Career Opportunity

Pilot of Fire Boats - Fire Department (H120)

Recruitment: REF53917K

Published: October 17, 2025

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

• 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
• Full-time
• Exam Type: Class Based Test
• Eligible List Type: Entrance
• Certification Rule: Rule of Ten
• Fill Type: Permanent Civil Service
• Work Hours: 24-hour Watches
• Job Code and Title: H120-Pilot of Fire Boats

Company Description

Application Opening – October 17, 2025
Application Deadline – October 31, 2025

Compensation Range: $201,578.00 Yearly
Recruitment ID: C00359

Established in 1866, the San Francisco Fire Department is rich in tradition and history. From the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 to the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989, the Department has grown to meet the many challenges along the way. Today, the San Francisco Fire Department serves an estimated 1.5 million people, providing fire suppression, fire prevention and emergency medical services to the residents, visitors and workers within San Francisco's 49 square miles.

Role description

Under general supervision is responsible for the safe piloting and navigation of a fire boat in response to fire alarms, emergency incidents, public service activities, training, and other activities requiring the support or services of the vessel; maintains the vessel’s equipment in top operational condition; keeps up-to-date logs and other records in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations; ensures that personnel aboard the fire boat adhere to safety standards; and performs other related duties as required.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

An H120 Pilot of Fire Boats is distinguished from H110 Marine Engineer in that the H120 is responsible for piloting and navigating the fire boat, and the H110 is responsible for the mechanical and electrical systems, and engine room of the fire boat.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

Supervises boat crew.

Major, Important, and Essential Duties

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

1. Operates the vessel’s pilot house and bridge equipment while responding to an emergency or service, or in preparation to get underway.
2. Takes the helm, gives engine orders, and operates propulsion controls, radar, compass, radio, and other communications and navigation equipment.
3. Navigates the fire boat in all weather conditions and at all hours of the day in response to all calls requiring fire boat support and services.
4. Participates in fire suppression duties as necessary and practicable.
5. Maneuvers fire boats in position to enable crew members’ maximum effectiveness to fight fires and protect life and property.
6. Takes effective damage control measures to save personnel and equipment in case of casualty or emergency caused by collision, grounding, foundering, explosion, or fire.
7. Inspect fire boats and equipment and performs or arranges for required maintenance of a variety of deck and navigation equipment.
8. Participates in cleaning, scaling and painting duties, performs minor repairs and alterations to topside areas, holds, and deck equipment.
9. Maintains up-to-date log books and other records in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.
10. Ensures all personnel aboard the fire boat adhere to safety standards.
11. Participates in inspections of occupied and unoccupied buildings and other structures in the area of the San Francisco Bay for fire suppression planning purposes.

How to qualify

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.  Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

This selection process is open to individuals meeting all of the minimum qualifications listed below at the time of application filing. 

 Education:

A high school diploma or an equivalency certificate (e.g., G.E.D., California High School Proficiency Certificate)

Experience:

10 years verifiable experience as master aboard commercial vessels.

    One year of experience [2080 hours] within the last two years as master aboard commercial      vessels.

License and Certification:

1. Possession of a current license of 500 gross tons issued by the United States Coast Guard in any of the following categories:
   1. “Master’s license valid for ocean, coastwise, or inland”
   2. “Master Freight and Tow”
   3. “Master (Operator), Un-inspected Towing Vessels”
2. Above license must include radar endorsement.
3. Pass federally mandated random drug screening. 

Desirable Qualifications

The stated desirable qualifications may be used to identify job finalists at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring.

1. Recent experience maintaining and operating vessels on the San Francisco Bay and in its tributaries.
2. Recent experience operating tugboats and/or fireboats.

A completed application must be submitted by the final filing date. Applicants are encouraged to file immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than October 31, 2025.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of: navigation rules and regulations; safety procedures in hazardous conditions; seamanship; nautical terms; applicable piloting and navigation instructions and directives; operational and tactical maneuvering of fire boats during emergency response; aids and hazards of navigation in the Bay; depths of water in the Bay; characteristics of local waters, tides, currents, winds, weather, and general hydrographs; locations of all berths, anchorages, and other facilities in the area of the San Francisco Bay; local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the operation of vessels in the Bay, ocean, and inland waters; use and care of a fire boat navigation system; Fire Department communications system related to fire boat operations; fire boat command structure and how it relates to the Incident Command System; sources of information relating to laws, rules, and regulations affecting navigation of vessels in the Bay; objectives, principles, and practices of waterfront pre-fire planning; Fire Department organizational functions, rules, regulations, and procedures; and principles of supervision and training.

