JOB SUMMARY This is a Full-time/ hourly position. An Airport Operations Technician is considered essential to Airport operations and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and is subject to work weekends, evenings, holidays and on-call shifts as necessary to maintain the safe and continuous operation of the airport in compliance with Airport policies, local, state, and federal rules and regulations. This position reports directly to the Operations Supervisor or Airport Manager in his/her absence.
Performs a variety of skilled tasks in the maintenance, operations, and ARFF safety functions of a Class 1 Commercial Service Airport, including custodial duties in the Airport Terminal.
Skills; Mechanical background, electrical experience, able to operate heavy equipment, attention to detail, dependable, and a team player. Some office work is required.
Work Hours
Variable hours subject to Air Carrier flight schedules per Airport Manager. Four (4) ten (10) hour shifts per week is the norm.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Responsible for ARFF and Airport Operations duties
Functions as an effective team member, is able to work without direct supervision
Assists staff to accomplish tasks as assigned
Must be able to pass the 40-hour ARFF Basic Certification Course, including Live Fire Training, and maintain yearly recurrency requirements for the ARFF Certification within one month of hire. No prior ARFF or firefighting experience is required.
Probationary Period: 4 months. Must be able to be trained in accordance with Part 139 required subjects within 4 months of hire.
Must agree to and sign the SAN LUIS VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT (ALS) AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) TRAINING AGREEMENT before beginning employment. For a copy of the agreement, please email your request to humanresources@alamosacounty.org
Maintains a state of readiness for emergency response by:
Inspecting and maintaining firefighting equipment.
Training physically and mentally for emergency preparedness.
Operates various airport equipment and identifies any maintenance needs and repairs equipment as needed
Self-driven, able to identify and resolve safety and maintenance issues without oversight
Responds to aircraft emergencies upon notification and performs aircraft rescue and firefighting during emergency incidents for general and commercial aviation aircraft.
Treats individuals in medical emergencies as first responder.
Must be able to work effectively at any time of the day or night (Emergencies and Snow Events)
Works rotating shifts, weekdays, weekends, holidays, or on-call as needed
Responds to after-hours call outs such as snow removal, security concerns and tenant concerns
Measures, records and reports airfield conditions, by use of the Federal NOTAM system
Conducts daily airport self-inspections for FAA part 139 and TSA part 1542 compliance
Carries Unicom radio, 2-way radio, and airport duty phone on person during work hours or on-call
Uses effective verbal communication to relay location and surface conditions to aircraft/pilots
Interacts and effectively communicates with contractors, consultants, coworkers, airport tenants and all interested stakeholders
Assists the Airport Operations Supervisor in maintaining the Airport Certification Manual to ensure compliance with part 139 regulations
Assists with preparations for FAA 139 annual safety inspections
Maintains and repairs all airport facilities and surfaces as required
Operates Snow Removal Equipment (SRE) including but not limited to snow plows, sweepers, rotary snow plows, and spreaders
Operates heavy equipment on the airport including tractors, mowers, backhoes, loaders, etc.
Applies herbicides to maintain the Air Operations Area (AOA) and airport property landscapes
Monitors airfield and airspace for compliance with 14 CFR part 77 (obstructions to navigable airspace)
Monitors airfield construction, weather conditions, wildlife activity to maintain a safe operating environment
Closes and opens aircraft movement areas as conditions warrant through the Federal NOTAM system
Performs a variety of tasks such as painting, carpentry, electrical, and asphalt repair
Performs routine maintenance of vehicles and equipment
Repairs and maintains all runway and taxiway lighting systems
Participates in Airport exercises, including the Triennial Emergency Full Scale Exercise and TSA AVSEC
General building custodial duties of the Airport Terminal
Computer skills including record keeping is essential to this position
Reads and interprets facility drawings and blueprints
Creates and interprets Airport Work Orders
Competent in the operation of tablets and smart phones
Adheres to part 139 regulations and policies, creates reports, updates documents, daily logs, and reviews FAA advisory circulars and cert alerts
May have duties and responsibilities in one or more core programs such as equipment coordinator, wildlife coordinator, inventory coordinator, NAVAID coordinator, etc.
