Thank you for your interest in becoming a Charlotte Firefighter. Our hiring needs vary from year to year; however, our goal is to continually seek out highly qualified and diverse candidates to join our world-class organization.
WATCH THIS VIDEO ABOUT THE LIFE OF A CHARLOTTE FIREFIGHTER
STEP 1: Complete Online Application
The CFD ONLY accepts applications online during a designated window of time each year. The online application for the Fire Fighter Recruit 2023-A Hiring Process is now closed.
Once an application has been submitted, your personal application status and Notices that have been emailed to you are stored for 24/7 access in your JobAps Applicant Profile at https://www.jobapscloud.com/oec/Charlotte/. Click on My Applications at the top of the screen. Enter the Username and Password you created when you built your Applicant Profile. If you cannot remember your Username or Password, use the recovery options provided there. Once logged in, you can view your Applicant Profile as well as the current status of all of your Unsubmitted, Submitted, or Unfinished City of Charlotte employment applications. To the right of each Job Title is the current status/step in the process that your employment application is currently in, and by clicking the date under Last Notice you can open, scroll through, and review the Notices sent to you via JobAps regarding that application. It is each applicant's responsibility to monitor their emails, including Junk/Spam folders, as well as their JobAps account, for updates and invitations for the duration of the hiring process.
STEP 2: Register For & Take Structured Oral Interview
Once the application period has closed, those who completed the online application will receive an email with information on registering online for the structured oral interview.
STEP 3: Written Test
After candidates have completed the structured oral interview, they will be randomly scheduled onsite to return for a written test session. Applicants who pass the written test and structured oral interview will be invited back to take the Fireground Physical Ability Test (FPAT).
STEP 4: Physical Abilities Test (PAT)
The PAT was developed to allow fire departments to obtain pools of trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes. The test consists of multiple events that must be completed in a specific time period. Candidates must continuously progress along a predetermined path from event to event and complete the entire skills test. An optional orientation session will be offered by appointment, followed by an appointment for a required first attempt at the test. Those who do not pass the first attempt will then be scheduled for a final attempt at the test. To learn more about the 2023 Fireground Physical Ability Test (FPAT), please watch the Fireground Physical Ability Test Video.
STEP 5: Application Packet Review
Candidate Application Packets are team-reviewed. Applicants who progress past this stage may be invited to a complete a Screening Assessment.
STEP 6: Screening Assessment
STEP 7: Panel Interview
CFD Operations personnel conduct panel interviews. Successful candidates may then be invited to take a polygraph exam.
STEP 8: Polygraph Examination & Fingerprinting
Applicants will be given a polygraph exam and will be fingerprinted.
STEP 9: Conditional Offer Of Employment
Successful applicants may be issued a conditional offer of employment at this stage with a tentative start date to begin a recruit class at the Academy.
STEP 10: Personal History Background Investigation
STEP 11: Psychological Evaluation, Pre-Employment Medical Examination, and Uniform Fitting
The CFD follows the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 medical guidelines.
STEP 12: Pre-Employment Drug Screening
The Charlotte Fire Department follows the City of Charlotte's Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace policy. Applicants will be scheduled for a drug screening within 30 days prior to their start date at the Academy.
STEP 13: Civil Service Certification
The Charlotte Fire Department will present a document package regarding selected candidates to the Civil Service Board for approval.
STEP 14: Formal Offer Of Employment To Start Recruit School
Upon approval from the Civil Service Board, applicants will receive a firm formal offer of employment to begin Recruit School, with at least a two-week window to provide notice to their current employer.
STEP 15: Welcome To The Charlotte Fire Department!
Fire Fighter Trainees, or Recruits, are paid full-time employees with a complete City of Charlotte benefits package beginning on day one of Recruit School at the Academy.
The online application for the Fire Fighter Recruit 2023-A Hiring Process is now closed.
The information contained herein is current as of the 2023-A FF Hiring Process and is subject to annual review and change.
The online application for the Fire Fighter Recruit 2023-A Hiring Process is now closed.
To submit an Interest Card and be placed on our distribution list to receive email updates on future Firefighter hiring opportunities, Charlotte Fire Department Interest Card.
Each year, the number of candidates hired and recruited classes seated at the Academy depends entirely on retirements, promotions, and funding. Exact dates will vary from year to year. Currently, the process duration for any given candidate could be anywhere from a few months to 15 months from the time of the Written Exam.
This highly competitive process does involve several steps in which a candidate must appear personally, at times with relatively short notice. Each candidate's experience and timeline throughout the process may be different, and not all who apply will be hired.
Contact with candidates may be made by phone or via email, so each is asked to continue to monitor incoming calls (be sure voicemail is set up and is not full) and emails, including Junk/Spam folders, for updates or invitations from CFD as we move through the year's process.
Once a candidate is selected for hire and placed into a class, Recruit School lasts approximately six months and is Monday through Friday, approximately 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Eligible candidates not selected for the first class(es) are placed into a pool for future classes until the year's process is completed.
My friend/family member works for CFD. Can I ask them to find out my next step or my status in the hiring process?
CFD Recruitment and HR staff cannot discuss a candidate's status with anyone except the candidate; this includes other CFD employees as well as the candidate's family, friends, or significant others. Candidates are participating in a highly competitive process and, as such, are the individuals responsible for making necessary contacts. The appropriate means of contact for candidate questions or concerns is via the email addresses and phone numbers used and provided to each candidate throughout the year's process.
Does the City of Charlotte require all new hires to be vaccinated for COVID?
The City of Charlotte requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment for any new Charlotte employees. The City is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as such, will consider reasonable accommodations as required by law.
