, oil changes, filter replacements, lubrication, tire rotations, battery checks, and tune-ups.
• Rebuilds valves, repairs plumbing, auxiliary cooler systems, auxiliary transmissions, and pump priming systems.
• Determines material requirements, monitors inventory, and requests replacement parts or supplies.
• Operates machinery, power tools, hand tools, and vehicle-specific maintenance tool sets.
• Welds and fabricates parts, including broken components and replacement structures for trucks and heavy equipment.
• Occasionally travels out-of-state for vehicle design, inspections, and OEM/dealer-level training specific to fire apparatus, water pumps, and aerial systems.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED required, supplemented by vocational training.
• Five years of experience as an automobile technician or six years of progressive mechanical repair experience on vehicles.
• Must possess and maintain a valid Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with appropriate endorsement or Georgia Class E and F License.
• Required certifications: Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) T3 Drive Train, T4 Brakes, T5 Steering and Suspension, and EVT certification.

Physical Abilities

• Exerts heavy physical effort in heavy work, including climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling.
• Lifts, carries, pushes, or pulls moderately heavy objects (20-50 pounds); occasionally handles heavier objects (up to 100 pounds).
• Perceives and discriminates colors, sounds, odors, and visual cues or signals.
• Communicates orally.

Environmental Factors

• Exposure to adverse conditions such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, fumes, smoke, temperature extremes, hazardous materials, unsafe structures, confined spaces, machinery, or electric currents.