The Firefighter Hiring Process

Th ere are currently more than 280,000 persons working as firefighters.  Ninety percent or about nine out of 10 work for municipal fire departments.  The one thing all of these firefighters have in common is that they had to go through a hiring process.

This process begins one of two ways.  Either you find openings for firefighters in the newspaper and decide to apply or you begin the process by obtaining an application with the hope that positions will open up in the near future.

In either case, the first big step is to obtain an application.  You can usually get an application and information about the exam and hiring process from your city's department of personnel or from your local fire department.  You might also be able obtain an application from your school guidance office, your local library or on the Internet.

The next step will be to take the written examination.  You can find comprehensive information about this test by clicking on the button labeled Written Examination. To give you some idea of how complex this test is, you are normally given two hours to complete it  and it will probably consist of about 100 multiple-choice questions. These questions will be designed to test your ability to understand spatial orientation, your powers of observation and memory, your knowledge of tools, your ability to read and understand written directions and so forth.

Assuming you score highly on the written exam, your next step in the hiring process will be an oral interview.  This interview is usually handled by a committee consisting of a fire chief, a representative of the city’s HR or personnel department, and several local business people who are experienced in the interview process. For more information on the oral interview, click on the button labeled The Interview.

Step three in the hiring process will be a physical fitness test. This test will include conditioning exercises, and what are known as engine work simulation tests. These are tests such as hose drag, hose carry upstairs, ladder work and ladder ascent and descent.  All of these simulation tests are usually done without pause and need to be completed within a set amount of time.

Next will be a background investigation followed by a psychological evaluation. The reason for this psychological evaluation is because of the hard work and danger involved in firefighting.  Firefighters work at great heights, in conditions of extreme confinement and in terrible weather.  Because of this, fire departments want to know that firefighter candidates are mentally capable of handling the stress in these types of situations.

The next-to-last step in the hiring process is usually a medical examination to rule out pre-existing conditionsThis exam is also as a baseline to detect fire service-related physical problems that may be found during the fire department’s annual or periodic medical examinations.  For more information on the generally accepted medical requirements for firefighters, take a look at the National Fire Protection Association Publication 1582, "Standard on Medical Requirements for Firefighters.”

The last step in the hiring process will be an interview with the fire chief.