Firefighter/Paramedic

Position Type:
Firefighter/Paramedic

Date Posted:
5/15/2026

Location:
Fire Department

Date Available:
TBD

Closing Date:
06/15/2026


The Town of West Hartford
Announces an Open Competitive Examination
For the Position of

FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC

APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY

Application Deadline: Salary Range:

June 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. $70,746 - $95,394 per year*

*Salary range subject to increase upon contract ratification


The West Hartford Fire Department is accepting applications for current Firefighter/Paramedics, Paramedics and/or graduating Paramedic students to be considered for Firefighter/Paramedic positions. Please read instructions carefully.

POSITION SUMMARY (For full job description, click here )
This is general duty fire prevention, fire protection, and firefighting work in combating, extinguishing and preventing fires, doing rescue work and providing emergency medical care in cases of emergency. Assist in the maintenance of equipment, stations, and apparatus. In addition to the general duties of Firefighter, as Paramedic, this position also provides patient care and treatment in medical emergencies under the direct or indirect supervision of a sponsor hospital physician, and in the event of life-threatening emergencies, on own initiative to the extent authorized by the Sponsor Hospital and Advanced Life Support protocols.

When not involved in providing emergency care, the Firefighter/Paramedic works under the general supervision of a company officer.

Employees in this classification are required to "advance" to danger rather than to retreat from it in the interest of decreasing the condition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

All persons who meet all of the following minimum qualifications are encouraged to apply. The West Hartford Fire Department is an equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

• Age: Eighteen (18) years of age. Please state your date of birth in the appropriate space on the application . Failure to do so will automatically disqualify your application for the position.
• Education: Graduation from a standard high school or a recognized general education equivalency (GED).

Required License/Certifications :

• Applicants must possess a valid Driver's License at the time of appointment.
• Applicants must be a CT Licensed Paramedic at time of appointment.
• All candidates must possess current ACLS, PALS, and BLS CPR certification at time of appointment.
• All candidates are required to provide evidence of physical ability by possessing a Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certification. Certification must be issued no earlier than August 31, 2025, to be considered valid for this active hiring process.
• Who may apply:
  • Currently licensed NREMT Paramedic or
    • will be a CT Licensed Paramedic by June 15, 2027. Proof of enrollment in a paramedic program with expected graduation date is required.

Evidence of certification is the candidate's responsibility and is obtained separately from the Town of West Hartford's recruitment process . A CPAT Card is considered valid for one year after date of issue. The CPAT certification must be valid at time of appointment.

A Firefighter-Paramedic hired and assigned to work as a Firefighter-Paramedic shall remain a licensed Paramedic with Town of West Hartford Sponsor Hospital medical control and maintain the requisite credentials as a condition of employment for a minimum period of at least ten (10) ten years following appointment unless reassigned by the Fire Chief or designee. Licensure as a Paramedic with authorization to practice at the EMT level or converting Paramedic licensure to an EMT-B certification must be maintained for the remainder of career as a condition of employment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preferred Qualifications are not required to apply, however, possessing a specific preferred qualification, or any combination thereof may be utilized to determine more highly qualified candidates for interview and selection. Preferred qualifications include, but are not limited to:

• Valid paramedic medical control from a Connecticut hospital
• Graduation from the CT Fire Academy Recruit Program or comparable recruit firefighter training program
• Firefighter I and Firefighter II certification

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move more than 175 pounds. Wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus is required and each employee must be able to pass a fit for seal test.

The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands, and reach and stretch with hands and arms with a full range of motion. The employee is occasionally required to sit, climb or balance, jump, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk and taste or smell.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts, in high precarious places and confined spaces. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electric shock and vibration. The employee is often exposed to excessively high temperature intensities and sudden temperature changes.

The noise level in the working environment is usually moderate, except during certain firefighting or EMT activities when noise levels may be loud. The employee may be required to work rotating shifts, and is considered essential emergency personnel. Any personnel in this position are required to work during emergency situations and are subject to be recalled to work at any time. Remains on stand-by time for all fires and emergencies except on days off and vacation.

METHOD OF SELECTION

Examination Passing Score/Weight
Written Examination* 70% - pass
Oral Board Interview 70% - pass

Practical Exam Pass/Fail - pass

*The written examination is not required for applicants who are current full-time career Firefighters. This is defined as having completed the CT Fire Academy Recruit Program or equivalent, as determine by the Town of West Hartford, and working in a full-time paid capacity for a career or combination fire department. Candidates who believe they meet this requirement should apply to the FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDIC - LATERAL TRANSFERS ONLY posting.

