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Employment Process

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• Potential candidates may request notification from the City of Des Moines HR Department of when the next hiring period for firefighter will be. This notification can be sent out through the mail or email.

  Please note: The addresses for either home and email must be current in order for the potential candidate to receive the notification. To sign up for notifications you may fill out a notification form located at the Human Resources Department of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.

• One the notification has been sent, the basic requirements needed to complete a firefighter application include:
  1. High school diploma or GED
  2. Valid Iowa driver's license
  3. Candidate must turn 21 years old on or before the day the application period for firefighter ends
  4. Candidate cannot have any felony convictions
  
  

  MINIMUM Graduation from high school or G.E.D. equivalent. Must possess EMT-A or QUALIFICATIONS higher certification and a Class D driver's license prior to date of appointment Applicants for examination held after June 1, 1996 must possess EMT-B or higher certification and a Class D driver's license by the application deadline date. License or Other Requirements: Possession of an EMT-D certification and Firefighter I certification prior to graduation from recruit class; and Firefighter II certification prior to the end of the eleventh month of probationary period. Failure to obtain and maintain proper license and certification will cause the employee to be subject to immediate termination of employment.

• When a hiring announcement is sent out, the location, practice dates and testing dates for Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) will be included.
• Candidates who successfully pass CPAT will take a 156 question written examination that includes a personality profile along with the cognitive skills that are tested.
• Candidates successfully passing the written testing will continue on to Civil Service interviews. The commissioners will then provide a 40-50 person list of candidates the fire chief may select from.
• Each person placed on the Civil Service list will interview with Fire Administration Officers.
• A background check and medical examination will be conducted on those candidates selected for hiring.