Fire Captain Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Description Intent This recruitment process will establish an eligibility list that current and future vacancies may be filled during the next 24 months. The eligibility list may be extended for up to one year by the Fire District Board. Our District is looking for quality individuals to participate in a customer service, employee empowered organization.

Bring your good work ethic and positive teamwork to make a contribution to our District. We are seeking motivated individuals who are committed to excellence, collaboration, and public service. If you possess a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a dedication to teamwork, we encourage you to apply and promote in an organization that values employee empowerment and exceptional service to our community.

Who We Are Our members take pride in serving the community with professionalism, integrity, and respect. As a progressive organization, we are focused on preparing for tomorrow by fostering leadership, enhancing skills through training, and working collaboratively to meet the diverse and evolving needs of our residents. What We Do The Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District is dedicated to protecting life, property, and the environment throughout the City of Lathrop and the surrounding rural communities of both Lathrop and Manteca.

Serving approximately 46,000 residents from five strategically located fire stations, the District provides a comprehensive range of emergency response and public safety services to a growing and diverse community. In 2025, District personnel responded to more than 4,200 calls for service. Our members are committed to delivering exceptional service with professionalism, integrity, compassion, and pride.

The District values its employees and fosters a culture of servant leadership, accountability, teamwork, and continuous professional development. To ensure the highest level of service, our firefighters receive advanced training and are equipped with state-of-the-art apparatus, equipment, and technology. District personnel respond to fires, technical rescues, medical emergencies, dive incidents, hazardous materials events, and natural disasters with skill and efficiency.

The District also maintains specialized response capabilities through its Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Dive Rescue and Recovery, and Hazardous Materials Teams. As an approved Advanced Life Support (ALS) provider within San Joaquin County, the District delivers enhanced emergency medical services to the communities it serves. Through innovation, preparedness, and a commitment to excellence, the Lathrop-Manteca Fire Protection District continues to meet the evolving public safety needs of its residents while preparing for the challenges of the future.

The Fire Captain Position: A Fire Captain is a sworn public safety officer responsible for the leadership, supervision, and operational readiness of a single fire station and company. Serving as the first-line supervisor, the Fire Captain directs and evaluates assigned personnel, including Engineers, Firefighters, and Reserve Firefighters, while fostering a culture of professionalism, accountability, and teamwork. The position plays a critical role in ensuring personnel are properly trained, equipped, and prepared to deliver high-quality emergency and non-emergency services to the community.

In addition to supervising daily station operations, Fire Captains respond to emergency incidents and assume Incident Command in the absence of a Chief Officer. They are responsible for making strategic decisions under pressure, directing emergency resources, ensuring firefighter and public safety, and coordinating effective incident mitigation efforts. Fire Captains also perform a variety of administrative duties, including personnel development, performance management, report writing, budget input, policy implementation, and community engagement, while upholding the District's mission, values, and commitment to service excellence.

Under general supervision from their assigned Battalion Chief, the Fire Captain supervises and directs the activities of those career and volunteer / reserve personnel in the employ of the Lathrop - Manteca Fire Protection District (District) assigned to a particular station or assignment in fire suppression, emergency rescue, fire inspections, fire investigations, and training activities. In addition, the Fire Captain has command responsibilities at the scene of an emergency in the absence of a Chief Officer. The Fire Captain participates in customer service activities and is responsible for overall management of the Fire Station / Engine Company including training and supervision of personnel.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS: A Fire Captain is a sworn, public safety officer classification responsible for supervision of a single fire station / company. The supervisory nature of the Fire Captain's duties include being responsible for supervising, training, organizing and evaluating lower-level District fire personnel, commanding a site and incident and performing ongoing supervisory and administrative duties. This classification is distinguished from Battalion Chief in that Fire Captains are responsible for a single station and company whereas a Battalion Chief is responsible for an entire shift.

Incumbents receive direction from a Battalion Chief and exercise supervision over Engineers, Firefighters and at times, Volunteer / Reserve Firefighters. SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED AUTHORITY EMPOWERMENT: Receives direction and supervision from a Battalion Chief or higher-ranking officer. Exercises immediate, technical, and functional supervision of subordinate staff including career and reserve personnel.

As Incident Commander, exercise immediate supervision of all resources necessary to mitigate emergency until/unless relieved by a Chief Officer. Examples of Duties ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (include but are not limited to the following) Examples of Typical Duties: Respond to calls for service and assume Incident Command in the absence of a Chief Officer by directing the activities of company personnel, direct and request additional resources, perform a size-up, evaluate safety concerns and develop tactics to safely and effectively command an incident; Develop and prepares high-quality, well-written and logical communications and reports, and provide well-considered, engaging, and responsive presentations as requested; Supervise, train, counsel, and evaluate station personnel, mediate disputes among personnel, provide specific guidance or disciplinary action to resolve disputes and ensure operational readiness; Actively promote the District's focus on effective and respectful communications to build better work relationships at all levels in the organization; Monitor and ensure cleanliness, orderliness, operation, health and safety and other maintenance needs are addressed for the stations, apparatus, equipment and grounds; Uphold and enforce District policy, procedures and rules, regulations ordinances and laws; Carry out the District's mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives in an effective and efficient manner; Plan, organize, direct, supervise and participate in the work assignments of fire personnel, including reserves, in an assigned company; Review and evaluate subordinates work for accuracy and completion to ensure compliance with District regulations and policy; provide coaching to employees to correct deficiencies; Ensure that all reports, forms, recommendations, requisitions, administrative procedures, and requests are accurately prepared and submitted timely or by an established deadline; Provide input for budget preparation; submit for needed equipment, supplies, programs; monitor and control expenditures; Establish and regularly measure performance expectations of assigned personnel. Make staff program managers aware of possible methods to increase station or District's operational efficiency and effectiveness; Instruct and drill assigned personnel in firefighting methods, techniques, and related subjects; Coordinate special projects as directed or assigned; Remain current with changes in education, technology, rules, regulations, and laws related to the work; and Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

