Firefighter hiring, department by department
Every department runs its own process. Some use the CPAT, some use Biddle, some use their own physical test entirely. Some want you paramedic-certified before you apply; others hire you as an EMT and send you to medic school. These 24 guides break down each one — requirements, which tests they actually use, the real timeline, and what to prepare first.
Requirements and windows change. Always confirm against the department's own posting before you rely on anything here.
Southern California
Long Beach Fire
The Long Beach Fire Department fire recruit hiring process: FCTC written, Cal-JAC CPAT, EMT at conditional offer, the Ambulance Operator route, and how to prepare.
Los Angeles City Fire (LAFD)
The LAFD firefighter hiring process for 2026: requirements, the Firefighter Candidate Assessment, the Biddle (BPAT) physical test that replaced the CPAT, EMT rules, timeline, and how to prepare.
Los Angeles County Fire (LACoFD)
The LA County Fire (LACoFD) hiring process: the EMT and Paramedic Firefighter Trainee tracks, the 911 paramedic-experience requirement, CPAT, timeline, and how to prepare.
Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) firefighter hiring process: the Biddle physical test vs. CPAT, EMT requirements, the full 2026 timeline through academy, and how to prepare.
San Bernardino County Fire
The San Bernardino County Fire firefighter trainee hiring process: CPAT requirement, the paid 4-month academy, paramedic track pay, and how to prepare.
San Diego Fire-Rescue
The San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) fire recruit hiring process: EMT and CPAT requirements, preferred experience, academy pay, and how to prepare for each step.
Ventura County Fire
The Ventura County Fire Department hiring process: the Fire Control Worker wildland path, the Firefighter Trainee path, testing requirements, and how to prepare.
Northern California
Contra Costa Fire (Con Fire)
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District firefighter recruit hiring process: FCTC Statewide Eligibility List, EMT requirement, academy, and how to prepare.
Sacramento City Fire
The Sacramento Fire Department fire recruit hiring process: FCTC Statewide Eligibility List, EMT and paramedic tracks, the residency rule, and how to prepare.
Sacramento Metro Fire
The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter hiring process: FCTC eligibility, EMT and paramedic requirements, the recruit academy, and how to prepare.
San Francisco Fire (SFFD)
The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) H-2 firefighter hiring process: FCTC written test, CPAT, EMT requirements, the eligible list, salary range, and how to prepare.
San Jose Fire
The San Jose Fire Department firefighter recruit hiring process: FCTC Statewide Eligibility List, CPAT, EMT and paramedic requirements, pay after academy, and how to prepare.
Central California
Kern County Fire
The Kern County Fire Department firefighter trainee hiring process: online written test, CPAT, the academy and NREMT requirement, and how to prepare.
Statewide
CAL FIRE (statewide)
The CAL FIRE Firefighter I (FF1) hiring process: seasonal work, the training categories, required FFI academy and EMT certs, the November application window, and how to prepare.
Arizona
Phoenix Fire
The Phoenix Fire Department firefighter recruit hiring process for 2026: online testing, CPAT and EMT deadlines, salary ranges, and how to prepare for each step.
Tucson Fire
The Tucson Fire Department firefighter recruit hiring process: written exam weighting, oral board, CPAT, EMT rules, salary, and how to prepare for each step.
Nevada
Clark County Fire
The Clark County Fire Department (Las Vegas) firefighter recruit hiring process: written test, the Candidate Ability Test, paramedic preference, salary, and preparation.
Las Vegas Fire & Rescue
The Las Vegas Fire & Rescue firefighter trainee hiring process: CPAT window, written test, Nevada or NREMT certification at offer, and how to prepare.
Colorado
Colorado Springs Fire
The Colorado Springs Fire Department fire trainee hiring process: NTN FireTEAM score, CPAT at testing and offer, the EMT-B requirement, and how to prepare.
Denver Fire
The Denver Fire Department entry-level firefighter process: Civil Service Commission application, NTN written test, CPAT, EMT and vision requirements, and preparation.
South Metro Fire Rescue
The South Metro Fire Rescue (Colorado) hiring process: FireTEAM test, CPAT, the 21+ age rule, paramedic hiring, the 16-week academy, and how to prepare.
Washington
Seattle Fire
The Seattle Fire Department firefighter hiring process: civil service exam via NTN FireTEAM, EMT rules, the physical ability test, near-$100K starting salary, and prep.
Oregon
Portland Fire & Rescue
The Portland Fire & Rescue entry-level firefighter process: NTN FireTEAM, Public Safety Self-Assessment, CPAT window, Oregon EMT rules, and how to prepare.
New Mexico
Albuquerque Fire Rescue
The Albuquerque Fire Rescue cadet hiring process: CPAT certificate, written exam, pack test, structured oral interview, salary steps, and how to prepare.
The Firefighter Hiring Roadmap
Every step from where you are now to a badge — certs, the written, the CPAT, the oral board, background, academy — with the honest timeline for each. Written by a working Firefighter/Paramedic. We'll email you the guide and the occasional hiring-window heads-up. Unsubscribe in one click.
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