Individuals interested in a career with Salt Lake City Fire Department should carefully read the information contained on this employment website page. It will provide you with important facts and requirements for employment with the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

INTRODUCTION

THE DEADLINE FOR PLACING YOUR NAME ON THE INTEREST LIST HAS NOW EXPIRED. THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE WRITTEN TEST HAS ALSO EXPIRED. WE WILL BEGIN THE NEXT WRITTEN EXAMINATION PROCESS IN EARLY 2010.

Salt Lake City Fire Department administers an entry level testing process every two years to establish a list of qualified firefighter and firefighter/paramedic candidates.

After the written examination and B-PAD examination have been completed, successful candidates will be ranked on a hiring register approved by Salt Lake City Civil Service Commission. As openings occur in the Fire Department over the two year period, candidates will be chosen from the list for further testing and consideration. The SLCFD abides by other Civil Service rules and regulations in the application, testing, and hiring process.

Two separate Eligibility Lists will be established from this process: Entry-Level Firefighter and Entry-Level Firefighter/Paramedic. Only those with current Utah Paramedic certification by the date of the written exam will be eligible for the Firefighter/Paramedic list. A candidate may be eligible for placement on both Eligibility Lists. A combination of candidates from both lists will be selected for future recruit classes. The composition of the class will depend upon needs of the department.

SHOULD I CHOOSE FIREFIGHTING AS A CAREER?

The primary responsibility of a firefighter is the protection of life and property efficiently and rapidly through rescue, firefighting and prevention. Those who choose it as their career will sometimes have no choice but to put their lives and personal safety on the line for the safety and well being of their community and its’ citizens. Firefighters must be willing to perform hazardous tasks under emergency conditions, which may require strenuous exertion under such adverse conditions as smoke, heat and cramped conditions. Firefighters may also face working conditions, which involve such events as chemical spills, explosions, floods, and electrical hazards.

Persons wishing to become firefighters should have the ability to work as part of a team. Teamwork is an essential part of the job because it reduces the potential for injuries and loss of life, as well as increasing the effectiveness of handling emergency situations.

Cooperation and the ability to get along with others are essential characteristics for firefighters at the fire scene and also at the fire station. Since firefighters work on 24-hour shifts, it is important that they are able to get along with their peers.

Firefighting demands a high level of dedication and professionalism from those who choose it as their career. Firefighters must possess the courage and stamina to risk their lives for the sake of others. They also must study long hours and go through extensive periods of training to become effective and efficient professional firefighters. In return, they are offered a challenging and exciting job, which serves the community, good pay and benefits, and excellent opportunities for advancement.

WORK SCHEDULE

Salt Lake City Fire Department has a three-platoon system (A, B or C). Full-time firefighters are scheduled to work twenty-four consecutive hours, and then are scheduled off for twenty-four hours. They repeat this cycle three times, and then have four consecutive days off.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Citizenship – Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen by the date of the written exam.

Age – Applicants must be at least 18 years of age by the date of the written exam. There is no maximum age limit.

Driver License and driving record – Applicants must possess or be able to obtain a valid Utah Driver license by the time of employment and also have a good driving record.

Education – Applicants must have a high school diploma, G.E.D., or equivalent prior to taking the B-PAD test.

PREFERENCE POINTS

In order to receive preference points for any of the following, individuals are requested to provide copies at the time of the written exam. (Please make sure you bring a copy with you, as the facility does not have a copy machine on the premises.) Points shall be awarded only when the appropriate proof is provided.

EMT/ Paramedic Certification – Firefighters are required to be EMT Certified. Applicants who do not possess this certification must obtain it within the first months of hire. The State of Utah does not recognize National EMT or Paramedic certifications. In order to receive preference points for these certifications, individuals must have a Utah EMT Certification or Utah Paramedic Certification by the date of the written exam. Individuals may apply for reciprocity through the State Bureau of Emergency Medical Services at (801) 538-6435. It generally takes 90 days to complete the reciprocity process.

Military/Veteran Preference – Veterans’ preference shall be granted to all persons who have served in the armed forces of the United States in any declared or undeclared war, conflict, engagement, expedition, or campaign for which a campaign badge has been authorized, and who has met the requirements of service or disability, or both. Note: Applicants currently serving on active duty are not veterans, unless they have previously separated from the armed forces of the United States. Applicants are requested to provide a copy of their DD-214 and attach it to the Test Registration Form provided in this handbook.

Upon determination of the candidate’s total numerical score (which will include results from both the written exam and a B-PAD exam), preference points will be added to the final scores of those who made the cut-off. Points are as follows:

Veteran’s Preference Points 5
Disabled Veteran’s Points 10
EMT Preference Points 1*
Paramedic Preference Points 2*

*You will only receive credit for your current certification.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Firefighters must be of sound mental and physical health and meet medical standards established by the different jurisdictions.

