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Employment
Firefighter Selection Process
The Winter Park Fire-Rescue Department conducts a comprehensive selection process for the position of firefighter. Every applicant is required to complete all steps of the process before being placed on our eligibility list. The written Civil Service Exam is open to all candidates. However, an applicant must have certification/possession of the following items to be considered for placement on the eligibility list:
- High School diploma or equivalent
- State of Florida driver’s license
- State of Florida’s Firefighter Minimum Standards
- State of Florida Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic
- Emergency Vehicle Operators Course (EVOC) 16-hour
- Current CPR certification
Applicants who successfully pass the written Civil Service exam with a score of 70 percent or higher may be selected to participate in the remaining portions of the selection process.
If you are not certified by the State of Florida, these guidelines will give you information about how to get certified:
How to Get Firefighter Certification
How to get EMT or Paramedic Certification
Reference and study material for written exam:
- IFSTA Essentials of Firefighting and Fire Department Operations (7th Edition)
- Brady – Emergency Pre Hospital Emergency Care (11th Edition)
- General knowledge of AHA BLS – Both EMT and Paramedic applicants
- Brady – Paramedic Care: Principles & Practices (5th Edition) – Paramedic applicants only
- General knowledge of AHA ACLS – Paramedic applicants only
Other steps in the selection process include:
- Firefighter Skills Testing
- Personal Background Investigation
- Personality Survey
- Polygraph Examination
- Fire-Rescue Staff Interview
- Civil Service Board Interview
- Medical Physical & Drug Screening
All Civil Service eligibility lists are valid for a six months from the time of the final certification.
Benefits
The City of Winter Park offers a complete and comprehensive benefits package to all employees. Some of those benefits include:
- Above-average working conditions
- Competitive salary ranges at all levels
- Paid vacation leave
- Paid medical absence leave
- Medical benefits with Cigna
- Dental benefits
- 10.5 paid holidays per year
- 12 paid “Kelly Days” per year
- FLSA required premium overtime hours
- Numerous detail pay hours opportunities
- Certificate Pay program
- Time Trade work exchange program
- Private retirement system (60 percent at 20 years service, 3 percent annual multiplier, and DROP program). Members have the option to buy back previous fire service experience (max of 5 years) and military service (max of 4 years)
- 2 percent matching 457 retirement account for Lieutenant rank and above
- Educational reimbursement program
Automatic Disqualifiers
Any applicant found to have one or more of the following in their background will no longer be considered for processing and will be dropped from any further consideration.
Criminal Record
- Conviction of a felony
- Conviction of an offense involving moral turpitude including any larceny concealment, bad checks, embezzlement or perjure
Driving Record
- Driver’s License under current suspension
- Driver’s License suspension within the past 12 months due to a moving violation
- DUI or Reckless Driving Conviction within the past three years
- Conviction of a misdemeanor hit and run
- Extensive traffic convictions (e.g., three within the past 24 months)
Drug Usage
- Any use of opiates or any illegal hallucinogen
- Any substantiated unlawful act, including the possession, sale, manufacture, or distribution of any controlled narcotic substance or dangerous drug as defined by state or federal law
- Any use, possession or purchase, of marijuana within 12 months before applying or anytime after that
- Any illegal use of a drug or substance within 24 months before submitting an application or any time after that
Firefighter Base Salary Ranges (Effective October 1, 2024)
- Firefighter/EMT: $50,618.84 - $80,990.14
- Firefighter/Paramedic: $61,908.66 - $99,053.86
The City of Winter Park is a drug-free workplace. If you use illegal drugs, please do not apply!