The City of Tallahassee

Join Our Team

In line with the City of Tallahassee's mission to be the national leader in the delivery of public service, the Tallahassee Fire Department (TFD) provides for the safety and welfare of our community through prevention, preparation and protection.

TFD has 16 stations providing Advanced Life Support non-transport service in Tallahassee-Leon County. TFD also forms Florida's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 7 and Region 2's HazMat Team.

TFD benefits include competitive pay, City of Tallahassee pension plan, health insurance, a 24/48 schedule with seven Kelly days annually and opportunities for growth in both fire suppression and staff roles.

Are you ready to take the first step toward a rewarding career with TFD?

Requirements

Residency: None Required
Age: At least 18 years old at the time of application
Education: Must be a high school graduate or have a GED equivalency at the time of application
Certifications: Possess a valid Driver's License* and State of Florida Certificate of Compliance for Firefighter Minimum Standards at time of application. Possess a Florida EMT certification prior to any conditional offer made.

*For those with a driver's license from a state other than Florida, must possess a valid Florida class "E" State driver's license or equivalent, as determined by the City, at the time of secondary application.

To Apply

To participate in our biannual entry-level firefighter test, submit an online application on the city's website.

Your application will not be processed unless the following documents are submitted at the time of application by upload within the online application process.

Florida Driver's License
(Please submit a copy of your current driver's license, even if it is in a state other than Florida)
Florida EMT
If you currently possess a valid EMT certification, please submit a copy of the Florida card along with the other required documents at time of application. Please note if you are not currently certified as a Florida EMT, you may still apply but will not be considered when job offers are made from the eligibility list unless the department has a copy of your valid Florida EMT.
(Please note: EMT certifications expire 12/01 of every even year. If you are a current applicant, please ensure that you send the department a copy of the renewed certification as soon as possible upon receipt in order to be considered for any upcoming job offers.)
Florida Firefighters Certification of Compliance
(Please note: If it has been 4 years or more since initially receiving your Florida certification and you have not been employed as a paid firefighter any time during the last 4 years, you must also submit verification from the state that your fire certification is in compliance. This verification must include your name, certificate number, and the date the compliance is good through.) OR
Proof of Enrollment in a State of Florida approved fire academy.
(Please note: Proof must be from the fire academy you are attending, and include the name of the academy, your name, and dated to show that you are currently enrolled.)

More Recruits If you are claiming Veteran's Preference on your application, please also upload your DD-214 or appropriate supporting documentation within the online application process. Any additional documentation you wish to provide the department may be submitted later if a final offer has been extended.

We accept applications on a continuous basis. Applications must be submitted with required documents on file with the department by February 1 for our Winter List, May 1 for our Spring List, August 1 for our Summer List, and November 1 for our Fall List. Our process consists of an online entry-level firefighter test, physical ability test (PAT), and a panel interview*. After being interviewed, applicants are placed on the eligibility list. More detailed information about these steps is provided below. Please note that eligible applicants must also clear the preliminary driver's license check to participate in the process. If you have any questions, please call 850-891-6641 or email jointfd@talgov.com.

Note: The Department sends emails to applicants to acknowledge receipt of the application, to notify of ineligibility, and to provide other requested information. If you apply, please ensure you are checking your emails periodically, including your spam folder, so as not to miss any important emails sent by the Department. If you change any of your contact information after submitting an application, please send an email.

Please review the Tallahassee Fire Department Grooming Policy prior to accepting any offer.

The City of Tallahassee is an equal opportunity employer and invites applications without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation during the selection process.

* The Fire Chief may make changes to the steps in the process based on departmental need. Applicants will receive an email after the cutoff date with additional information.

TFD Firefighter Testing

Recruits posing for a photo FACT Online Test - The online test is provided by Fire & Police Selection, Inc. (FPSI) and contains 110 questions from the Fire Aptitude & Character Test, FACT, where the questions focus on a number of skills and traits deemed relevant to superior job performance. This will include Reading Ability (15), Mathematical Reasoning (15), Map Reading (10), Writing ability (10), Personal Characteristics (60) i.e. interpersonal skills such as teamwork, commitment, honest, and emotional stability.

The "Firefighter Aptitude and Character Test (FACT) Candidate Orientation Guide" practice is available for order online.

The FACT Candidate Orientation is a helpful tool to prepare for the exam and can be downloaded as a PDF file and saved or printed. Please read through the disclaimer on the order page in order to have a successful download. Payments will be submitted through PayPal via an account or credit/debit card. Once payment is submitted, PayPal automatically redirects you back to the FPSI site where access to the download link will be located on the Order Details-Checkout Status page. Applicants must pay close attention to ALL instructions on both FPSI and PayPal's websites in order to access the instant download successfully.

Physical Ability Test (PAT) - After the written tests have been scored, those applicants that have a raw score of 70 or above will move forward to the department's physical ability test (PAT) and will be notified by email regarding scheduling for the PAT. The department will send the email to the email address listed on the application, so an applicant should check that account regularly as to not miss any deadlines for scheduling. The department's PAT consists of 10 events that represent activities that a Tallahassee firefighter would be expected to perform. To familiarize yourself with our PAT, please click on the links below.

PAT Description of Events (PDF)
PAT Video

Applicants will be required to submit a completed Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement and a Physician Statement in order to participate in the PAT. These forms may be obtained by using the

Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement (PDF)
Physician Statement (PDF)

If an applicant does not pass the online entry-level firefighter test or PAT, they must reapply with required documents to be included in the next testing process.

TFD Firefighter Interviews and Employment Offers

More Recruits All applicants who pass the PAT will be invited to interview with the department. Those that interview will be placed on the eligibility list for upcoming conditional offers.

If You Receive a Conditional Offer of Employment...

Background Investigation: A thorough background investigation is conducted. This includes driver's license history, credit check, employment reference checks, and a nationwide criminal check.

Testing/Evaluations: A polygraph will be conducted, along with written and oral psychological evaluations. Finally, a job-related medical exam and drug testing will be given.

Final Offer of Employment

A final offer will be extended by the Fire Chief after determining all conditional offer steps have been successfully passed.

Once on the eligibility list, you will rollover on the next 3 lists without having to reapply. However, if you are not hired after the third rollover, you must reapply with the required documents to be included in the next list process. For example, if you were in the process with the 2/01/2024 (Winter List) cutoff, you would rollover on the next 3 lists (5/01/2024 Spring List, 8/01/2024 Summer List, and 11/01/2024 Fall List). If not hired during these lists, you would need to reapply with the required documents by the following 2/01/2025 cutoff, to be included in that process.