Due to the nature of this job, the examination is very thorough.

Height & Weight – There is no minimum or maximum height requirement. Weight should be proportionate to height (tested by measuring percent of body fat).

Eyesight – Visual acuity, without correction, worse than 20/40 in one eye and 20/100 in the other eye; or visual acuity, with correction, worse than 20/20 in one eye, and 20/40 in the other eye is cause for rejection.

Color Vision – Failure to identify red or green or both is cause for rejection.

Hearing – Hearing acuity loss by audiometric test of 20 decibels or more for the speech frequencies in either ear or loss of speech reception of phonetically balanced words at or below 90 percent normal reception for either ear is cause for rejection.

Blood Pressure – Hypertension evidenced by preponderant blood pressure readings of 150 mm or more systolic in an individual over 35 years of age or preponderant readings of 140 mm or more systolic in an individual 35 years of age or less is cause for rejection. Preponderant pressure over 90 mm diastolic is cause for rejection at any age.

Drug Screen – Candidates who are selected for hire must pass a physical examination, including a drug screen.

HIRING STANDARDS

The Fire Chief will not recommend to the Civil Service Commission the hiring of you as a firefighter for SLCFD if:

- You have been convicted of a felony crime, or a crime for which you would be required to register per Utah Law.
- You have been convicted of a DUI within two (2) years of your application; or convicted of two (2) DUI’s, regardless of the time limit.
- You have been convicted of Domestic Violence or Domestic Assault.
- You have been dishonorably discharged from any Military Service.

Taking or possessing without prescription or experimenting with any of the drugs in the following categories will be disqualifying within five (5) years of the date of application:

- Hallucinogens (i.e., LSD, PCP, peyote, mushrooms, mescaline, etc.)
- Narcotics (i.e., heroin, morphine, opium, codeine, methadone, etc.) Taking or possessing without prescription or experimenting with any of the drugs in the following categories will be disqualifying within two (2) years of the date of application:
- Cannabis substances (i.e., marijuana, hashish, hash oil, etc.)

Other areas of concern include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Employment / Military history
- Driving history
- Criminal activity / Involvement
- Truthfulness / Character issues

INFORMATION REGARDING PHASES OF THE EXAMINATION/HIRING PROCESS

Written Examination – On the day of the written exam, you MUST bring picture identification and verification of your birth date, such as a driver license, passport, or military I.D. card. You should also bring two sharpened #2 pencils. The exam will last approximately three hours.

B-PAD – (Behavioral Personnel Assessment Device) Applicants who score high enough on the written exam will be referred for further consideration to participate in the B-PAD examination. You will be notified of the exact date, time and place of the B-PAD examinations.

CPAT – (Candidate Physical Ability Test) Prior to being offered employment, candidates must pass a physical ability exam. Eligible applicants will be notified of the exam location, date and time by mail.

Medical Examination – After being offered employment, successful candidates will be required to complete and pass a thorough medical examination, including a drug screen. Physicians who perform the medical examination consider the severity of any problem in making the pass/fail decision. Some standards are specific such as blood pressure; others such as color blindness may have varying degrees of acceptability.

Psychological Exam – In addition, candidates selected for hire must pass a Psychological Examination. It is important to note that the examination is not designed to measure mental health. Rather, the examination compares your profile to that of a successful firefighter in the Salt Lake City Fire Department. The Department has carefully reviewed the psychological examination and we believe this examination is a good predictor of success as a firefighter.

Background Investigation – Successful candidates will be required to undergo a background investigation. The investigation may explore such areas as employment history, driving record, arrest and conviction record, personal references, and history of use of controlled substances or alcohol. Firefighters are held to a high standard when it comes to integrity and ethics.

DETAILED OVERVIEW OF TEST PHASES

WRITTEN EXAMINATION

The first part of the exam process is the written exam. After the written exam is administered, a cut off score will be determined. The cut off score will be determined by evaluating department need, the potential for adverse impact and other factors. We expect that 100 -150 applicants will be allowed to participate in the next phase which is the B-PAD test. All applicants will be notified by mail of their written exam results. Applicants who score above the cut off will be notified to report for the B-PAD Test.

The material in the examination will not be fire specific. It will be a general aptitude type of test.

Note: Failure to attend and complete the written examination on the assigned date and time will disqualify the candidate from this year’s process. If an applicant is disqualified during the written examination phase of the test process, he/she must wait until the deployment of the City’s next written exam. The testing process is generally conducted every two years.

