If you are given a formal offer of employment (typically in writing), you’ll meet with HR and sign the offer of employment. You’ll then proceed through a series of steps to become a full-fledged firefighter.

Fire Academy

You’ll typically attend a Fire Academy, where you’ll shift from being a fire candidate to a fire recruit. You’ll be trained and evaluated on written and skills exams involving emergency fire calls and medical services, fire equipment use, fire department organization, fire safety, fire prevention, fire control, hazmat response, rope and confined space rescue, working from heights, SCBA and PPE proficiency.

Sworn Firefighter

You’ll transition from fire recruit to apprentice or probationary firefighter – where you’ll learn internal/external operations, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) or General Operating Procedures (GOP’s), bounce from station to station as a float/pool firefighter, learn how to maintain stations and rigs, make crew meals, work on your customer service skills, go on fire and EMS runs, complete your journeyman program which includes schooling, written and physical exams.

Journeyman Firefighter

And finally, you’ll move from apprentice to journeyman firefighter. You’re not the newbie anymore. You’ll keep learning and training to keep yourself current, bid into a fire station you like working at, help probationary firefighters’ transition into the fire department, get involved in the community and the fire departments local union, consider other opportunities and career choices for yourself.