Firefighter

The City of San Luis Obispo has multiple openings for Firefighters. 

ENTRY-LEVEL APPLICANTS must be active on the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) Statewide Eligibility List (SEL) with a score of 80 or higher by the application closing date, Friday, September 25, 2026. 

LATERAL APPLICANTS do not need to be on the FCTC list but must be an active firefighter with a minimum of 1 year of full-time, professional firefighting experience. Please note that if you are a lateral applicant, you are not required to possess and upload a current CPAT/BPAT certificate; however, if offered the position, you will be required to have a CPAT/BPAT certificate before February 1, 2027. 
 
Please attach ALL certifications required for this position.

ATTACHMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION ATTACHMENT NOTE: Name the documents/files with the name of the certification followed by last, first name (e.g., Paramedic License - Smith, John).
Entry-Level Applicants	Lateral Applicants
Required: CA State Firefighter I Academy Certificate/Equivalent or Attestation	Required: CA State Firefighter I Academy Certificate/Equivalent
Required: Current CPAT/BPAT dated on or after 9/1/2025	Required: EMT Certification or Paramedic License
Required: EMT Certification or Paramedic License	Optional: Current CPAT/BPAT dated on or after 9/1/2025.   Will be required if offered the position

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE: 

• Friday, September 25, 2026 at 5:00 pm: Application Period Closes

• September 28 – October 9, 2026: Application Screening Window

• Week of October 12 – 16, 2026: Application Status Updates - All candidates will receive a status notification at the email address used to apply. Please monitor your inbox closely.

• Week of October 27 – 30, 2026: In-Person Oral Board Interviews (Held at a City of San Luis Obispo facility; details sent directly to top candidates). 

FIREFIGHTER CANDIDATE TESTING CENTER (FCTC) DETAILS

• Statewide Eligibility List (SEL): Learn how to get placed on the SEL at https://www.fctconline.org/sel /

• Testing Schedules: View upcoming Cal-JAC CPAT and FCTC Written Test dates at  https://www.fctconline.org/testingschedules/

• Financial Assistance: Candidates experiencing financial hardship may apply for test fee assistance at https://www.fctconline.org/financialaid/

• IMPORTANT: It is your sole responsibility to ensure your contact information in your FCTC profile matches what you are putting on this application to be accurately matched to the SEL. (FCTC ID#, Name, Email Address, Phone Number, etc.). 

JOB SUMMARY:
Under general supervision of a Fire Engineer or Fire Captain, the Firefighter serves citizens, visitors, business owners, and other City employees, while demonstrating competence and compassion in the areas of firefighting, rescue, emergency medical aid, and fire prevention activities in protecting life and property. Provides public education; as assigned, assists with training activities, mobile crisis unit and program management; operates and maintains fire apparatus and pumps and other firefighting equipment on a relief basis.

CLASS CHARACTERISTICS:
This class requires the application of highly specialized knowledge and skill in one or more areas in an emergency response environment. This class is distinguished from Fire Engineer in that the Fire Engineer carries the primary responsibility of operating and maintaining fire pumping engines and other firefighting equipment.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:
Works under the general supervision of Fire Captain or Fire Engineer. May provide work direction and/or instruction to less experienced Firefighters or interns. 

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
(Any one position may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all tasks that may be found in positions of this class.)

• Provide exemplary customer service to all individuals by demonstrating a willingness to be attentive, understanding, responsive, fair, courteous, and respectful, and to actively participate in maintaining a positive customer service environment. 
• Works well as a member of a team, including during urgent and emergency situations.
• Responds skillfully and compassionately to emergency and non-emergency fires, medical aids, rescues, hazardous materials spills and releases, disasters, and public assists. 
• Demonstrates excellent listening and communication skills and knowledge of current fire service issues.
• Responds to fire alarms with fire company while on duty and individually when off duty. 
• Responds to all natural disasters threatening the City.
• Renders skilled, compassionate first aid, Basic Life Support, and assists with Advanced Life Support and or mental health clinician. 
• Firefighters licensed as a Paramedic provide Advanced Life Support.
• Performs the following duties under adverse conditions including Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) atmospheres, extreme weather conditions, in confined or elevated positions, and other high-risk environments, and during all hours of the day and for extended periods without rest: 
  • Raises, extends, climbs, and lowers ladders. 
  • Carries and uses heavy equipment.
  • Makes forcible entry into buildings.
  • Ventilation procedures to drive out smoke and gas.
  • Connects and lays hose lines.
  • Enters IDLH atmospheres to suppress fire and/or rescue victims.
  • Stabilizes compromised structures.
  • Operates nozzles and applies water streams in fire situations.
  • Assists in salvage and cleanup operations.
  • Assists in operations to ensure that fire is completely extinguished.
  • Operates all required functions while wearing personal protective equipment, including a self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Operates/maintains fire extinguishers.
• Creates and maintains accurate documentation including such documents as patient care reports, fire reports, fire prevention reports, training records, and other program reports as assigned
• Assists in fire investigation.
• Keeps abreast of latest fire safety developments.
• Participates in Emergency Medical Service (EMS) continuing education training and maintains Emergency Medical Technician certification or Paramedic license and Accreditation, as assigned.
• Inspects business establishments, residences, public buildings, and other buildings in enforcement of laws and regulations pertaining to fire and hazard prevention
• Maintains skills through continued education and training.
• Performs duties of Fire Engineer on a relief basis.
• Assists in the repair, maintenance, inspection and testing of vehicles and equipment assigned to the Fire Department.
• Assists in the maintenance of clean and orderly conditions in and about fire stations.
• Gives station tours and public education presentations for adults and children's groups.
• May be required to work a forty-hour work week.
• Studies and adheres to Fire Department rules, policies, and procedures.
• Participates in a variety of public education programs.
• Engages in fitness activities and maintains fitness as a means of safely and effectively performing all essential duties while minimizing risk of injury.
• Communicate with Fire Captain/Company Officer, and other fire crew members to keep them informed of changes in equipment status during non-emergencies, and changes during emergency situations; communicate with oncoming shift members of changes in equipment status; and complete written forms to keep track of personal records (e.g., timecards, shift-trades, personal exposure records, etc.). 
• Critique emergencies and participate in pre-fire planning, critiquing, and discussing actions taken at emergency calls; making on-site visits to become familiar with specific hazards within district; and participating in discussions of how to improve actions at emergency calls. 
• May be assigned to work with the Mobile Crisis Unit (MCU) Mental Health Clinician to proactively respond, report and provide care to persons in crisis, perform general outreach welfare checks and transport persons safely to non-emergency room facilities such as specialized treatment clinics, mental health, and drug/alcohol rehab services. 
• Performs related duties similar to the above in scope and function as required. 

