How to Get Hired at Albuquerque Fire Rescue: The Cadet Process
Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) protects New Mexico's largest city with roughly 760 firefighters across 22 stations, hiring numbered cadet classes through a sequential pass/fail pipeline — miss one element and you are out of that cycle. Here is the path and how to prepare. Confirm the current hiring schedule on the official site, cabq.gov/fire.
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When does Albuquerque Fire Rescue open applications?
Closed Checked : Open enrollment for the 107th Cadet Class ran June 12 to September 4, 2026. That academy runs March 8 to July 9, 2027.
AFR opens enrollment once per cadet class and runs its own written exam, then structured orals and the Chief's selection. The 107th class required an NM CPAT dated within six months before the document deadline.
| Posting | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Firefighter Cadet, 107th Cadet Class | Jun 12, 2026 | Sep 4, 2026 |
Get told when it opens: Sign up for AFR's open-enrollment notification. · Official recruitment page: cabq.gov
Basic requirements
- 18 or older with a high school diploma or equivalent
- A valid driver's license
- A valid CPAT certificate
- New Mexico EMT licensure is earned through AFR's academy — cadets train to EMT-Basic at minimum
The selection process
- Apply during the posted cadet-class window — AFR publishes a hiring schedule for each numbered class (the 107th cadet class enrolled in 2026 for a 2027 academy).
- Written examination — pass/fail gate.
- Pack test — a weighted work-capacity hike, on top of the CPAT certificate requirement.
- Structured oral interview — each element must be passed to continue.
- Chief's Selection Committee, then physical exam, drug screen, background, written psych exam, and psychological assessment before the cadet class begins.
Knowing the process is step one. Being ready for each gate is the rest. Tailboard covers the written, the physical, and the oral board for one hiring season.
How to prepare
- The written and pack test: prep the exam with the firefighter written exam guide and practice tests; build loaded hiking on top of the CPAT training plan for the pack test.
- The structured oral: AFR scores it formally — study how boards are scored and rehearse the firefighter oral board. Work through the firefighter oral board interview questions first.
- The back end: the psych and background steps eliminate unprepared candidates — read the background check and psych eval guide early.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Albuquerque Fire Rescue hiring process include?
A valid CPAT certificate plus a sequential process: written examination, pack test, and structured oral interview — each pass/fail — followed by selection, physical exam, drug screen, background investigation, and written and interview-based psychological evaluation.
How much does Albuquerque Fire Rescue pay?
The FY 2025–2027 schedule lists first-year pay around $39,000, second-year around $49,000, and third-year around $62,000, with EMT-Basic and paramedic hires earning more. Confirm current figures on cabq.gov.
How often does AFR hire?
AFR hires in numbered cadet classes, often more than one per year — the 107th cadet class enrolled in 2026 for an academy that starts in March 2027. The city posts the full hiring schedule for each class at cabq.gov/fire.