Firefighter Career Resources

Most departments require you to be at least 18 (some 21), a U.S. citizen or legal resident, hold a high school diploma or GED, and have a valid driver's license with a clean record. Vision, hearing, and a background check are standard.

Roughly 80% of fire calls are medical. An EMT-Basic certification is now a hiring requirement at most career departments and a major advantage everywhere else. Many community colleges offer it as a one-semester course.

The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) is the standard fitness exam used by most career departments. Practice stair climb with weight, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise, forcible entry, search, rescue drag, and ceiling breach.

Departments hire from ranked eligibility lists based on a written test covering reading comprehension, mechanical reasoning, math, and situational judgment. NTN, FireTEAM, and F3 are the most common test providers.

Some departments hire off the street and send you to their academy. Others require you to arrive with Firefighter I / II certification from a state-approved academy. Volunteer departments are one of the fastest ways to gain real experience.

Paramedic certification, an Associate's or Bachelor's in Fire Science, a CDL, and specialty certs (hazmat, technical rescue, wildland Red Card) all improve your hiring chances and set up long-term promotion.

Official & training

• National Fire Academy (FEMA) — free training
• NFPA — codes, standards & career info
• U.S. Fire Administration — becoming a firefighter
• CPAT — Candidate Physical Ability Test

Professional organizations

• IAFF — International Association of Fire Fighters
• IAFC — International Association of Fire Chiefs
• NVFC — National Volunteer Fire Council
• Women in Fire

Find open positions

• USAJobs — federal firefighter openings
• Make Me A Firefighter — recruitment matchmaker
• National Testing Network (NTN)
• FireCareers.com