Position Overview

The University of Kansas (KU) is a member of The American Association of Universities and is classified as a Research University I by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Research. As a center for scholarship and research, KU has 29,000 students and 2,000 faculty members at its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, the KU Edwards campus in Overland Park, the Medical Center in Kansas City and a branch medical school campus in Wichita. For more information, please visit the University's website at www.ku.edu .

KU Professional & Continuing Education, headquartered on the Edwards campus, operates in a self-supporting business environment while aligning with KU's academic, research and public service missions. With a staff of approximately 100 in three locations, 1000 education events are offered annually to more than 50,000 students. Professional & Continuing Education works collaboratively with all KU academic schools and departments to provide outreach programming. Professional & Continuing Education programs serve all 105 Kansas counties, 50 U.S. states, and 49 countries. Types of programs provided are research conferences, post graduate continuing education, professional certification, workforce and economic development, state and local government, law enforcement, and fire and rescue training.

The Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute is a unit of KU Professional and Continuing Education. Housed on the Lawrence campus, the Institute was created by the Kansas legislature to train Kansas firefighters in 1949. The Institute serves fire departments and firefighters through a traveling instruction service that provides 500 training events per year potentially reaching every community and every county in Kansas.

This position report directly to the Institute s Director.


Job Description

45% - Coordinate activities related to training requests for technical rescue training, coordinate instructor assignment and coordinate course deliveries.

• Accept training requests from the 650 Kansas fire departments and private sector clients related to technical rescue training.
• Communicate with fire departments, out-of-state and private sector clients, coordinating dates and support for classes with the clients, and scheduling/coordinating the use of props in a manner that ensures smooth operations with minimal conflicts of schedule. A typical training year includes 100-200 deliveries/events. These duties extend beyond simple coordination to include decisions that impact client satisfaction, selecting the most appropriate use of resources, containment of costs for delivery, and allocation of limited resources to the most critical needs measured against the Institute's mission and limited funds.
• Identify, select, train, coordinate and authorize pay and travel expense reimbursement for contract instructors within the Technical Rescue training program.
• Many of the courses assigned to this position require the support of Institute-owned semi-trailers, semi-tractors and semi drivers. Related activities (schedule, driver assignment, etc.) require coordination with/through the Institute's Training & Transportation Manager for smooth operations. Inadequate coordination and cooperation results in equipment not being ready for the training, drivers not being assigned, course cancellation and customer dissatisfaction.
• Maintain a schedule for the delivery of 100-200 technical rescue training events annually.
• Negotiate and prepare proposals for courses meeting the criteria for fee-based deliveries (out-of-state and private sector clients). These proposals include all delivery elements and a cost/fee estimate and require approval of the Director.

20% - Serve as the lead instructor for selected multi-instructor events.

• This position is responsible for identifying courses that will require direct instructional support from the Institute's full-time staff. In those events (approximately 30 courses per year), this position will assume the lead instructor role. This role includes direct oversight of up to 4 assistant instructors, coordination of activities at local event, and the responsibility to manage all aspects of the course delivery (including costs, supervision, classroom presentations, skills training sessions and appropriate use of the Institute owned training props/equipment).
• Routinely inspect vehicles, trailers and equipment for maintenance needs and identify the appropriate level of maintenance needed. This task includes performing "user maintenance" (cleaning, restocking supplies, minor repairs to trailers and props) for all trailers, props and equipment used in this program. Higher-level maintenance is coordinated with the Training and Transportation Manager. Higher-level maintenance is defined as normal maintenance of semi-tractors, modification or repair of structural components of trailer and props, and other items that require special and/or technical skills.

15% - Serve as the technical expert for new course development and revision of existing courses in the Technical Rescue program area.

• Perform subject matter expert functions for new and revised courses within the Technical Rescue training program. This task is performed as part of a team project where the Institute's Curriculum Developer takes the written technical narrative developed by this position and places it into the Institute's adopted curriculum format. Jointly, the team develops objectives and other support material for the course.

10% - Develop and teach Train-the-Trainer courses for the Technical Rescue training program.

• Teach "train-the-trainer" courses through which the instructor cadre is qualified to teach courses within the Technical Rescue training program. The sole purpose of this type of event is instructor training.
  • Ensure new instructors understand the professional training standard of the Institute and set the expectations for representing the Institute and the University at training events.
  • Provide strategies for instructing a wide variety of clients, including professional firefighters in major metropolitan areas and volunteer firefighters in small, rural counties.
  • Train instructors on the proper use of the course materials, training equipment and any training props (typically these are Institute owned and built in a semi-trailer configuration) required of the course.

5% Equipment Maintenance

• This position is responsible for maintaining the inventory and maintenance for all technical rescue training equipment owned by the Institute. Specific duties related to this requirement are:
• Monitor maintenance needs of semi-tractors and trailers used in this program.
• Coordinate with the manager of Firefighter Training and Fleet Management for motor pool or other vendor performed maintenance.
• Perform or schedule all user-performed maintenance on assigned tools and equipment.
• Monitor condition of trailers and equipment and make recommendations to the Director on replacement or repair.
• Manage maintenance, repairs, scheduling, delivery and retrieval of all vehicle/trailer mounted training props assigned to this program.
• Drive semi-tractor/trailer to local training events. This duty will require obtaining and maintaining a commercial driver's license.

5% Other duties as assigned

• Perform other duties assigned at the discretion of the Director.

Required Qualifications

• High School diploma and seven years experience conducting/providing fire service training or a Bachelor's degree and three years experience conducting/providing fire service training.
• National Certification as a Fire Service Instructor I.
• National Certification as a Fire Fighter I.
• Kansas Class A Commercial Driver's License with a Hazardous Materials Endorsement or the ability to obtain this license within four months.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in the position's area of responsibility through national certifications and/or professional experience.

Position Requirements:

Considerable in-state and limited out-of-state travel is required in this position. Travel related to this position may be required from one to five days per week. This position is routinely required to work a non-traditional schedule (including evenings and weekends).

Persons in this position will be required to participate in live fire training exercises. Successful candidates must be physically capable of performing firefighting functions, including requirements related to the use of and fit testing into Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus as per Kansas Department of Labor regulations. Lifting of heavy materials and training props up to 100 pounds is required in this position. Successful candidates must be capable of lifting and moving teaching kits, firefighting equipment and setting up training props.

Critical thinking skills and the ability to quickly adapt new concepts and technical fire service information into new and existing courses is required. Employees need to be facilitators, leaders, instructors and have a high level of empathy for the challenges of the modern fire service. As a State Fire Training organization, the Institute is expected to help lead change in the fire service through training and education. Employees of the Institute must demonstrate a customer-friendly attitude, flexibility, and a strong desire to help keep the Kansas fire service well trained/educated and highly skilled.


Preferred Qualifications

• National Certification as a Hazardous Materials Technician and Fire Officer I
• National Certification in multiple Technical Rescue disciplines as per NFPA 1006
• State of Kansas license as an EMT or Paramedic (certification/license from another state or national certification also meets this preferred qualification)
• 3 years' experience in a state fire training system as a part-time or full-time instructor
• 10 years of progressive fire service experience (including the training experience cited in the required qualifications section)
• Demonstrated understanding of National Fire Fighter Certification systems, certification requirements and the relationship between National Certification and Training.

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