Other duties as assigned by Airport Operations Supervisor or Airport Manager
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Must be eligible for or already possess ARFF certification and must maintain the physical ability to perform ARFF duties while employed as an Airport Rescue Fire Fighter; this includes the ability to lift and move 75 pounds. ARFF training is paid for by the Airport
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Certification within six months of employment or depending on training course availability
High School Diploma or equivalent
Computer/word processing to include MS-Word, Excel & PowerPoint
CO Driver’s License
Possession of, or ability to obtain Basic and Advanced Airport Safety and Operations Specialist (ASOS) Certificates or ACE Operations Certification from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) within 2 years of employment
Ability to learn and pass all required ICS/NIMS training including IS100 and IS700
Knowledge:
Willingness to learn and train on a constant basis to improve aviation knowledge and professionalism; willingness to take paid training courses that may involve travel
Ability to learn Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) techniques and procedures
Ability to learn emergency first-aid techniques and procedures
Skills:
Attention to detail is essential
Record keeping
Good customer service skills and positive attitude
Operate hand tools, power tools, and mechanical equipment in a safe and efficient manner
Effective written communication skills
Time management skills, able to meet time sensitive deadlines
Participates in Airport exercises, including the Triennial Emergency Full Scale Exercise and TSA AVSEC
General building custodial duties of the Airport Terminal
Computer skills including record keeping is essential to this position
Reads and interprets facility drawings and blueprints
Creates and interprets Airport Work Orders
Competent in the operation of tablets and smart phones
Adheres to part 139 regulations and policies, creates reports, updates documents, daily logs, and reviews FAA advisory circulars and cert alerts
May have duties and responsibilities in one or more core programs such as equipment coordinator, wildlife coordinator, inventory coordinator, NAVAID coordinator, etc.
Other duties as assigned by Airport Operations Supervisor or Airport Manager
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Must be eligible for or already possess ARFF certification and must maintain the physical ability to perform ARFF duties while employed as an Airport Rescue Fire Fighter; this includes the ability to lift and move 75 pounds. ARFF training is paid for by the Airport
Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Certification within six months of employment or depending on training course availability
High School Diploma or equivalent
Computer/word processing to include MS-Word, Excel & PowerPoint
CO Driver’s License
Possession of, or ability to obtain Basic and Advanced Airport Safety and Operations Specialist (ASOS) Certificates or ACE Operations Certification from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) within 2 years of employment
Ability to learn and pass all required ICS/NIMS training including IS100 and IS700
Knowledge:
Willingness to learn and train on a constant basis to improve aviation knowledge and professionalism; willingness to take paid training courses that may involve travel
Ability to learn Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) techniques and procedures
Ability to learn emergency first-aid techniques and procedures
Skills:
Attention to detail is essential
Record keeping
Good customer service skills and positive attitude
Operate hand tools, power tools, and mechanical equipment in a safe and efficient manner
Effective written communication skills
Time management skills, able to meet time sensitive deadlines
Abilities:
Ability to read and interpret all instructions and manuals such as procedural manuals and safety
manuals
Ability to take initiative to and to accomplish all assigned tasks
Ability to prioritize tasks and to adjust to changing priorities
Ability to work unsupervised
Other Requirements:
Background check and drug screening required
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (not mandatory)
Preferred Education and Experience:
Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) Certification
IFSAC Firefighter certification preferred
Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, or Technical School preferred
Certified Mechanic, Licensed Electrician, Certified Welder or related experience is beneficial
Airport or aviation experience preferred (airport management/operations, airline, pilot experience)
FAA Part 139 Airport Operations or related experience
Heavy Equipment operating experience
Building Maintenance or Construction experience
Experience in grounds maintenance, automotive/equipment maintenance, electrical, welding
Commercial Driver’s License
Preferred Knowledge:
Airport Operations, ARFF, and aviation
14 CFR Part 139 Regulations
Basic building maintenance
Basic equipment maintenance
Basic vehicle maintenance
Preventative maintenance techniques
Preferred Skills:
Ability to operate radio equipment and clearly communicate
Preferred Abilities:
Ability to type 20 WPM
WORK CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT
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. Requires 24-hour, 7-day on call status. Rotating shifts, nights, weekends and holidays can be expected. Moderate to heavy physical requirements needed for ARFF, snow removal and grounds maintenance, including fencing, roadways, taxiways, lighting, runways and ramps. Ability to maneuver uneven terrain. Duties performed in all types of weather conditions, extreme cold, hot temperatures, high winds. Position requires the ability to operate a computer keyboard and standard office equipment at efficient speed. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls, and to reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to sit, talk, walk, stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, see, and hear. Hearing and vision correctable to normal ranges; close-up vision and the ability to adjust focus across a distance. The employee is required to communicate both orally and in writing. Employee must be able to reach and manipulate objects, tools or controls, drive, frequently lift up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds.
Employee must be able to work in the noisy environment of an airport.
The San Luis Valley Regional Airport (KALS) is a Part 139, Class 1, Commercial Service Airport located in south-central Colorado, located approximately 1.5 miles south of downtown Alamosa. The airport serves a variety of essential roles including GA aircraft operations, full service FBO, airline service, air ambulance service, air cargo, avionics repair, agricultural aircraft, charter operations, aerial firefighting support, and flight training. The airport is owned by the City and County of Alamosa and operated by the County of Alamosa. Home to the Great Sand Dunes National Park; located in the majestic and beautiful San Luis Valley.