BEHAVIORIAL PERSONNEL ASSESSMENT DEVICE (B-PAD)

B-PAD is a video test. It is not a test of knowledge; rather, it is a test of a candidate’s judgment and interpersonal competence in dealing with different types of people in different job-specific situations. (Note – It is not necessary to have previous Firefighter or Paramedic Experience to be successful in obtaining a high score on the B-PAD test)

Candidates taking the B-PAD video test are placed in front of a monitor. They are presented a series of eight professionally acted and produced video simulations. At a particular point in each scene, the word “respond” appears on the monitor and the applicant then has 45 seconds to respond verbally, as if he or she were actually at the scene responding to real people in a real situation. A video camera, placed next to the monitor, records the applicant’s response for later scoring by trained raters.

CANDIDATE PHYSICAL ABILITY TEST (CPAT) The physical skills a firefighter needs to possess will be tested in this portion of the exam process. This exam is very strenuous because the work of a firefighter can be very strenuous. The exam will be comprised of components in which you will have to lift, carry, pull and climb to show that you have the ability to do the activities required of a firefighter. Each exercise will demonstrate an important physical ability.

CPAT is a standardized test adopted by the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

The IAFF/ICHIEFS have teamed up with ten of North America’s leading fire departments and unions through the Fire Service Joint Labor Management Wellness/Fitness Initiative and developed and validated the CPAT, resulting in a consistent test for hiring of candidate firefighters. The test is currently being used by 230+ cities nationwide. It will be administered at Utah Valley State College. Not all candidates will initially go through the CPAT process; rather they will be sent as needed according to openings. If a candidate can provide proof or documentation that they have successfully completed a CPAT test within the last year, they will not be required to retake the CPAT test in Utah.

The CPAT is a sequence of eight events requiring you to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner. This test was developed to allow fire departments to obtain trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes. This is a pass/fail test based on a validated maximum total time of 10 minutes and 20 seconds. All finalist candidates will be given a CPAT orientation guide / preparation manual and the option to go through an orientation of the actual events at least eight weeks in advance of their test.

EVENT 1 – Stair Climb

This event uses a StepMill stair climbing machine. The machine is positioned with one side up against a wall and an elevated proctor platform on the side opposite the wall. A single handrail on the wall side is available for you to grasp while mounting and dismounting the StepMill. Additional steps are placed at the base of the StepMill to assist you in mounting the StepMill.

For this event, you must wear two 12.5-pound weights on your shoulders to simulate the weight of a high-rise pack. Prior to the initiation of the timed CPAT, there is a 20-second warm-up on the StepMill at a set stepping rate of 50 steps per minute. During this warm-up period, you are permitted to dismount, grasp the rail or hold the wall to establish balance and cadence. If you fall or dismount the StepMill during the 20-second warm-up period, you must remount the StepMill and restart the entire 20-second warm-up period. You are allowed to restart the warm-up period twice. The timing of the test begins at the end of this warm-up period when the proctor who call the word “START”. There is no break in time between the warm-up period and the actual timing of the test. For the test, you must walk on the StepMill at a set stepping rate of 60 steps per minute for 3 minutes. This concludes the event. The two 12.5-pound weights are removed from your shoulders. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 2 – Hose Drag

This event uses an uncharged fire hose with a hoseline nozzle. The hoseline is marked at 8 feet past the coupling at the nozzle to indicate the maximum amount of hose you are permitted to drape across your shoulder or chest. The hoseline is also marked at 50 feet past the coupling at the nozzle to indicate the amount of hoseline that you must pull into a marked boundary box before completing the test. For this event, you must grasp a hoseline nozzle attached to 200 feet of 1 ¾-inch hose. Place the hoseline over your shoulder or across your chest, not exceeding the 8-foot mark. You are permitted to run during the hose drag. You will drag the hose 75 feet to a pre-positioned drum, make a 90 degree turn around the drum, and continue an additional 25 feet. Stop within the marked 5 foot x 7 foot box, drop to at least one knee and pull the hoseline until the hoseline’s 50-foot mark crosses the finish line. During the hose pull, you must keep at least one knee in contact with the ground and knee(s) must remain within the marked boundary lines. This concludes the event. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 3 – Equipment Carry

This event uses two saws and a tool cabinet, replicating a storage cabinet on a fire truck. For this event, you must remove the two saws from the tool cabinet, one at a time, and place them on the ground. You will pick up both saws, one in each hand, and carry them while walking 75 feet around the drum, then back to the starting point. You are permitted to place the saw(s) on the ground and adjust your grip. Upon return to the tool cabinet, place the saws on the ground, pick up each saw one at a time, and replace the saw in the designated space in the cabinet. This concludes the event. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 4 – Ladder Raise and Extension

This event uses two 24-foot fire department ladders. For your safety, a retractable lanyard is attached to the ladder that you raise.

