IRVING FIRE
DEPARTMENT NOW HIRING
SO YOU WANT TO BE A FIREFIGHTER...
The process of getting a job as a firefighter is a long
one. It takes patience. It is not uncommon for it to take a couple of years.
Firefighters generally work for a government. There are
federal fire departments, state fire departments, county fire departments, city
fire departments, and even private fire departments that are operated by
businesses. The information on this web site pertains to the DFW area city fire
departments, notably Irving. Each city does things differently, but they do the
same basic things. They all have different hiring requirements as well. Most
cities require college. Many require Texas Firefighter Certification.
Cities only hire firefighters on certain occasions. They
have laws that specify how many firefighters they will have and they cannot go
over or under that number.
Irving has
about 310. They only hire when someone quits or retires except for a couple of
exceptions. If they build a new station they have to hire enough new
firefighters to man the station. That usually takes a minimum of 10. Sometimes
they will add new positions, like an Assistant Chief or more training personnel.
When that happens, they promote and hire new people
to fill the spots. Most
firefighters (about 98%) stay until retirement. That is why it takes so long to
get hired. There are very few openings.
The basic steps in the hiring process:
Entrance Examination (Civil Service Exam) - This is
a written exam that tests your math, reading, and basic physics. There are books
you can get at the library or bookstores to study that are very close to the
actual test. They really help. There are usually hundreds of people taking this
test and there may be only 2 or 3 openings. You have to score at least 90 to
have a chance. Irving typically interviews the top twenty. Many cities give you
extra points for military service. Irving currently gives you five points.
Physical Agility Test - This is a rather grueling
test to see if you have the physical strength and stamina to do the job. It
involves simulating basic firefighting tasks, like carrying fire hose up stairs,
dragging hoses full of water, picking up ladders, and dragging a 180 pound
dummy. It is all done wearing full firefighting gear, which if you've never
done, is a task in itself. Irving often holds practice tests prior to the actual
test.
Polygraph Exam - This is a lie detector test. You
cannot out smart the machine. Just tell the truth. They ask you a lot of strange
questions. Whether you've stolen paper clips from work to your sexual habits to
drug and alcohol use. They just want
to know if you will lie about it
or are mature enough to admit it.
Personal Interview Board - This is a job interview.
There are typically six firefighters of different ranks on the board
interviewing you. They ask you a variety of questions, from
your work history to grades in school to
every answer on your polygraph test. Again, they don't look for perfect people,
but people who are mature enough to admit the mistakes they have made, and have
learned from those mistakes.
Physical Exam - You go to the doctor they send you
to (they pay for it) and he gives you a complete physical. He tests your vision,
hearing, just about everything. If you pass that you are hired.
Tips on
the hiring process
