Firefighter Paramedic Trainee

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city's historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

We are currently recruiting for both Firefighter Trainee and Firefighter Paramedic Trainee positions. Candidates who wish to be considered for both positions must submit a separate application for each recruitment. Click here to review the job announcement and application for Firefighter Trainee.

Why join the City of Oakland Fire Department?
OFD is a world-class fire department – the proud members of the Oakland Fire Department are committed to providing the highest quality and highest level of courteous and responsive services to the citizens of Oakland. This is accomplished by implementing comprehensive strategies and training in fire prevention, fire suppression, emergency medical services, and all risk mitigation, including human-caused and natural disasters, emergency preparedness, 9-1-1 services, and community-based fire services.

The Fire Fighter Trainee prepares for the sworn position of Fire Fighter. They participate in the intensive recruit training academy, which focuses on fire technology, prevention, public education, emergency response, fire suppression, search and rescue, emergency medical service, hazard mitigation, fitness and health, policies, procedures, and other response areas as assigned.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Trustworthy: You will be entrusted with the utmost responsibility in ensuring public safety. The public will rely on you to perform your job with their trust in mind. They will entrust you with their personal property, safety, privacy, loved ones' care, and even their lives.
• Physically Fit: You will make health and fitness essential to your lifestyle. You will need to be physically fit and able to withstand the Fire Fighter's physical and mental demands.
• A Communicator: You will demonstrate clear, intelligent, and courteous communication within the firehouse, on the fire ground, and when interacting with the public. As taught in couples therapy, you will also be expected to be an active listener, live, work, and get along with many personality types.
• Dedicated: You will be dedicated to what the job encompasses, meaning hard-working, hard training as you take pride in your work and strive to be the best at your assignments.
• A Team Player: You will be expected to be a team player and grasp the importance of the team concept. This entails others relying on you to perform your job efficiently and effectively.
• Conscious of Public Image: You will always maintain a good public image as a public servant. Your appearance is the first and sometimes the only thing people must go by before forming an opinion. As firefighters, how you look, speak, and conduct yourself in public, both on and off duty, will reflect on yourself and your department, and profession.
• Selfless:You will be equally concerned with the well-being of others as much as you are with your own well-being. You may volunteer your time to worthy causes and have a natural propensity to help others, and have a giving spirit. You will be courageous because you are willing to take risks and sacrifice to help others.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Participating in classroom lectures, seminars, and practical training sessions as directed in the Oakland Fire Department's training academy.
• Receiving training in firefighting activities such as; fire suppression, wildfire operations, hose evolutions, nozzle evolutions, use of extrication tools such as chain saws, axes, jaws of life, ladder raises, ropes and knots, fire extinguishers, water supply systems, fire prevention, public safety education, radio operations, map reading, salvage and overhaul operations, emergency response driving and fire pump operations
• Participating in fire drills and attending classes in firefighting, emergency medical procedures, hazardous materials, and related subjects.
• Learning the proper use and maintenance of fire-related apparatus, equipment, tools, and facilities.
• Learning about fire prevention and safety programs offered through the Oakland Fire Department, including vegetation management, building, structural, and other fire and life safety inspections, and disaster preparedness.
• Learning the policies, procedures, rules, and regulations of the City of Oakland and Oakland Fire Department, including ethics, diversity, and sexual harassment.

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will have the opportunity to be trained in and respond to a multitude of diverse and complex incidents that include high-rise buildings, Bay Area Rapid Transit, Port of Oakland, major interstate and railway networks, Oakland Airport, and wildland-urban interface.
• You will work with the department to respond to over 60,000 emergency incidents per year, including over 900 structure fires, rescue responses, medical aid, and other critical calls for service.
• You will operate on a three-platoon system and utilize a 48/96 work schedule for platoon coverage.
• You will be able to respond and train as part of specialized response teams. The Special Operations Division consists of four highly trained response teams: Aircraft Response, Firefighting & Rescue Services, Hazardous Materials Response Team, Technical Rescue Team, and the Water Rescue Response Team. Your Department is also the proud host of the FEMA-sponsored California Task Force 4 (CATF4), a Type 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team.
  You will have a generous salary and benefits package and opportunities for incentive pay and career advancement

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• Your career in firefighting is strenuous, both physically and mentally. You must maintain the highest physical and mental fitness level to succeed.
• You will be expected to operate safely and effectively in harrowing conditions, including but not limited to at high elevations, in hot environments, and under duress.
• You will have manipulative and academic benchmarks that must be successfully passed to move forward from trainee to probationary to incumbent firefighter ranks.

