Fire Fighter Recruit/2024-B

The Charlotte Fire Department (CFD) provides fire suppression, emergency medical services (EMS), technical rescue including urban search and rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, fire prevention, domestic preparedness, fire and EMS safety education, and fire investigation programs. From 43 fire stations, including two stations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, CFD protects a population of more than 892,000 residing in 320 square miles of Mecklenburg County. The department’s ISO Class 1 Public Protection Classification rating and International Accredited status rank it among the top fire departments in the world.

The City of Charlotte is the largest municipality in North Carolina and the 15th largest city in the United States, with a total population of more than 897,000 citizens. A major commerce center, Charlotte hosts several of the nation’s largest banks and technology companies.

Public Safety

• Responds to fire alarms with a company; lays and connects hose; holds nozzles and directs water streams; climbs ladders; uses chemical fire extinguishers, bars, hooks, lines, and other equipment.
• Ventilates burning buildings by opening windows and skylights or by cutting holes in roofs and floors.
• Provides medical assistance to fire victims or as fire responder to emergency situations, until arrival of county medical unit.
• Performs salvage operations such as applying salvage covers, sweeping water and removing debris.
• Participates in fire drills and attends training classes in apparatus operation, firefighting, emergency medical and related subjects; studies assigned materials relating to firefighting and fire prevention.
• Inspects buildings and premises for familiarization; checks for fire hazards; participates in the inspection and maintenance of fire hydrants.
• Operates fire apparatus and assumes command of a fire company on an occasional basis.
• Performs general maintenance and cleaning work in the upkeep of departmental apparatus, equipment, and structures; cleans kitchen, locker room, sleeping quarters, walls, and floors; washes, hangs and dries hose; washes, cleans and polishes apparatus.
• Maintains fitness and personal health to meet annual NFPA 1582 medical requirement.
• Performs related work as required.
• Works in shifts, including nighttime, for a minimum of 24 hours (average of 10 days per month, including weekends and holidays). There are three shifts (A-shift, B-shift, and C-shift) and firefighters work to provide continuous service. An example work schedule is WORK-off-WORK-off-off-WORK-off-WORK-off-off-off-off. This cycle then starts over after the 4-day break.

• Ability to wear full protective clothing and equipment, including SCBA, while carrying fire equipment and performing physical tasks.
• Ability to remove ladder from fire apparatus
• Ventilate roof with power tools
• Search for victim in limited visibility
• Remove victim or injured partner from the scene
• Extricate victim from vehicle
• Crawl through smoke filled structure pulling the charged hose line
• Ability to hook up to hydrant
• Able to move heavy objects to gain access to fire and/or free trapped persons
• Knowledge of personal protective devices
• Thinking and reasoning ability
• Knowledge of rescue and extrication operations
• Basic mechanical knowledge
• Knowledge of hose practices and ability to hold a charged attack line
• Oral and written communication skills
• Arithmetic ability
• Emergency medical knowledge
• Function as an integral component of a diverse team in dynamic and stressful situations
• Ability to perform and communicate critical, time-sensitive, complex, problem solving during physical exertion and/or in -stressful environments
• Ability to sustain prolonged concentration, problem-solving, and decision-making skills during physical exertion and/or working in stressful environments
• Maintain a harmonious work environment as part of a diverse team
• Interact with the public and colleagues in a professional and respectful manner

• Attendance in all classes and training functions
• Successful completion of all academic portions of recruit training
• Participation in physical fitness training and achievement of goals set forth by the Fitness Coordinator and Training Staff
• Adherence to all standards, rules, guidelines, and requirements as established by department General Orders and by Training Staff expectations

• The Charlotte Fire Department requires its Firefighters to have a valid driver's license as a condition of employment; all applicants are required to have a valid driver's license prior to receiving a conditional offer of employment.
• Must be at least 18 years of age BY the date of applications: March 20, 2024
• Must have a high school diploma, GED, or high school equivalency from an accredited educational institution BY the date of applications: March 20, 2024
• Must meet medical requirements set forth in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1582 Chapter 6: Medical Evaluations of Candidates

• Reason(s) other than an ‘Honorable’ discharge from the military; ‘General discharge under Honorable conditions’ will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
• Admission and/or conviction of felony offense
• Admission and/or conviction of misdemeanor involving moral turpitude
• Use of marijuana/THC (smoke, inhale, ingest, etc.) within 6 months before, or any time after, the date of applications: March 2024
• Use of any other illicit or illegal drugs within 3 years before, or any time after, the date of applications: March 2024
• Pattern of illegal drug use, including distribution
• Pattern of theft
• Six or more points for moving violations on driving record during past three years. Three-year period calculated from date of conviction for each violation: March 20, 2021 to present. Court decisions such as Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will be counted as convictions.
• Conviction of DUI / DWI within the last five years. Five-year period calculated from date of conviction for each violation: March 20, 2019 to present. Court decisions such as Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will be counted as convictions.
• Prior to receiving a Formal Offer of Employment, candidates will be expected to be in full compliance with the GO 209.01A-Body Art-Tattoo Policy linked on the Charlotte Fire Department website at https://www.charlottenc.gov/Public-Safety/Fire-Department/Work-for-Us#section-3 which includes the following: 1) No tattoos above the shirt collar to include the neck, face, or anywhere on the head, or anywhere below the wrist to include the entire hand (with exception to a single tattoo on the ring finger in place of a wedding band). 2) No tattoos that express hate or defame any group of citizens to include, but not limited to, race, gender, sex, color, or national origin, or any tattoos that are vulgar, profane, drug related, offensive, racist, gang related, or sexually explicit.

• Fire Fighter Recruits receive a 5% incentive for an Associate’s degree OR a 10% incentive for a Bachelor’s degree; an official transcript is required.
• Fire Fighter Recruits who have served at least 2 years of Active-Duty military OR 6 years in the Reserves/National Guard, who do NOT have any educational degrees, may be eligible for a 5% military incentive; DD-214s/NGB Form 22s are required.

The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social media check, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.

Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.

During the selection process, candidates will be required to participate in various testing and assessments, some of which are in-person. Final candidates must pass the NFPA 1582 physical examination and pre-employment drug-screening test.

The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Apply online by the deadline; complete all application fields including full work history.

By submitting an application, you are agreeing that you have read and understand the above information, to the best of your ability, including the NFPA 1582 medical requirements.

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Anyone seeking an accommodation to apply for a job may call (704) 336-2285 for assistance or may email questions to CityHrJobPostingsNotify@charlottenc.gov.

You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby where there are workstations available to submit your online application. Our office is located at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202 and the hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.

The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.

Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.

The City of Charlotte is a drug- and alcohol-free workplace.