*Note: This is an illustrative list - the omission of specific statement of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment. Typical Qualifications KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES/SKILLS: (The following are examples of the knowledge, abilities and skills necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.) Demonstrated Knowledge of: Principles, practices, and procedures of modern firefighting and emergency systems that may be utilized for the protection of lives and property. Fire Science and the Incident Command System (ICS) The operation and maintenance of various types of fire apparatus, equipment, tools, devices, and facilities used by the District Emergency medical service techniques, CPR, basic life support, rescue and resuscitation equipment and practices

Principles and practices of leadership and supervision, command principles of fire company officers, and hazardous materials procedures for company officers. Basic and advanced instructional techniques, fire cause and determination. Fire inspection practices and code enforcement.

The geographic layout of the District, names of streets and numbers, water main and hydrant locations, target hazards and the best routes of travel, District resources and external resources provided through mutual aid; Preparation of Pre-Incident Assessments, and how to assure that assigned personnel are fully aware of the elements of those assessments. Demonstrated Ability to: Plan, assign, and supervise the work of subordinates; Effectively interpret, explain, support and make decisions in accordance with rules, regulations, policies and procedures; Use apparatus radio, portable radio or cellular device to verbally or electronically community with the Dispatch Center, other stations, and personnel employing knowledge of District and regional radio procedures and policies. Lead personnel effectively and maintain discipline while working efficiently with other District supervisors, staff and support personnel; Work in confined spaces such as attic crawl spaces; Learn job related material through structured lecture and reading and through oral instruction and observation.

This learning takes place in both a classroom setting and in an on the job training setting; Communicate effectively in writing, orally, and with others to assimilate, understand and be understood, and convey information, in a manner consistent with job functions; Establish and maintain cooperative relationships with employees, supervisors, and the public; Assume personal responsibility for completing shared work tasks in cooperation with other members of a team living in a dormitory-like setting; Prepare complete and concise reports and make sound decisions while directing fire personnel at the scene of an emergency; Travel to different sites and work locations and work protracted and irregular hours; Conduct public education training for the community; Interpret and effectively apply local, state, and federal codes, laws, and regulations; Represent the District effectively and professionally in contacts with representatives of other agencies and the public; and Maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive information. Demonstrated Skills in: Apply rescue operations methods and techniques; Using and manipulating a variety of hand and power tools, medical equipment and instruments and apparatus; Basic keyboarding; and Operating a personal computer and/or tablet and appropriate worked-related applications, such as word processing, calendar, and e-mail systems, etc. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: (The following are minimal qualifications necessary for entry into the classification.) Experience and Training: Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities would be qualifying

A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills and abilities would be: Experience: Four (4) years of full-time suppression service with the Lathrop - Manteca Fire District in the classification of Firefighter and/or Engineer. At minimum, three (3) years of experience with the District at the rank of Engineer. Training: California Office of the State Fire Marshal Company Officer Certification or documentation that verifies successful completion of all Company Officer Certification courses as designated by the California State Fire Training division.

*Must obtain California State Fire Training Company Officer Certification within 12 months of appointment to successfully pass probation. Associates of Science Degree in Fire Science is highly desirable Required License and Certifications: Possession of or ability to obtain and maintain, a valid California driver license with a DMV Fire Endorsement and remain insurable on the District's insurance policy. Possess and maintain EMT certification or Paramedic License with the State and County EMS Agency.

Special Requirements: Incumbents in this class must have physical examinations performed at the interval indicated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lathrop - Manteca Firefighters Association and the District. Supplemental Information PHYSICAL, MENTAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING CONDITIONS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to perform duties requiring frequent pulling of 100 pounds or more, such as removing hose from apparatus, pulling ceilings, starting power equipment and opening doors on the apparatus; move heavy objects long distances of more than 20 feet; climb ladders, bend or stoop repeatedly or continually over time to perform emergency medical services, or perform duties on the fire ground; lift arms above shoulder level to cut vent holes with an axe or to force entry into automobiles using specialized tools; vision to read printed materials and a computer screen; hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone, radio and computer; use Self-Contained Breathing-Apparatus and protective clothing to prevent exposure to hazardous materials and infectious diseases; work for long periods of time, requiring sustained physical activity and intense concentration; rely on sense of sight, hearing, touch, and smell to help determine the nature of an emergency and make operational decisions. Mobility to work in a typical office setting or field enviro...