Recruitment

Applicants for the position of Firefighter/EMT must meet the following criteria:

1. United States citizen and be 19 years of age or older at time of application.
2. Have obtained a High School Diploma or a General Education Diploma (GED).
3. Have a full Driver’s License (Provisional licenses are not acceptable).

Apply on the Fire and EMS Website or on the DCHR website. The official application is on the DCHR website. Going to the Fire and EMS website provides a link to the DCHR website when the application period is open. Make sure you upload/attach your driver’s license, high school diploma, and birth certificate or passport. A college degree can be used in lieu of a high school diploma. A provisional license or learner’s permit is NOT acceptable.

After your documents are reviewed and if accepted, you will first receive an acknowledgement from the DC Fire and EMS Human Resources Department that your application was reviewed and you were deemed eligible, and/or requesting additional information/documents.

The National Testing Network (NTN) is then advised by DC Fire and EMS that the person is eligible for testing. Following this, you will receive an invitation from the NTN Human Resources to test with the National Testing Network. If you go directly to NTN to test and are NOT referred from DC Fire and EMS HR, your application cannot be considered by the department.

Your results will be tallied and sent to Human Resources for ranking. The candidate’s preference points (residency, veteran status, foster child status, etc.) are added to the scores and merged into the DC register. The ranking and inclusion of the tests only happens on a set schedule. The register is an official document (DC Law) and the merger of scores onto the ranking list has to be approved by DCHR. The scores may be merged into an existing register or may form a new register, depending on the schedule.

Once ranked, you’ll be in the applicant pool for the DC Fire & EMS Department to hire from. Selection from the register is done in order of score.

Once selected, a conditional offer of employment will be sent and you’ll be invited to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) at our facility. CPAT certifications are accepted from other departments and testing companies that utilize the IAFF CPAT exam. Certifications must be from within the last 12 months and verified by the Recruitment Office.

You will need:

1. Full and complete driving record from states you’ve lived in
2. Selective service card (males only)
3. Social security card or birth certificate (not both) or a passport (proof of citizenship)
4. High school diploma, GED, college degree, or official transcript
5. Birth certificate
6. DD-214 (for veterans)
7. Driver’s license
8. Disposition papers for any previous arrests/court filings

After those have been completed, your file will be reviewed by a Suitability Board via interview. They will determine if you meet the Department’s Core Values. From there, you will be sent to the Police and Fire Clinic for a medical and psychological evaluation.

Once you pass the Suitability Interview, you will receive a formal job offer from the Fire and EMS HR Office with a scheduled start date for training, and you’ll be placed in a queue for hiring after accepting the official job offer.

Applicants for the Cadet Program must meet the following criteria:

1. United States citizen and a current D.C. resident between the ages of 18-21 (age at closing date).
2. Have obtained a High School Diploma from a D.C. Public, Charter, or Parochial High School or a General Education Diploma (GED) from a D.C. testing location.
3. Must have maintained a 2.0 grade point average or higher upon graduation or equivalent based on the school grading system.
4. Have a Driver’s License, Provisional or Learner’s Permit at the time of application. A full driver’s license must be obtained by the time of graduation.

Apply on the Fire and EMS Website or on the DCHR website. The official application is on the DCHR website. Going to the Fire and EMS website provides a link to the DCHR website when the application period is open. Make sure you attach your driver’s license, high school transcripts and diploma, and birth certificate or passport.

After your documents are reviewed and accepted, you will first receive an acknowledgement from the DC Fire and EMS Human Resources Department that your application was reviewed and you were deemed eligible, and/or requesting additional information/documents.

The National Testing Network (NTN) is then advised by DC Fire and EMS that the person is eligible. Following this, you will receive an invitation from the NTN Human Resources to test with the National Testing Network. If you go directly to NTN to test and are NOT referred from DC Fire and EMS HR, your application cannot be considered by the department.

Once ranked, you’ll be in the applicant pool for the DC Fire & EMS Cadet Program. Selected applicants will then be referred for fingerprinting and completion of the Personal History Statement.

You will need:

1. Full and complete driving record from states you’ve lived in
2. Selective service card (males only)
3. Social security card or birth certificate (not both) or a passport (proof of citizenship)
4. High school diploma, GED, college degree, or official transcript
5. Birth certificate
6. DD-214 (for veterans)
7. Driver’s license
8. Disposition papers for any previous arrests/court filings

After those have been completed, your file will be reviewed by a Suitability Board via interview. They will determine if you meet the Department’s Core Values. From there, you will be sent to the Police and Fire Clinic for a medical and psychological evaluation.

Once you pass the Suitability Interview, you will receive a formal job offer from the Fire and EMS HR Office with a scheduled start date for training, and you’ll be placed in a queue for hiring after accepting the official job offer.

Applicants for the position of Firefighter/Paramedic must meet the following criteria:

1. United States citizen and be 19 years of age or older at time of application.
2. Have obtained a High School Diploma or a General Education Diploma (GED).
3. Have a full Driver’s License (Provisional licenses are not acceptable)
4. Must possess a National Registry Paramedic certification, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification, and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification.

Apply on the Fire and EMS Website or on the DCHR website. The official application is on the DCHR website. Going to the Fire and EMS website provides a link to the DCHR website when the application period is open. Make sure you attach your driver’s license, high school diploma, and birth certificate or passport. A college degree can be used in lieu of a high school diploma. A provisional license or learner’s permit is NOT acceptable.

Once selected, a conditional offer of employment will be sent and you’ll be invited to take the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) at our facility. CPAT certifications are accepted from other departments and testing companies that utilize the IAFF CPAT exam. Certifications must be from within the last 12 months and verified by the Recruitment Office.

After passing the CPAT, you will be referred for fingerprinting and fill out the Personal History Statement.

You will need:

1. Full and complete driving record from states you’ve lived in
2. Selective service card (males only)
3. Social security card or birth certificate (not both) or a passport (proof of citizenship)
4. High school diploma, GED, college degree, or official transcript
5. Birth certificate f. DD-214 (for veterans)
6. Driver’s license
7. Disposition papers for any previous arrests/court filing

After those have been completed, your file will be reviewed by a Suitability Board via interview. They will determine if you meet the Department’s Core Values. From there, you will be sent to the Police and Fire Clinic for a medical and psychological evaluation.

Upon successful completion of the medical and psychological exam, you’ll be taken to another Suitability Board where they will interview you by asking standard interview questions.

Once you pass the Suitability Interview, you’ll be placed in a queue for hiring after accepting the official job offer.

Check the Fire and EMS Website regularly for new job postings. We’re often looking for civilian employees to support our large department and help fill all the skill sets and experiences we require to stay running.