Rincon City Council has approved the job description for a full-time firefighter but is holding off on approving a job description for a full-time chief.

Council members have approved the job descriptions for two full-time firefighters, to work on a 24/48-hour schedule and current Fire Chief Corey Rahn said response to the ads for the positions has been strong.

Among the duties outlined for the full-time firefighter are inspecting commercial and residential properties for fire hazards, participates in fire drills in hospitals, schools and other high-risk structures. He also will service, clean and test firefighting equipment and property to ensure proper working order.

He also will interact with the city’s volunteer firefighters and the candidates are asked to have three to five years of experience, along with a Class B license.

“Once we get it staffed, then we’ll look at having rookies,” Chief Rahn said. “We’re starting from scratch and we need to bring them on board, ready to work.”

Council members, on Rahn’s request, tabled approving the job description for a full-time chief.

“I want to see how we’re going to merge volunteers with paid staff,” Rahn said.

The city has about 35 volunteers, and council members will hold a workshop Sept. 19 with the fire department.

Rincon firefighters also have been much busier this year than last, according to Rahn. They had been on 840 calls as of Monday, exceeding last year’s total of 660.

“And we’ve still got three and a half months to go,” Rahn said.