Common Council

How to Become a Career Firefighter

To qualify for employment as a career firefighter, an individual must:

• Meet residence requirements, if they exist.
• Apply for and take an entry-level Civil Service test periodically given by the municipality in question.
• Successfully pass an agility test and physical.
• Be reachable on the finalized list once vacancies are being filled.
• Be selected as a probationary firefighter.
• Successfully complete basic firefighter training and departmental requirements within required time frames.
• Contact the local Civil Service Office or Fire Department for complete details of requirements and procedures.

For more information contact John Rice, President of the Professional Fire Fighters Association at (607) 753-1741 or jrice@cortland.org.

For information about the Civil Service exam, visit Cortland County Personnel/Civil Service Office web site.

Or, visit the NYS Department of State Office of Fire Prevention and Control web site.

Also, the International Association of Fire Fighters web site has a wealth of information, including the latest fire fighting related news.