Firefighter

Compensation: $52K

Applications are now CLOSED for Firefighter Recruit. The application window opened at 12:00 AM Arizona Time on Friday, June 9, 2023 and closed at 4:00 PM Arizona Time on June 26, 2023. No additional applications are being accepted. This posting is for INFORMATION ONLY. Please check back here often, as this page will be regularly updated throughout the 2023 recruitment and testing process with status updates, important dates and deadlines, and additional information. Please also check the email address used on your application frequently to ensure that you receive any important notifications timely. Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder in case the emails go there.

Applicants - Thank you for your interest in the Mesa Fire and Medical Department (MFMD)! This Firefighter - Recruit 2023 Information Posting will remain posted online throughout the selection process for the January 2024 Academy and throughout the duration of the 1-Year Eligible List. The exact dates and numbers for the January 2024 Academy have not been finalized, but MFMD anticipates hiring at least 25 candidates from this list for that academy and at least another 25 candidates for the August 2024 Academy. The testing process will be different than previous years, including offering remote virtual testing and multi-date, nationwide testing options for both the Written Exam AND Oral Board Interview assessments. Please pay careful attention to all information and instructions listed below.

On June 8th, MFMD hosted a live social media recruitment event which offered information on the Firefighter Recruit position, the testing process, and how to submit a successful application. If you missed it, we encourage you to view the recorded session here: https://my.mesaaz.gov/3CmbFSi. On June 28th, MFMD hosted a second live social media event which covered more information about the upcoming testing process phases (the virtual Written Exam, the virtual Oral Board Interviews (new for 2023), and the Intern Orientation). If you missed it, you're encouraged to view the recording here: https://my.mesaaz.gov/3r5tD9w. Many helpful questions and answers were addressed during the session, and a representative from NTN also participated in the event to provide more insight on the virtual Written Exam testing process and answered questions specific to that component.

Firefighter - Recruit is the entry class, as Mesa Fire and Medical Department does not accept lateral transfers of Firefighters from other Departments.

Application and Status Reminders:


Applications were only accepted online via governmentjobs.com while the recruitment was open. Applications are not accepted after the recruitment closed.
All times are Arizona times, so please plan accordingly if you are in another time zone.
The governmentjobs.com account you used to apply must be your own account and must reflect the same name on your government-issued photo ID.
The email address you entered on your City of Mesa application will be used to send you communication during this recruitment and testing process, so please ensure it is accurate and up to date. You must use an email address that is unique to you and not shared with another applicant. If you need to update your email address at any time during the recruitment process, please log into your governmentjobs.com account and update it in your profile.
To log in to your existing governmentjobs.com account (remember the name must match your photo ID), go to https://www.governmentjobs.com/ and click LOG IN.
If you have forgotten your username or need to reset your password, click LOG IN and then Forgot Username or Reset Password.
For step-by-step application information and the answers to common questions, go to https://www.governmentjobs.com/home/applicationguide https://www.governmentjobs.com/home/faq.
For other governmentjobs.com technical support, call 855-524-5627.
Local public libraries may provide computer access if needed.
Like booking an airplane ticket, the name you entered on your application must match the name on your official, government-issued photo ID which will be required to test. Your photo must reasonably match as well.
If you change your name during the testing and selection process, proof of your legal name change will be required.
Be sure you did not opt-out of email communications from governmentjobs.com since all testing information, invitations to test, scores, etc. will be sent via email. Attempts will not be made to contact you if your email returns as undeliverable or if you have opted out of email communications. If you accidentally opted out, please log into your governmentjobs.com account and update your communication preferences in your profile.
Applicants were encouraged to opt-in to text messages from governmentjobs.com so they will receive text message updates and reminders about critical information during the testing process. If you accidentally opted out, please log into your governmentjobs.com account and update your communication preferences in your profile.
We encourage you to check your email frequently and check your junk and spam email settings. If you receive a text message asking you to check your email for important information, please check your email as soon as possible.
If you submitted multiple applications, only the last application you submitted will be considered.
Once an application has been submitted, it cannot be modified.
Attachments were not accepted with Firefighter - Recruit applications. Please do not email cover letters, resumes, or other documentation to add to your application as they are not being accepted at this time. Applicants will be notified later in the process when further documentation is requested and how to submit it at that time.
Documentation for Preference Points based on veteran or disability status must show that you meet the eligibility requirements (which for veterans includes both the length of service and character of service). For information about preference points eligibility and documentation, please review the Arizona state statute information at https://www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=16852. Documentation for Preference Points was not accepted with applications but will be collected later in the process. Please do not email documentation for Preference Points. More information about the submission of documentation for Preference Points will be provided via email by Thursday, July 6, 2023 by 6:00 p.m. Arizona time to applicants who meet the requirements to test.
To be invited to test, your answers on the supplemental application questions must have truthfully indicated: Yes, you were 18 years of age or older as of Friday, June 9, 2023; Yes, you had a high school diploma or GED as of Friday, June 9, 2023; Yes, you already had or could obtain an Arizona Class D (standard) Driver's License by hire date; and No, you did not have an ignition interlock device (IID) at the time of application. This information will be verified during the hiring process and falsification of information will result in disqualification. For out-of-state applicants who would be relocating if hired, new Arizona residents can transfer their license from another state.
Integrity is highly valued, and it is essential that you be honest and truthful. During the application process, you were asked questions related to criminal and traffic violation convictions. The information disclosed in these sections will not necessarily bar you from further consideration. Other factors will be considered such as the nature of the conviction(s), job relatedness, and business necessity.
After you have submitted your application, you should have received a confirmation message on your screen, and you also should have received a confirmation email from governmentjobs.com that your application was submitted. To verify your application submission online, you can also log into your account and click on the Applications & Status tab.
You can print your application by clicking on Applications > Job Title > Print.
After the recruitment closed and all applications have been screened, you will receive an email from City of Mesa Human Resources with your status and next steps.
All applicants will be notified of their status via email by Thursday, July 6, 2023 by 6:00 p.m. Arizona time. If you have not received an email with your status after that time, please contact City of Mesa Human Resources at (480) 644-2758 for assistance (Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Arizona time; closed Friday - Sunday).