Written Examination: The written examination will evaluate your cognitive abilities. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the Written Examination in order to participate in the next phase of the examination - the Oral Board Interview. Candidates who fail to achieve the minimum passing score on the Written Examination will be disqualified from further consideration for the position. The Town reserves the right to limit the number of candidates invited to participate in the Written Examination.


Oral Board Interview : The final phase of the examination for Firefighter will be an interview/practical before a panel of Fire/EMS and/or Human Resources representatives. This phase of the examination is designed to aid in the assessment of a candidate's maturity, communication skills, Paramedic skills and motivation for the position. Candidates who successfully pass this phase of the examination will have their names placed on the Eligible List for Firefighter/Paramedic. Candidates who have passed the Written Examination but fail this portion of the examination will be disqualified from any further consideration for the position of Firefighter. The Town reserves the right to limit the number of candidates invited to participate in the Oral Board Interview examination.

Eligible List: Candidates who successfully pass all phases of the examination for this position will have their names placed on the Eligible List in order of their final grade. The names will remain on the Eligible List for a period of one (1) year unless the list is extended to a maximum period of two (2) years.

The Fire Chief reserves the right to reject any eligible candidate whom, on the basis of background and character investigation or medical examination, does not appear to be the most suitably qualified candidate for the position. No appointment in the Fire Department shall be deemed final until after expiration of a period of one (1) year probationary service. To successfully complete the probationary period a Firefighter/Paramedic must obtain medical control from the sponsoring hospital.

If you fail to appear for any part of the examination process, or if you do not pass any part of the examination, your name will be removed from any further consideration.

APPLICATION PROCESS

CANDIDATES MUST UPLOAD:

• Active paramedic license or proof of enrollment AND estimated completion by 6/15/27
• Active CPAT certification issued no earlier than 8/31/25

If you have difficulty uploading documents, please email Melissa Henowitz, HR Specialist, at View email address on click.appcast.io by the application deadline in order to have your documents considered.


APPROXIMATE TESTING TIMELINE FOR THIS HIRING:

• 6/15/26- Application deadline
• Week of 6/22/26- Written exam
• Week of 6/22/26- Oral panel interview/Paramedic practical
• Week of 6/29/26- Chief interview for initial round of hiring (additional interviews possible)
• **Must have CPAT Certification by 6/15/26**
• **Must have Paramedic License by 6/15/27 and by appointment**

ONCE A CONDITIONAL OFFER IS EXTENED, CANDIDATES MUST SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE:

• Physical Examination and Psychological Examination: Both a physical exam and psychological exam will be required. Candidates must be able to meet and maintain the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Standards for Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134) as amended and successfully complete a medical evaluation as outlined in NFPA 1582. Psychological exam must be passed according to department standards.
• Drug Testing: Candidates shall be required to submit to a drug test as part of the pre-employment medical examination. Applicants must complete the Drug Testing Supplement to the Employment Application. Failure to do so will automatically disqualify your application for the position.
• Non-Smoking Requirement: Due to the physical demands of this position, the Town of West Hartford requires that all qualified candidates certify that they are non-smokers. Applicants must complete the Non-Smoking Statement . Failure to do so will automatically disqualify your application for the position. Candidates will be required to attest to this fact prior to being certified for eligibility.
• Character Requirement: Candidates must meet the highest legal and ethical standards. No applicant will be accepted with any drug related conviction, felony conviction, conviction for any Class A or Class B misdemeanor or any conviction for domestic violence. Candidates will undergo a rigorous background investigation, before a final offer of employment. An applicant may be disqualified for reason such as but not limited to, poor employment history, recent use of illegal drugs, or previously undetected criminal activity. Any omission, falsification, fabrication, lie or misleading statement will automatically result in disqualification from further consideration with Town of West Hartford.

APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED ELECTRONICALLY

Applications may be completed by following the link on the "Jobs" page at Job Openings - Town of West Hartford (westhartfordct.gov)

Applications must be completed by the posted deadline, unless such date is extended by the Director of Human Resources.


It is the policy of the Town of West Hartford that discrimination in any way on the basis race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity/expression, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, military/veteran status, political belief, criminal record, disability or any other protected status in accordance with the requirements and any exceptions under applicable state or federal law toward employees is strictly prohibited and will be not be tolerated.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

The Department of Employee Services provides reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need an accommodation on the application or testing process, please contact the Human Resources Department at View phone number on click.appcast.io or email Alan Horner.

Individuals who do not have access to a computer or need assistance completing an online application may visit the Noah Webster Library or its branches for access and assistance.

The above description is intended as illustration of the various types of work that may be performed and are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. It is intended as a guide for personnel actions and must not be taken as a complete itemization of all facets of any job. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

AH 5.15.26