EMS Recruiting - Hiring Process

You care for the community. We care for you! 

Do you want to be part of our mantra and join the Austin–Travis County EMS family? The information below outlines the hiring process for Cadet-Field, Cadet-Communications, and Direct Hire-Clinical Specialist applicants. There are a number of elements that must be completed prior to receiving an offer of employment. Depending on the chosen career path, the order of steps may vary slightly but regardless, all components in the hiring process must be successfully completed for an offer of employment to be made. 

Important information for out-of-town applicants:

• Phase I and Phase II elements of the hiring process are being offered virtually. Candidates who successfully pass Phase I and Phase II elements will be required to travel to Austin for the final phase only. 
• You are not required to complete reciprocity with the Texas Department of State Health Services in order to attend our hiring process. Only if you are offered employment will you need to obtain a Texas certification.  

The City of Austin will not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, creed, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, age, religion, veteran status, disability, or sexual orientation. In addition, the City will not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of an individual's AIDS, AIDS Related Complex, or HIV status; nor will the City discriminate against individuals who are perceived to be at risk of HIV infection, or who associate with individuals who are believed to be at risk. ADA Office: (512) 974-3256 TDD (512) 974‑3303​​​​

Minimum Qualifications for Cadet - Field

Must be 18 years or older (no upper age limit) Must read, write, and speak English

 

And the following:

Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) or higher

• Must be eligible for employment in the U.S.
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must possess a High School Diploma or GED

 

Minimum Qualifications for Cadet - Communications

Must be 18 years or older (no upper age limit) Must read, write, and speak English

 

And BOTH of the following:

Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) or higher AND American Heart Association BLS provider

• Must be eligible for employment in the U.S.
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must possess a High School Diploma or GED

 

Minimum Qualifications for Direct Hire Clinical Specialist - Field (Paramedics only)

Must be 18 years or older (no upper age limit). Must read, write, and speak English.

 

And the following:

Certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic (EMT-P) or Licensed Paramedic (LP)- You must also have one (1) year of 9-1-1 EMS Transport or Critical Care Transport, full-time clinical ALS experience, while certified at the level of EMT-P or LP, including but not limited to: 

• Must be eligible for employment in the U.S.
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must possess a High School Diploma or GED

 

Disqualifiers

1. Applicant fails to meet the minimum qualifications. Applicant fails to make application in the manner prescribed in the notice of examination, and/or fails to file the application within the specified time period
2. Applicant fails to complete the hiring process requirements, including failure to timely return required documentation/information, and missed appointments.
3. Applicant makes any false statement in any material fact; withholds information, practices or attempts to practice any deception or fraud in his/her application, examination, or appointment. Disqualification for reasons of dishonesty or deception in the selection and hiring process may be a permanent disqualification.
4. Applicant fails to satisfactorily pass each element of the hiring process.
5. Applicant has a conviction for, or is currently under indictment or charged with any felony offense. This includes deferred adjudication and juvenile felony adjudication (A person is considered to be convicted of an offense when an adjudication of guilt is entered against said person by a court of competent jurisdiction, or a plea of guilty is entered) within the last 5 years (or any time period for Communications applicants) of the application deadline date. 
6. Applicant has a conviction for or is currently charged with any misdemeanor offense involving moral turpitude within the last 5 years (10 years for Communications applicants) of the application deadline date.
7. Applicant has been convicted of an offense above the grade of a Class B misdemeanor within the last 5 years (10 years for Communications applicants) of the application deadline date.
8. Applicant has a conviction for Family Violence within the last 5 years (or any time period for Communications applicants) of the application deadline date.
9. Applicant fails to meet the Driver Record Evaluation standards for New Hires of the City of Austin (have no more than six (6) DRE points within the last three (3) years of the application deadline date);
10. Applicant was discharged from any military service under dishonorable conditions.
11. Applicant has had an Emergency Medical Services certification or license, nurse’s license, or any other medical related certification or license denied by final order, revoked or suspended, or has voluntarily surrendered such certification or license to avoid suspension for reasons of conduct or competence.
12. The Applicant fails to obtain or refuses to obtain required vaccinations. The Department requires the following vaccinations: Hepatitis B; Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR); Varicella; Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap); Seasonal influenza. The EMS pre-employment physical exam includes titer tests for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis A, MMR and Varicella. Any additional or missing vaccinations must be obtained by the applicant. Vaccinations are available prior to and during the EMS Academy. Applicants who refuse required vaccinations are not eligible for employment. 
13. Any risk behaviors associated with drug and/or alcohol use.
14. Any behaviors associated with threatening and/or violent behavior.
15. Any other reason not specifically addressed above that leads the Chief to consider the applicant to be deemed not suitable for employment as a Medic.