Applicants who meet the requirements to test will be invited to the Written Exam. The Written Exam will be used to establish the Eligible List of applicants qualified to move forward in the recruitment and selection process for MFMD. For the 2023 Firefighter Recruit testing process, the City of Mesa’s Written Exam will once again be offered through National Testing Network (NTN) during the testing window of July 6, 2023 through July 17, 2023. There will be multiple testing options offered, including taking the test at one of NTN’s nationwide testing centers as well as a virtual option to take the test at your own private location. Candidates who tested previously with NTN and have current valid FireTEAM test scores may submit their existing valid FireTEAM test score for Mesa’s Firefighter Recruit testing process without having to test again. NTN test scores are valid for up to one year. MFMD will cover the full cost of the testing or transfer of valid scores for all applicants invited to test during Mesa’s recruitment process. More information about registering to test and submission of valid existing scores will be provided via email by Thursday, July 6, 2023 by 6:00 p.m. Arizona time to applicants who meet the requirements to test. Please do not attempt to register for testing for MFMD on NTN’s website at this time. Registration will be invitation-only and the detailed information and instructions to register with NTN will be sent only to the qualified applicants by July 6, 2023 by 6:00 p.m. Arizona time.

If you are invited to the Written Exam and may require reasonable accommodation due to a disability to participate in the Written Exam, please download the Reasonable Accommodation Request form here and follow the instructions indicated on the form to submit it for consideration by NTN by July 10, 2023, 8:00 a.m. Arizona time. More information about Reasonable Accommodation Requests can be found in NTN’s FAQ #16 here.

According to A.R.S. 38-492, Preference Points are awarded to veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States, disabled persons, disabled veterans, a veteran's spouse or surviving spouse under certain circumstances, and veterans with service-connected disabilities. More information regarding point values and eligibility can be found here: https://www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=16852. For Preference Points, a copy of your official documentation verifying eligibility for Preference Points (example: DD214, Form FL-802, etc.) will be required. For Veteran's Preference Points, the documentation must indicate both the length of service and character of service. Preference points are added only to passing scores on the Written Exam. Documentation for Preference Points will not be accepted with your application, but will be collected later in the process. Please do not email documentation for Preference Points. More information about the submission of documentation for Preference Points will be provided via email by Thursday, July 6, 2023 by 6:00 p.m. Arizona time to applicants who meet the requirements to test.

