Requirements Overview
What are Fire Departments looking for in a Candidate? Ask yourself the following:
“Do you always do the right thing? Are you trustworthy? Do you show respect for others? Are you professional? Are you a team player? Do you put others before yourself? Are you competent in what you do? Are you honorable? Do you hold yourself accountable? Are you a leader in your own right? Are you looking for a career that is physically challenging, as well as professionally rewarding?”
(From the Folsom FD Website)
A Firefighter career is open to all qualified men and women represented by our diverse community.
While we provide a road map toward starting a Fire Fighter career, there is no easy way to get hired. It requires hard work and the process is extremely competitive.
Also note, the number of candidates usually greatly exceeds the number of available Firefighter positions, at any given time.
Latest Hiring Information
Current hiring, training, events, and experience gathering opportunities can be found in the following locations and manner:
- Check our homepage under the “Recent Post” column,
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- Call the FD’s Human Resources Dept. with any specific questions, and
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- Follow the FD(s) of your choice on Social Media.
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Personal qualifications refer to the status the aspiring candidate has attained and brings to the table. These qualifications, while not directly firefighter related, are nevertheless required by all seven regional FD’s.
To avoid delay, these qualifications must usually be attained before the application can be accepted and before any interviewing or testing. These qualifications are:
- High School graduate with Diploma or GED Certificate.
- At least 18 years of age, although some FD’s have a minimum age of 21 years. Generally no top age limit.
- Valid CDL, Class C or better.
- Ability to pass the Federal I9 Form Employment Eligibility Verification process.
- Ability to pass a background check.
Note: If you are a Veteran, a Honorable Discharge may offer you a point advantage in the entry level testing phase for some FD’s as indicated below. Check with your selected FD for more details.
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The Firefighter hiring process varies by FD and is highly competitive. Listed below are additional experience and skills, though not required, that may help the candidate stand out from others and improve one’s chances for success.
It should be noted not all optional experience and skills listed below may be recognized and some may already be considered a requirement by some FD’s.
These optional qualifications include the following:
- Fire Reserves
- EMS Assessment Test
- CPR Certification or basic Skill
- Work Experience
- Fire Department Academy
- High School Pathways
- Girls Fire Camp
- AA/AS/BA/BS Degree
- Continuing Education
- Trade Skills
- Veteran (Honorable Discharge)
- Veteran w/Medic or Corpsman training
- C.E.R.T. Member
- Fire Academy
- Internship w/FD
- Mentorship program
- EMT Academy
- Bi/Multilingual
- Community Volunteer work
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