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:
Knowledge of:

• Effective interpersonal communication skills within a work team and with the general public.
• Principles of out-of-hospital Basic and/or Advanced Life Support procedures.

Ability to:

• Continue personal and professional development, including learn advanced firefighting, rescue, and medical methods and equipment, and to apply such knowledge to specific situations and to local requirements. 
• Learn to drive fire equipment carefully and safely in accordance with traffic laws and ordinances and learn the City’s Street and water systems. 
• Learn fire prevention and inspection principles.
• Learn, understand, and adhere to Fire Department and City policies, procedures, including the current Memorandum of Agreement between the City and the International Association of Firefighters Local 3523.
• Understand the principles of hydraulics. 
• Perform required maintenance of firefighting equipment. 
• Think and act quickly and correctly in emergencies. 
• Understand and carry out oral and written directions.  
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.  
• Carry out work assignments involving danger to life and health.  
• Climb ladders and work at heights. 
• Work in confined spaces using respiratory protection. 
• Have sufficient strength, agility, and endurance to perform strenuous work under adverse and dangerous conditions.
• Perform routine station house maintenance work. 
• Learn a variety of firefighting duties within the probationary period, including passing a driving and pumping exam. 
• Speak effectively in public to diverse individuals and groups.
• Meet requirements as established by the Federal government and the State of California.
• Work with others on a team, contributing to an overall effort; work closely with other people; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisors, and the public. 
• Apply mechanical principles (e.g., how pulleys, gears, levers, engines, motors, etc., work). 
• Visualize spatial arrangements and 3-dimensional characteristics of structure (e.g., visualize entry and exits to structures in smoke-filled rooms). 
• Requires a willingness to work in unpleasant, hazardous, and stressful conditions; perform undesirable, routine, or monotonous duties; work irregular hours; wear protective clothing and equipment; work effectively in confined areas; tolerate offensive sights and smells.
• Read and interpret basic maps in order to apply this information during emergency activities (e.g., finding most direct route). 
• Read and understand simply technical or mechanical diagrams, blueprints of structures, building plans, floor plans, etc. in order to apply this information during emergency and non-emergency activities (e.g., pre-fire planning, location of victims in structures, etc.) 
• Read and understand reference materials such as Building Codes as needed for pre-fire planning, inspections, etc.
• Perform basic mathematical calculations to compute pump requirements, hose, and hydrant requirements, etc. (e.g., volume, flow, capacity, etc.) and to compute the size of a building or room or determine the distance from one location to another (e.g., area, square footage, distance, size). 
• Inductively solve basic problems (i.e., to induce means to infer general principles from specific or particular points, such as knowledge of fire behavior applied to a specific fire). 
• Deductively solve basic problems (i.e., deduce means to infer specific or particular points from a general principle, such as observation of water hammer to actions being taken at the hydrant or pump).
• Estimate size, quantity, distance, and slope (e.g., estimate size and spread of a fire). 
• React in an emotionally appropriate manner during routine and emergency situations.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent.
License or Certification: 

• Minimum of a valid California Class C driver's license and a satisfactory driving record
• California State Firefighter 1 Academy Certificate or equivalent accredited academy having established reciprocity (i.e., Pro-Board or IFSAC). 
• And at least one of the following:
  1. Nationally Registered or California State Emergency Medical Technician
  2. Nationally Registered Paramedic License and must become San Luis Obispo County Accredited within 3 months of academy completion.
  3. California State Paramedic License and must become San Luis Obispo County Accredited within 3 months of academy completion.

FCTC: Active on the Firefighter Candidate Testing Center (FCTC) list with a score of 80 or greater.
Physical: Current Candidate Physical Abilities Test (CPAT) or Biddle Physical Agility Test (BPAT) certificate; must comply with the department fitness standards, non-smoking and drug testing policies.
Desirable: An associate degree in Fire Science and/or bachelor’s degree. Nationally Registered Paramedic License or California State Paramedic License, and the possession of or ability to obtain San Luis Obispo County Paramedic Accreditation (resulting in a 12% pay incentive).
For Lateral Firefighter, in addition to the above: Active Firefighter with a minimum of one year of full-time, professional firefighting experience having successfully completed probation. Applicants are not required to be active on the FCTC list. 

THIS POSITION WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUCCESSFULLY PASS:

• Pre-employment physical
• Pre-employment drug testing
• Background check