Ability or Skill to: Effectively operate and maneuver a fire boat in emergency situations in all types of weather and at all hours of the day; work effectively with others; properly and effectively use Fire Department equipment; think quickly and use good judgment in making decisions under stressful circumstances or under adverse situations; communicate effectively both orally and in writing to members of the department, the public, or representatives of other agencies; establish and maintain good working relations with employees and the general public; complete all necessary reports, correspondence, and documentation as required in the performance of assigned duties (e.g., journal entries, log books, etc.); navigate a fire boat using radar, radios, signal equipment, etc.

VERIFICATION:

A copy of the current valid license issued by the United States Coast Guard must be received in by 4:00 PM on November 03, 2025. The verification must be submitted by email to DHR_publicsafety@sfgov.org [specify H120 in the subject line]. Applicants who do not submit the verification by the deadline may be disqualified.

Candidates who are listed on the eligible list, but do not yet have radar endorsement, will be placed under waiver on the list and will not be eligible for consideration for hire until such time as radar endorsement has been submitted.

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Selection Process

Note: Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed to advance through all of the steps in the selection process.

Additional selection processes may be conducted by the hiring department prior to making final hiring decisions. Pending the availability of permanent positions, candidates may be offered the option of working a limited number of shifts on an as-needed basis.

Each qualified applicant’s application and supplemental questionnaire may be reviewed by Subject Matter Experts with regard to how well the applicant’s experience matches the requirements of the position. Those candidates whose experience is determined to most closely match the requirements of the position will be invited to participate in a performance exercise. Possession of the minimum qualifications does not guarantee advancement in the process, and the decision of the screening committee is final.

Qualified applicants will be notified by mail of the exact date, time, and location of the performance exercise approximately 30 days in advanced prior to test administration. Candidates must successfully complete the performance exercise to receive a final score.

Performance Test (100%): The performance exercise will be designed to measure knowledge areas and abilities including, but not limited to the following:  knowledge of navigation rules and regulations; knowledge of safety procedures in hazardous conditions; knowledge of nautical terms; knowledge of applicable piloting and navigation instructions and directives; knowledge of the operation and tactical maneuvering of fireboats during emergency and non-emergency operations; knowledge of the aids and hazards to navigation in the Bay; knowledge of the depths of water in the Bay; knowledge of the characteristics of local waters, tides, currents, winds, weather, and general hydrographs; knowledge of the locations of all berths, anchorages, and other facilities in the area of the Bay; knowledge of local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to the operation of vessels in the Bay, the ocean, and inland waters; knowledge of compass errors; knowledge of the use and care of the fireboat navigation system; knowledge of sources of information relating to laws, rules, and regulations affecting the navigation of vessels in the Bay; knowledge of the principles of supervision and training; ability to effectively operate and maneuver fireboat in emergency situations in all types of weather and at all hours of the day; ability to work effectively with others; ability to properly and effectively use Fire Department equipment; ability to think quickly and use good judgment in making decisions under stressful circumstances; ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing to Department members, members of the public, and personnel from other agencies; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with other employees and the general public; ability to efficiently complete all necessary reports, correspondence, and documentation as required in the performance of assigned duties; ability navigating a fireboat using radar, radios, signal equipment, etc., ability to attach to and tow a vessel in distress; and ability to operate a vessel with draft restrictions.

Certification

In accordance with Civil Service Rule 313.3.4, the certification rule to be used for the eligible list will be Rule of Ten.

Eligible List

The eligible list resulting from this test is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this selection process will be two years and may be extended to one additional year with the approval of the Director of Human Resources.

Notes

1. This announcement is issued in accordance with Civil Service Rule 310. Civil Service Rules 310, 311 and 312 relate to Class-Based Testing for the City and County of San Francisco. They specify announcement, application and examination policies and procedures, including applicant appeal rights. These rules can be obtained at https://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

What else should I know?

Terms of Announcement:

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. Clerical errors may be corrected by posting the correction on the Department of Human Resources website at www.jobaps.com/sf.

The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 310.3, provided that such appeal is submitted in writing in the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Go to http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules for more information on applicable appeal rights and submission requirements under the Civil Service Rules, and for Civil Service Rules, policies and procedures on announcements, applications and examinations.

All test procedures are subject to the Civil Service Commission Rules, Volume III, Uniformed Ranks of the San Francisco Fire Department and are available at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules and the policies and procedures of the Department of Human Resources.

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

HOW TO APPLY

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses @sfgov.org and @smartrecruiters.com.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Crystal Cervantes, at Crystal.Cervantes@sfgov.org.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.