 

An applicant that is disqualified for any of the above reasons may be subject to a waiting period to reapply for a minimum of 6 months up to permanent status at the discretion of the Chief.

 

Application

All applicants must submit an online application and provide all required documents by the application deadline in order to be considered for each hiring process. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Resumes are not needed or reviewed. 

Hiring process and corresponding Academy dates are posted to the Careers page, along with direct links to apply to those jobs. Please apply for the Academy you wish to attend. Applications must be submitted by the deadline listed for each Academy class--once the posting has closed, additional applications will not be accepted for that class.

What information is required to complete your application?

ALL employment history from the last 5 years -- including full-time, part-time, internship, volunteer, temporary, seasonal, contract work or military service is required.

Each job entry on the application requires:

• Start and end dates of employment (month and year)
• Direct supervisor name and contact information A summary of your duties and responsibilities for the job
• A list of any disciplinary actions (oral or written reprimands, suspensions, demotions, etc.) including the type of action, date, and outcome 
• A list of any awards or commendations received at each job
• Explanations for gaps in employment of more than 6 months 

 

APPLICATION TIP: Compile all of the above information before starting your application! One of the primary reasons applicants become disqualified is because an incomplete list of employment history was submitted on their applications. Taking the time to compile your employment history using the bulleted list above will save you time and help prevent disqualification.

IMPORTANT: We contact all applicants via email throughout the hiring process. It is recommended that you add iCIMS to your approved/safe sender list to ensure that our emails are properly delivered to your inbox and not marked as spam. Not taking this step may result in you missing important updates regarding your application.

 

Required Documents

Once you have successfully submitted your application, you will receive an email from EMS Recruiting asking you to upload your required documents by the application deadline.  It is required that all documents are uploaded as .DOC or .PDF format.

REQUIRED documents include:

• A copy of your state or National Registry EMT-Basic or higher certification
  • We will accept National Registry Certification but you will be required to obtain a Texas certification upon offer of employment.
  • If you are out-of-state, we will accept your state certification and will be required to obtain reciprocity upon offer of employment.
• A certified abstract copy of your complete driving record for the last 3 years or from the date you were licensed. 
  • The current driving record must be dated within 30 days of application.
  • If you are a Texas resident or held a Texas drivers in the last 3 years you must provide a Texas Type AR-Abstract driving record.
  • If you have lived in multiple states within the last 3 years we will need a certified copy of each additional state that you held a driver’s license in.
• If you have served in any US Military Branch with an honorable discharge status (no matter the length of service) you are required to upload a copy of your Military DD-214 member 4 document with the Social Security Number blacked out.

 

If you are waiting on a certified copy of your driving record to be released to you, you MUST provide a copy of your receipt and/or confirmation of payment by the application deadline (in lieu of the driving record). This will be accepted as a good faith effort until the certified driving record is received. Certified Driving Record(s) must be received and verified by Recruiting before the background phase of the hiring process in order to continue to the next phase.  

SUBMITTING INFORMATION: Applicants should not send any additional personal information such as social security card, driver’s license card, or social security number to us. All required documents need to be uploaded directly into the iCIMS Document Upload Portal by logging into the system. Submitting personal information by email is not a secure form of communication.

 

Application Review

After submitting your application and uploading the required documents, Recruiting will review your information to confirm the minimum qualifications are met and have no disqualifiers.

Applicants who pass the application review will be contacted via email (iCIMS) and scheduled for Phase I of the hiring process. Please check your inbox and spam folders regularly for our emails!

Those who do not pass the application review element will be contacted via email (iCIMS) and provided with an eligibility date to reapply, if applicable. Please review the disqualifiers in the tab above as some are permanent. 

Phase I

Cadet-Communications candidates must pass the Computerized Multi-tasking Exercise (CritiCall) before advancing to Phase I Structured Oral Interview process. CritiCall testing is offered virtually.

• Cadet-Communications candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to sit for the Computerized Multitasking Exercise (CritiCall). This assessment is a computer-based test on decision making skills, multi-tasking abilities, language arts skills, and the ability to listen and understand information. This test also assesses your data entry and typing skills. There are 10 modules, and Cadet-Communications candidates will be required to pass all modules in order to move forward in the hiring process. 

Cadet-Field, Cadet-Communications, and Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field candidates must pass the Structured Oral Interview (SOI) before advancing to Phase II. SOI's will be held virtually.

• The SOI consists of a series of questions that will assess the skills and abilities necessary to perform as a medic in the field or communications for Austin-Travis County EMS. These questions can range from hypothetical scenarios to specific questions about how you tend to deal with situations. Your answers will be rated by a panel of assessors.
  • SOI Candidate Orientation & Preparation Guide
• All candidates (Field and Communications) must pass the SOI element with a score of 70 percent or higher to advance to Phase II-Background.
  • Unsuccessful candidates are eligible to reapply for future hiring processes.

