So you want to join the hottest team in town? Great! Read on to learn more about our hiring process. Keep reading to familiarize yourself with our hiring process. It has been designed to comply with all applicable laws, is managed by different City offices, both within and outside of the Austin Fire Department (AFD), and is intended to hire candidates who are qualified and excited to join Austin Fire. The primary goal is to recruit individuals who are not only qualified but also excited about becoming part of the Austin Fire team.

Don’t sweat it, you've got this!

The hiring process, from Candidate Interest Card through the Final Employment Offer, is comprised of two phases: The initial phase consists of the application period, written exam, and DD form 214 submissions; the second phase begins with the Pre-hire Assessments (candidates who receive conditional offers of employment must successfully complete all of the Pass/Fail pre-hire assessments; otherwise, candidates are disqualified. Candidates who receive conditional offers of employment must successfully complete all of the Pass/Fail pre-hire assessments; otherwise, candidates are disqualified from the process.

Candidates who complete the written exam and structured oral process (score 70 or higher) will have applicable veteran preference points applied. That total will determine a candidate’s place on the Ranked Eligibility List. 

The Austin Fire Department reserves the right to update, change, cancel, and/or alter any dates and times listed below with or without notice.

Details on each of the items within these phases is outlined below. 

Candidate Interest Card

Filling out a Candidate Interest Card is not a required step in the hiring process, but you don't want to miss any recruiting events, tips on preparing for the hiring process, or just general "good to know" stuff about us; fill this out so your name can be added to our e-mail list!

Complete your Candidate Interest Card.

Candidate Preparation/Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

The Austin Fire Department has adopted and follows Texas Local Government Code 143. This code also addresses eligibility for the beginning position of Firefighter, which includes age and eligibility for future certification. 

The following are the minimum requirements for a Fire Cadet: 

• AGE: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age but not exceed age 35 on the day the written exam is administered.
• EDUCATION: Must possess a high school diploma or GED.
• CITIZENSHIP: U.S. (birth or naturalized). If you are not a United States' citizen, your immigration status must be current and must permit you to work a full-time job in this country. Applicants must have a valid Social Security card. If you have questions about your immigration status or work permit, please contact United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
• LANGUAGE: Must be able to read, write, and speak English.
• DRIVER LICENSE: Must possess a current valid driver license issued from your state of residence.
• SOCIAL SECURITY: Must have a valid Social Security card.
• MEDICAL: Must meet the requirements set forth in NFPA 1582, Latest Edition, Standard on medical requirements for Firefighters. If you have questions about the requirements, please contact NFPA or a medical professional. 
• ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE CERTIFICATIONS: Meet all legal requirements necessary to become certified by:
  • Texas Commission on Fire Protection 
  • Texas Department of State Health Services 

If you have questions about your ability to become certified, please contact the appropriate agency directly. 

Application

To access the official Austin Fire Department Cadet application, visit www.AustinCityJobs.org. Applications must be submitted exclusively through this site.

Instructions for locating the position on Austin City Jobs:

1. Create an account.
2. Search for Jobs.
3. Use the keyword: fire cadet.
4. Complete the application.

For technical assistance in creating or submitting the application, please utilize the HELP link within the application system.

Written Exam & Structured Oral Assessment Process (SOP)

Welcome to the Fire Cadet Academy's assessment phase! As part of our selection process, candidates will undergo two critical evaluations: the written exam and the Structured Oral Assessment. Both components are vital steps towards determining your eligibility and readiness to embark on a fulfilling journey with the Fire Cadet Academy. Good luck!

Written Exam - A general aptitude test designed to test your abilities in areas including, but not limited to, verbal comprehension, deductive reasoning, and mechanical aptitude. No prior knowledge about the fire service is required. 

Structured Oral Assessment - This is a professional job interview and should be treated as such. During this event, applicants are placed in a room where they are recorded while providing answers in response to videos of hypothetical situations/scenarios. Each question is allocated a limited time for the applicant to make his/her response. These recordings are reviewed and scored by assessors after the event has concluded.

The Austin Fire Department (AFD) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. AFD is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, e-mail: FireEmployment@austintexas.gov.

Applicants will receive a number of e-mails from this address. Please make sure they get through to your inbox and are not flagged as spam or junk.

Attendance and successful completion of both the written exam and the structured oral process are mandatory for eligibility to progress further in the hiring process.

Questions? Contact FireEmployment@austintexas.gov.

Scoring/Ranking/Veteran Preference Points 

Candidates who complete both the written exam and the structured oral process (score 70 or higher) will receive a composite score. Applicable veteran preference points will then be applied. That total will determine a candidate’s place on the Ranked Eligibility List. Combined overall scores will be posted online by confirmation number. Top-ranked applicants will be invited to move forward into the second phase of our hiring process, the pre-hire assessments. 