During the hiring process, are candidates given advance notice about the process events they will be going through in order to have time to get off from work?
This highly competitive process involves several steps for which a candidate must appear personally. There may be times a candidate receives relatively short notice (i.e., a few days or a week) of a request for personal appearance for the next step (i.e., interview, polygraph, physical, etc.). It is a candidate's responsibility to make themselves available for these steps when requested and to communicate any concerns with their hiring team.
- Initially, the following must be attended in person, and candidates will be aware at least two weeks in advance:
- Written Exam and Structured Oral Process
- FPAT - once for Orientation (optional), once to take the first Timed FPAT (recommended), and/or once to take or retake at the Final FPAT (if the candidate didn't pass the first time)
- If selected to move forward at each stage, there are a few more times throughout the process that a candidate would be required to appear in person, at times with relatively short notice:
- Panel Interview
- Polygraph and Fingerprinting (one appointment)
- Psychological Evaluation, Pre-Employment Medical Examination (NFPA Physical), and Uniform Fitting (will attempt to schedule all 3 appointments in one day)
My friend/family member and I are both in the current process. I have received an invitation for a panel interview, but they have not; does that mean their application has been closed?
Each candidate's experience and timeline throughout the process duration may be different, and not all who apply will be hired. Contact with candidates may be made by phone or via email, so each is asked to continue to monitor incoming calls (be sure voicemail is set up and is not full) and emails, including Junk/Spam folders, for updates or invitations from CFD as the year's process progresses. The appropriate means of contact for candidate questions or concerns is via the email addresses and phone numbers used and provided to each candidate throughout the year's process.
Can I be provided with my grades for the Written Exam and CPAT?
Individual scores from hiring process components (i.e., Written Exam, Structured Oral Process, interviews, etc.) are not provided to candidates. The FPAT is pass/fail, and candidates are aware at the time of their FPAT whether they have passed or failed.
I am currently finishing up an active-duty contract in the military. Before my time in the military, I was a Firefighter/Paramedic in another city/state for eight years. Can either of these time periods: be bought back towards retirement?
Yes. Purchases can be made up to 5 years of active military service and five years of prior government service. The purchase of service credit can be made after five years of vesting with CFD and can be purchased using 401(k) and 457 funds as a trust-to-trust transfer which you don't have to pay back and are not penalized for.
I am currently finishing up an active-duty contract in the military. Before my time in the military, I was a Firefighter/Paramedic in another city/state for eight years. Be considered for promotion eligibility or quicker advancements to specialized units?
If the window for applications opens before my discharge date from the military, would I be able to apply for the position and complete the application process while I am still in the service?
Active-duty members of the military are welcome to apply.
Currently, I reside in another state. Are there any policies requiring candidates or employees to live within the City of Charlotte?
The City of Charlotte and/or the Charlotte Fire Department do not monitor or restrict where an employee resides other than to maintain that information on file.
During Recruit School at the Academy, do recruits live/sleep at the Academy?
No, recruits do not stay overnight or live at the Academy; they attend Recruit School daily Monday through Friday, approximately 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Do recruits receive pay during Recruit School?
Yes, Firefighter Recruit is a paid position beginning on day one of Recruit School at the Academy.
Do recruits receive medical benefits?
Yes, their City of Charlotte benefits are effective on day one of Recruit School at the Academy.
What can I do to improve my chances of being hired as a recruit with CFD?
Individuals should thoroughly review and monitor Careers In Firefighting for information about the CFD's hiring process and requirements and for videos, study guides, prep guides, and more information about becoming a Charlotte Firefighter. Individuals are encouraged to continue striving for their personal best.
Do I have to have any firefighting experience in order to apply for or be hired as a recruit with CFD?
No. All Firefighter Recruits hired, with or without previous Fire/EMT experience, are fully trained in firefighting and EMT skills during Recruit School.
Do I have to have my EMT certification in order to apply for or be hired as a recruit with CFD?
No. All Firefighter Recruits hired, with or without previous Fire/EMT experience, are fully trained in firefighting and EMT skills during Recruit School, and all CFD firefighters maintain their NC EMT certification (at minimum) throughout the duration of their careers with CFD.
I currently have my NC EMT certification. Do I still have to go through Recruit School, and do I still have to take an EMT course during Recruit School?
Yes. All Firefighter Recruits hired, with or without previous fire/EMT experience, are fully trained in firefighting and EMT skills during Recruit School, and all CFD firefighters maintain their NC EMT certification (at minimum) throughout the duration of their careers with CFD. If a candidate is hired who already possesses their valid NC EMT certification and is fully up to date on their related con-ed (verified by CFD's EMS Coordinator during Recruit School), that recruit would not be required to retake the state's EMT test at the conclusion of training.
I am an NR-EMT holder, and I also have my EMT certification from my home state. Does North Carolina have reciprocity for NR and other states' licenses/certifications?
Yes, North Carolina does have reciprocity, and candidates who hold their National Registry EMT or out-of-state EMT can visit Office of Emergency Medical Services for more information on or begin the reciprocity process.
Is there a pay incentive if I have my college degree?
Upon completion of Recruit School, candidates receive a 5% incentive for an associate degree or a 10% incentive for a bachelor's degree; an official transcript is required.
I am currently a Firefighter in another state or jurisdiction. Does CFD have a lateral entry program?
No, the CFD does not currently have a lateral entry program.
I am currently a City of Charlotte employee in another department. If I am selected for hire as a Fire Fighter Trainee would I remain in my current pay scale or see an increase/decrease in pay?
All newly hired Fire Fighter Trainees receive the current fiscal year's "Firefighter I" new hire pay rate, which would be listed in the job posting at the time of application.