This phase is not subject to the appeals process.

• Once initial scoring is complete, each Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications candidate who served in the U.S. armed services, received an honorable discharge, and passed the SOI, will receive five (5) military points to their score. Candidates will be ranked on the initial eligibility list from highest to lowest score, including military points. Licensed Paramedics and Paramedics who held their certification prior to the application deadline will be ranked at the top of the list.

In the event of a tie, the following criteria shall be used to determine placement on the initial eligibility list, in the following order:

1. Structured Oral Interview score, excluding military points;
2. Application date and time received by the EMS Recruiting Office

Phase II Background

All Phase II elements will be conducted virtually (with the exception of fingerprinting).

• Written psychological assessment
• FBI- criminal background investigation (fingerprinting appointment required)
• Professional reference checks
• Employment verifications 
• Typing test (for Communications applicants only)

Candidates successful in passing all background elements will be invited via email (iCIMS) to the Final Phase of the hiring process.

• Applicants unsuccessful in passing may be subject to a waiting period or permanent disqualification, dependent on the circumstances of the disqualification. 

 

This phase is not subject to the appeals process.

 

Final Phase

Physical examination

• The physical examination will assess the candidate's medical condition to ensure he/she can function safely as a Medic with the department. 
• View the essential functions for Medic-Field and Medic-Communications

Pre-employment drug test

Psychological interview (held virtually)

• The staff psychologist will interpret the written psychological assessment in addition to any other information learned about the applicant during the hiring process. The interview is designed to assess the candidate’s mental and behavioral fitness to function successfully as a Medic for the department.

Pre-employment knowledge exam (Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field candidates only)

• This exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions and is based on National Standards curriculum. 
• Study material for the exam is as follows: Paramedic Care: Principles & Practice, Vols. 1-5 5th Edition (Authors: Bryan Bledsoe, Robert Porter, Richard Cherry). (Note for candidates: this exam is based on the 5th Edition of the textbooks!)
• Candidates will have a time limit of 120 minutes to complete the exam
• A passing score of 70 is required 

Successful candidates for Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications will be approved by the Civil Service Commission and be certified on the Official Civil Service Final Ranked List. Candidates who have a current paramedic certification will be ranked first on the Civil Service List.  

Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications candidates unsuccessful in passing the psychological interview or physical examination may appeal the process within 10 days of notification of failure. All appeals are at the cost of the candidate.

Successful candidates for Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field will be ranked on an initial eligibility list from highest to lowest final score, with the final score being an average of the pre-employment knowledge exam and Structured Oral Interview scores. In case of a tie, the date and time of application received by the EMS Recruiting Office shall be used to determine placement on the initial eligibility list. 

Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications candidates disqualified for any administrative reason may be subject to a waiting period or permanent disqualification, dependent upon the circumstances of the disqualification. This is not subject to the appeals process. Any disqualification rendered for a Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field candidate is final and not subject to appeal.

Offer of Hire

Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications candidates who successfully pass all hiring process elements will be ranked on the Civil Service Final Ranked List. Depending on vacancies a conditional offer of employment will be given in order of ranking until vacancies are filled. If there are more individuals on the list than there are vacancies, the remainder of individuals will remain on the list for up to 1 year from the posted date.

Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field offers of employment are dependent on the number department vacant positions and promotional eligibility list (This is an internal Meet & Confer Contract process, not a Civil Service list process). Appointments from the Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field final eligibility list will be made when the current EMS Clinical Specialist promotion eligibility list is exhausted.  Remaining vacant positions will be offered to those on the Direct Hire Clinical Specialist-Field eligibility list in the order of rank (Average score from the interview and ALS exam).  This is not an eligibility list that will carry names until the next Academy. Those not offered will need to reapply for the next open application process Medic or Direct Hire Clinical Specialist.

Offers of employment are conditional upon the following:

• Academies will be filled by open vacant positions only;
• Candidates will be offered employment in the order that they are on the list;
• Candidates must not receive any credible information that would cause the department to revoke the conditional offer;
• Out-of-state candidates must complete the Texas State reciprocity process prior to employment;
• Candidates must comply with the required immunization policy;
• Candidates must satisfy all terms and conditions of employment with ATCEMS

Onboarding

All candidates who are offered employment must attend a mandatory Onboarding Appointment approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the Academy. Candidates who do not attend Onboarding are subject to disqualification and the conditional offer of employment will be rescinded. The Onboarding Appointment will consist of new hire paperwork, and new hires will meet the Training Academy Instructors and their academy classmates. The Academy Instructors will outline expectations for the upcoming Academy