Education:

High school diploma or equivalent.

Experience:
None required. Six months of experience as a fully licensed and practicing Paramedic is desirable.

Licenses/Certificates/Cards/Course Requirements:

(Proof of required licenses/certificates/cards/course requirements must be submitted in th e following file formats: doc, docx, and PDF.) When completing your online employment profile, please upload the required documents by clicking on "Attachments" and then clicking on "Add Supplemental Attachment," and add each required document separately.

In order to be placed on the eligible list, you must possess and submit a current and valid:

• Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic (EMT-P) license/certification from Alameda County or equivalent (a current and valid National Registry EMT-Paramedic registration certificate with the ability to obtain accreditation with Alameda County within 9 months of appointment to the classification of Firefighter Paramedic).
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (BLS for Healthcare Provider) or (CPR/AED) certification from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, or Alameda County-approved equivalent. Even if you have a current EMT-P certification, you are still required to upload a current CPR certification to your application.
• Advanced Cardiac/Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) card
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) card
• Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHLTS) card (or International Trauma Life Support (ITLS) card)

The EMT-P, CPR/AED, ACLS, PALS, and PHLTS certifications will be verified after the oral exam is complete (tentatively scheduled for March If you do not have your certifications uploaded by the completion of the oral exam, you will not be considered for the first Fire Academy, but you will have an additional opportunity to upload them to your application to be considered for the second Fire Academy.

To be considered for the 2026 Fall Fire Academy, your certifications must be received by the completion of the oral board exam (tentatively scheduled for March 2026).

To be considered for the 2027 Fall Fire Academy, your certifications must be received by January 31, 2027.

The following certifications/licenses must be submitted at the time of the Chief's Interview (tentatively scheduled for April 2026):

Possession of a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) card issued by the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) or the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). *Please note: Your CPAT certificate is required to be issued within 1 year of the Chief's Interviews (tentatively scheduled for April 2026), so your CPAT should be issued in April 2025 or more recently.

The following certifications/licenses must be submitted at the time of hire:

Possession of a valid California Class "C" driver's license or possession of an equivalent out-of-state license and the ability to obtain a valid California Class "C" driver's license prior to completion of the academy. Individuals who are appointed to this position are expected to operate automotive vehicles in the performance of assigned duties. Individuals must possess and will be required to maintain a valid California Class "C" or higher Driver's License with an acceptable driving record while employed.

Other Requirements:
Age 18 (by January 11,

Pass a thorough background investigation.

U.S. citizen or legally authorized to work in the United States.

Must be physically capable of performing all tasks required of an Oakland Firefighter, including rigorous activities associated with emergency operations, and meet California Department of Motor Vehicles visual acuity standards necessary to maintain the required licenses. Fitness will initially be determined by possession of a CPAT certificate/card and the ability to pass a medical evaluation.

Vision of 20/20 corrected or uncorrected with both eyes with an acceptable level of color vision.

Bilingual skills are highly desirable.

Selection Process
The Firefighter Trainee classification is unclassified and, therefore, exempt from Civil Service Rules. For unclassified positions, the "rule of the list" applies, which means that the appointing authority may select from the entire eligible candidates (as opposed to receiving four ranks at a time). Some of the factors that will be considered in making selection decisions include each candidate's performance during each stage of the examination, the results of the background and personality suitability assessments, and the needs of the City and the Oakland Fire Department.

Stage I - Application Screening: The first stage in the selection process will consist of a review of each applicant's electronic employment application for minimum qualifications (weighted pass/fail), including responses to all supplemental questions.

Stage II - Written Examination: Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be sent an email notifying them that they are qualified to continue in the recruitment process during the week of January 12, 2026, with a link to schedule for the written exam, administered by National Testing Network (NTN). The written exam measures abilities such as reading comprehension, basic math, mechanical aptitude, and the ability to work and live as part of a team and appropriately represent the City of Oakland and the Oakland Fire Department. Candidates must complete the written exam by February 15, 2026, at 11:59 pm, online or at an NTN Testing Center. Candidates who have taken the written exam with NTN within the last 90 days must