What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lateral Firefighter EMT/Paramedic position at City of Richland?
Recruitment for 2026 vacancies will begin in the summer of 2025.
The Richland Fire & Emergency Services department is seeking Lateral* Firefighter applicants. If you are currently a professional full-time Firefighter with three years of consecutively-paid experience, have successfully passed your probationary period with your current Firefighter employer, you may be considered as a Lateral Firefighter*.
The Department maintains an ongoing and merged certification list for the Lateral Firefighter EMT/Paramedic position. We are currently accepting applications and holding oral board processes on a continuous basis beginning in June 2025.
General Summary:
Under the general supervision of a Fire Captain or designee, performs skilled emergency and non-emergency tasks in the area of fire prevention, fire suppression, hazardous materials, emergency preparedness, and emergency medical services for the protection of life and property for municipalities, airports, and private industry.
To view the Richland Fire & Emergency Services recruitment video, please click on the following link: https://vimeo.com/365575725
To view the Richland Fire & Emergency Services recruitment video, please click on the following link: https://vimeo.com/365575725
For more information on the pay, benefits, and hiring process, please view our hiring brochure.
Please click here to view the complete job description, to include essential functions and working conditions.
Please click here to view the complete job description, to include essential functions and working conditions.
*Lateral applications will be reviewed by hiring staff for experience with agencies with a similar structure to Richland Fire and Emergency Services (full time, ALS transporting agency with frequent calls). If it is determined that a candidate’s agency experience is not similar to Richland, the candidate may not meet the requirements for our internal lateral academy. Candidates in this situation will be requested to reapply and go through the entry level Firefighter process (to include PST written testing).
In order to be eligible to participate in the City of Richland's (City) application screening process, applicants must have had a CPAT within the last year (obtained through any agency) by the time of interview and complete a Personal History Statement (PHS) to attach to their application. Applicants are encouraged to attach a current cover letter and resume to the City's application.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Three (3) consecutive years of paid experience as a full-time Firefighter in a like department.
- Successfully completed probationary period with current Firefighter employer.
- Graduation from a career-based fire academy.
- Current CPAT upon first interview.
- High school diploma or GED.
- Submit an online application and attach a personal history statement (PHS) in PDF format. Please click here to access the PHS.
- Valid driver's license.
- Eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of application.
- Certified to wear a respirator at SCBA level.
- Washington State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or Advanced EMT (AEMT) certifications.
- IFSAC Firefighter I and II certifications.
- IFSAC Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations certification.
- Obtain Wildland Firefighter II certification within one (1) year of hire and maintain throughout employment.
- Washington State Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention (EVIP) certification within two (2) years of hire date and prior to driving fire department vehicles in the 'emergency' mode.
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Fire Science or Fire Administration.
- Wildland Firefighter II certification.
- Washington State Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention (EVIP) certification.
- Certified Washington State or National Registry Paramedic.
Selection will be based on overall qualifications and an oral board interview process.
Final candidate(s) selected will be required to complete a comprehensive background check to include an integrity interview, job suitability testing, reference checks, criminal history check, driving record, education and certification verification, and review of training records. Upon conditional offer of employment, candidate(s) must successfully complete a psychological evaluation, physical examination tailored to the specific job description (to include drug and alcohol testing), and a stress test.
Salary : $6,533 - $9,628