The Austin Fire Department provides Military Veteran Preference Points to qualified applicants; awarding of veteran preference points requires an Austin Fire Department DD form 214 Submission demonstrating both 1) at least 180 days continuous of Active Duty Status and 2) an Honorable Discharge. No other discharge status will be accepted. In order to be considered for the additional points, the applicant’s DD214 must display boxes 23 through 30, and applicants must meet three criteria to be eligible:

• Electronic submission of a legible copy of the DD214 form, uploaded to AFD's online portal in electronic format (PDF, TIFF, Word doc, JPEG, etc.). AFD will not accept paper copies received via mail or hand delivery, or electronic copies provided outside of the AFD online portal (e.g., e-mail).
• Have an Honorable Discharge; no other discharge status will be accepted.
• Have a minimum of 180 days of continuous active duty service in any branch/component of the U.S. military.

Conditional Offer of Employment

After the Written Exam score, Structured Oral Process scores,and the Veteran Preference Points are combined, the total score will determine an applicant’s place on the Ranked Eligibility List.

The Ranked Eligibility List will be posted will be posted on our Hiring Process Updates webpage. 

Top ranked applicants will receive a Conditional Offer of Employment to move forward in the hiring process and will be required to successfully complete a series of Pass/Fail pre-hire assessments. If you do not receive a Conditional Offer of Employment, we encourage you to apply in a future fire cadet hiring process.

Pre-hire Assessments/Disqualification

Candidates may move forward to this stage in "batches" based on the Ranked Eligibility List and the needs of the Department. Additionally, not all candidates who complete and pass pre-hire assessments will be seated in an Academy; space must exist in an Academy class to accommodate a successful candidate.  

• Background Check: Includes a criminal background investigation with fingerprint check.
• Candidate Physical Ability Test^© (CPAT): An obstacle course that consists of eight occupational-related events. No previous or alternate CPAT certificates accepted, only those issued by AFD.
• Psychological Assessment- Candidates will take a written psychological assessment. This is followed by interviews conducted by third-party psychologists contracted by the City of Austin.  All appointments are scheduled through the Public Safety Wellness Center.
• Medical Assessment - Conducted by the City of Austin's Public Safety Wellness Center physicians.
• Medical Treadmill Fitness Test: Cardiovascular fitness will be assessed using a graded treadmill exercise protocol. This assessment starts with a 3-minute warm-up at 3 miles per hour and 0% incline. Following the warm-up, the protocol increases speed or incline at the start of each minute until the candidate achieves 85% of their maximum heart rate.

STAGE	TIME  (minutes)	SPEED (mph)	INCLINE (% grade)
Warm up	0:00 – 2:59	3.0	0
I	3:00 – 3:59	4.5	0
II	4:00 – 4:59	4.5	2
III	5:00 – 5:59	5.0	2
IV	6:00 – 6:59	5.0	4
V	7:00 – 7:59	5.5	4
VI	8:00 – 8:59	5.5	6
VII*	9:00 – 10:59	6.0	6

 

Disqualification criteria includes, but is not limited to: alcohol and drug testing; criminal arrests and convictions; and/or certain tattoos and tunnels. Learn more about disqualification criteria.

Fitness Expectations

Cadets in the Austin Fire Department must meet the fitness expectations on the first day of the Academy. Those include:

1.5 Mile Run

Minimum:    Under 12 minutes Competitive:    Under 10:40

Metronome Pushups

Minimum:    30 push-ups at 80 beats/minute onto 5 inch tall prop Competitive:    43 push-ups at 80 beats/minute onto 5 inch tall prop

Metronome Inverted Rows

Minimum:    30 inverted rows at 80 beats/minute up to a 5 inch tall prop Competitive:    40 inverted rows at 80 beats/minute up to a 5 inch tall prop

Side Plank

Minimum:    1:13/side   Competitive:    1:20/side

 

The following exercises will be taught and developed throughout the cadet academy:

Tower Stair Climb

Minimum:    18-story stair climb with 35 lbs additional weight (vest, dumbbells, etc) Competitive:    27-story stair climb with 35 lbs additional weight (vest, dumbbells, etc.)

Familiarity with variations of the squat, deadlift, overhead press, and bent-over row: Strength training is a large component of the cadet physical training program. Proficiency in these movements is helpful but not necessary prior to the start of the academy.

Remember: Proper warm-up and cool down will aid in injury prevention and quicker strength gains.

Ranked Eligibility List

In compliance with relevant regulations and laws, Fire Cadets will be appointed from this eligibility list in sequential order throughout the duration of the life of the list (24 months).

Fire Cadet Academies are slated for 2025, with sessions scheduled in January and October. Please be aware that the scheduling of Cadet Academies is contingent upon the operational needs of the Department. It's important to note that successful completion of pre-hire assessments does not guarantee placement in an Academy class, as availability is subject to the presence of open slots in the respective class.

Final Employment Offer

You’re in! You’re officially a part of the hottest team in town and will begin your designated Fire Academy with the rest of your cadet class. CONGRATULATIONS!