For this event, you must walk to the top rung of the 24-foot aluminum extension ladder, lift the unhinged end from the ground, and walk it up until it is stationary against the wall. This must be done in a hand over hand fashion, using each rung until the ladder to stationary against the wall. You must not use the ladder rails to raise the ladder. You will immediately proceed to the pre-positioned and secure 24-foot aluminum extension ladder, stand with both feet within the marked box of 36 inches x 36 inches , and extend the fly section hand over hand until it hits the stop. Then, lower the fly section hand over hand in a controlled fashion to the starting position. This concludes the event. You will walk 85 within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 5 – Forcible Entry

This event uses a mechanized device located 39 inches off the ground that measures cumulative force and a 10-pound sledgehammer. For this event, you must use a 10-pound sledgehammer to strike the measuring device in the target area until the buzzer is activated. During this event, you must keep your feet outside the toe-box at all times. After the buzzer is activated, you will place the sledgehammer on the ground. This concludes the event. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 6 – Search

This event uses an enclosed search maze that has obstacles and narrowed spaces. For this event, you must crawl through a tunnel maze that is approximately 3 feet high, 4 feet wide and 64 feet in length with two 90 degree turns. At a number of locations in the tunnel, you must navigate around, over and under obstacles. In addition, at two locations, you must crawl through a narrowed space where the dimensions of the tunnel are reduced. Your movement is monitored through the maze. If for any reason, you choose to end the event, call out or rap sharply on the wall or ceiling and you will be assisted out of the maze. Upon exit from the maze, the event is concluded. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 7 – Rescue

This event uses weighted mannequin equipment with a harness with shoulder handles. For this event, you must grasp a 165-pound mannequin by the handle(s) on the shoulders(s) of the harness (either one or both handles are permitted), drag it 35 feet to a pre-positioned drum, make a 180 degree turn around the drum, and continue an additional 35 feet to the finish line. You are not permitted to grasp or rest on the drum. It is permissible for the mannequin to touch the drum. You are permitted to drop and release the mannequin and adjust your grip. The entire mannequin must be dragged until it crosses the marked finish line. This concludes the event. You will walk 85 feet within the established walkway to the next event.

EVENT 8 – Ceiling Breach and Pull

This event uses a mechanized device that measures overhead push and pull forces and a pike pole. The pike pole is a commonly used piece of equipment that consists of a 6-foot long pole with a hook and point attached to one end.

For this event, you must remove the pike pole from the bracket, stand within the boundary established by the equipment frame, and place the tip of the pole on the painted area of the hinged door in the ceiling. Fully push up the 60-pound hinged door in the ceiling with the pike pole three times. Then, hook the pike pole to the 80-pound ceiling device and pull the pole down 5 times. Each set consists of three pushes and five pulls. Repeat the set four times. You are permitted to stop and, if needed, adjust your grip. Releasing your grip or allowing the pike pole handle to slip, without the pike pole falling to the ground, does not result in a warning or constitute a failure. You are permitted to re-establish your grip and resume the event. If you do not successfully complete a repetition, the proctor calls out “MISS” and you must push or pull the apparatus again to complete the repetition. This event and the total test time ends when you complete the final pull stroke repetition and indicated by a proctor who calls out “TIME”.

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT YOU SHOULD BE IN GOOD PHYSICAL CONDITION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PHYSICAL ABILITY EXAM TO PREVENT INJURY OR AGGRAVATION OF ANY EXISTING CONDITION THAT YOU MAY HAVE. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A RELEASE OF LIABILITY.

Applicants will be notified of the physical ability exam results by mail.

WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING HIRED?

Opportunity for Employment – Your chances for becoming a Firefighter depend upon the number of openings that occur and the number of people competing for the positions. It is difficult to determine exactly how many positions will be filled during the life of the register. Such factors as budget, retirements, and other unforeseen circumstances make estimates difficult. Hiring Procedure – Once the testing is complete, applicants will receive a final score, by which they will be rank-ordered on the hiring register. The final score is comprised of a standard score, which combines your written exam score and B-PAD exam score, adjusted by any preference points for which you are eligible. When a job vacancy occurs, the Human Resource Division, with necessary approval of the Civil Service Commission, will certify names on the hiring register following certification rules adopted by the Civil Service Commission. The hiring register developed as a result of this testing process will be good for a maximum of two years. Once the register expires, individuals still interested in the position of firefighter will be required to retake the examinations. It is your responsibility to keep the city informed of your current address and phone number during the entire time the list