The Written Exam will be scored by NTN. While performance feedback may be provided by NTN at the completion of your test, you will not receive your score directly from NTN. Your Written Exam score and your Eligible List status will be emailed to you by City of Mesa Human Resources by Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 6:00 pm Arizona time. If you have questions regarding exam performance feedback provided by NTN, please contact NTN Candidate Support directly by phone at 206-428-3265, or by ticket or chat here.

Firefighter-Recruit is a trainee class used to prepare incumbents for performing public safety work involving the protection of life and property and the delivery of Mesa Fire and Medical Department (MFMD) programs. Preparation involves training in fire suppression, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and emergency and nonemergency incident response. A Firefighter-Recruit must demonstrate the ability to use fire suppression and emergency medical services skills in accordance with MFMD standards, as well as engage in fire code enforcement, public education, and station and equipment maintenance activities prior to academy graduation. This class is also responsible for performing related duties as required.

While enrolled in the Mesa Firefighter-Recruit Training Academy, employees are assigned to work 8-hour or 10-hour shifts and 40-hour work weeks, and receive close supervision from a Fire Captain assigned as the Fire Training Officer who reviews and evaluates work in progress and upon completion to ensure conformance to standard operating procedures. Upon successful completion of the academy, Firefighter-Recruits are promoted to the Firefighter classification and begin serving their regular probation period as a City of Mesa Firefighter. Incumbents are then required to work 12-hour or 24-hour shift schedules, although they may be assigned to work 8-hour or 10-hour shifts and 40-hour work weeks while assisting on special projects. New Firefighters receive close supervision from a Fire Captain who reviews and evaluates their work in progress. This class is FLSA nonexempt.

Firefighter - Recruits learn to perform emergency medical treatment and to ventilate burning buildings by opening windows and holes in roofs and floors, position and climb ladders to gain access to the upper levels of buildings, assist in advancing hose lines and making connections to hydrants, direct streams of water on fires, and perform search and rescue operations inside burning buildings, while wearing personal protective equipment weighing approximately 70 pounds that significantly impairs body cooling, in high humidity (up to 100 percent) situations, relying on self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for ventilation, and in environments with extreme temperature fluctuations (400+ degrees Fahrenheit). For the job descriptions for Firefighter - Recruit and Firefighter, see the job description links.

PAY:
Firefighter - Recruit Pay $52,198 Annually
Mesa Firefighter Pay (After Promotion from FFR Academy) $54,928 Annually
Qualifications & Requirements
Employee Values: All employees of the City of Mesa are expected to uphold and exhibit the City's shared employee values of Knowledge, Respect, and Integrity.

Minimum Qualifications Required.

Must be at least 18 years of age by Friday, June 9, 2023.
Graduation from high school or GED by Friday, June 9, 2023.
Successful completion of the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) with a licensed CPAT agency is not required test. Passing the CPAT will be required within one year of the first day of Intern Orientation for each Academy. For the January 2024 Academy, the first day of Intern Orientation is anticipated to be September 16, 2023. CPAT documentation will not be accepted until later in the testing process. The CPAT licensee must verify the CPAT result. For a list of CPAT licensees by state, go to https://www.iaff.org/cpat/#licensing.
State of Arizona EMT or Paramedic certification is not required to test but will be required before confirmation of conditional offers and must be kept current thereafter. For State of Arizona EMT or Paramedic certification information, see the Arizona Department of Health Services website at http://www.azdhs.gov/bems/certification/index.htm.
Special Requirements. Must possess a valid Arizona Class D Driver's License by hire date, and must have an acceptable driving record. Must pass a pre-employment physical. Must meet and maintain National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Mesa Fire and Medical Department physical standards. Must meet the qualifications to wear a tight-fitting respirator by passing a medical evaluation in accordance with CFR 1910.134 by hire date and must maintain certification. Must not be on the Office of Inspector General (OIG) list of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE).

Substance Abuse Testing. Due to the safety and/or security sensitive nature of this classification, individuals shall be subject to pre-employment or pre-placement alcohol, drug and/or controlled substance testing as outlined in City policy and procedures.

Preferred/Desirable Qualifications. Successful completion of Fire Science coursework from a regionally accredited college or university and previous firefighting experience (full-time, part-time, or volunteer) is preferred. Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.