The Department of Fire and Rescue (DFR) operates a schedule of three rotating shifts working 24 hours.  The DFR includes 22 Engine Companies, two of which have ALS capabilities, 15 ALS (Paramedic) transport units, 4 ladder trucks, 3 rescue companies, 4 tankers, a hazardous materials unit, 4 battalion chiefs and 1 division chief (shift commander).  Additional units such as brush trucks, boats, and all terrain vehicles provide additional support to our system to meet the needs as required.

No Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Certification is required to apply for this position.

Applications will only be accepted online at governmentjobs.com.  An email address is required to set up an account.  A notification will be sent once the completed application is received.  The applicant is responsible to keep ALL personal information updated in their governmentjobs.com profile.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Must be 18 years of age at time of selection

  • Possess a valid driver’s license (at time of application and at all times during uniformed employment)

  • High school diploma or GED or any combination of education and experience as an equivalent

  • Drug free for last 12 months

  • No more than -10 demerit points on VA driver’s license

DISQUALIFIERS

  • DUI conviction in last 3 years

  • Court assigned ASAP in last 3 years

  • Reckless driving charge in last 3 years

THE HIRING PROCESS

A Firefighter/EMT in Prince William County will provide fire and emergency medical services, fire suppression, fire prevention education, operated equipment and apparatus, maintains and inspects equipment, attends training drills, participates in physical fitness training, and performs other job related duties.

All recruitment questions must be directed to the Department of Fire and Rescue Personnel office at [email protected].

Application and all supplemental questions must be answered completely. If a question is not applicable, applicant must use N/A. Any incomplete, inaccurate, untruthful, or misleading responses will be cause for disqualification from the application process.

Prince William County currently uses IO Solutions National firefighter selection inventory exam.  You can get a link to the study guide by clicking here.

Off-site testing conducted by PearsonVUE.  Click here for more information on the off-site testing options.

The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) is a validated tool to enable fire departments to select candidates who are physically capable to perform the job of a firefighter.

In order to assist in preparing candidates for the CPAT, we offer orientation sessions, a CPAT mentoring program, and practice course runs.

Learn more about the CPAT

Conditional offer of employment – The Commonwealth of Virginia requires all candidates sign the conditional offer of employment before sitting for a polygraph examination and psychological evaluation.  All candidates that are provided a conditional offer are not guaranteed a position with the Department of Fire and Rescue. 

Tobacco agreement –  all new uniformed Department of Fire and Rescue employees must be non-smokers and non-smokeless tobacco product users and sign an agreement stating that they will not smoke or use smokeless tobacco products on or off the job during their tenure of employment. 

FBI Background Investigation – Candidates must submit an FBI Background Investigation.

Office of Emergency Medical Services Investigation – All individuals joining a licensed EMS agency must submit to a fingerprint based criminal history background check and be approved by the OEMS for both affiliation and certification.  Additionally, all candidates applying for a Fire and Rescue Technician I position must be eligible to hold an EMT-B//EMT-P certification in the state of Virginia. National Registry Certifications (NREMT-B/NREMT-P) or Certifications from other States will require the Virginia Office of EMS to approve legal recognition for Virginia valid certification.

The polygraph evaluation measures the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate during the application process. The polygraph may take 3-4 hours to complete. Candidates are provided their result immediately after the examination. Personnel staff will not discuss results with the candidate.  

Candidates must complete the polygraph examination book and submit a copy to Personnel staff for review. The original polygraph examination book must be taken to the polygraph examination.  Incomplete or inaccurate information is grounds for disqualification from the hiring process.  

This evaluation will measure the psychological suitability of a candidate for a career with the Prince William Department of Fire and Rescue.  This evaluation can take up to 6 hours.

Medical physicals are conducted by Prince William County Employee health.

This structured interview is conducted by members of the Department of Fire & Rescue Personnel Office.

BENEFITS

The Prince William County Fire & Rescue System is proud to provide career opportunities with competitive wages, attractive benefits, and a wealth of training and educational possibilities.

  • $61,419.62 starting salary*

  • ALS Certification Bonus**

  • Language stipend***

  • Retirement Plans

  • Tuition Reimbursement

  • Paid Medical Leave

  • Health Insurance

  • Dental and Vision Insurance

  • Life Insurance

  • Annual and Sick Leave

*Full pay and benefits from the first day of recruit school | **$5,671.38 per year for Advanced Life Support (ALS) certifications plus hourly supplement pay | ***Annual language stipend of more than $1,500

Prince William County offers medical plans with corresponding pharmacy and vision coverage, dental plans and a supplemental vision plan.  Information on the plans can be found here.

  • Prince William County participates in the Virginia Retirement System (VRS).  Retirement is mandatory for all full-time employees. Depending on an employee’s date of hire and previous VRS service, they are enrolled in one of three plans, Plan 1, Plan 2 or the Hybrid Plan.  All employees contribute 5% of salary to the Plan which is matched actuarially by the County.
  • Hazardous duty employees (Police, Fire and Rescue, Sheriff, and Jail Officers) are also eligible for additional enhanced benefits under the VRS.  Police and Fire employees have an additional Supplemental Retirement Plan.
  • The County also offers 401a and 457 defined contribution plans.  These voluntary programs offer: Pre-tax contributions and a wide array of investment options.
  • There is a County match on employee 401a contributions (set by the Board of County Supervisors each fiscal year).
  • Eligible employees may also receive a health insurance credit at the time of retirement.  This additional money is a monthly lifetime benefit that reimburses retirees for health insurance premiums.

More information on Prince William County’s Retirement plans can be found here.

Prince William County provides free basic life insurance that equals an employee’s salary rounded to the nearest thousand, then doubled.  Employees may purchase additional life insurance for themselves, spouse and/or children.

  • Annual leave*
  • Sick leave*

*Leave accruals adjust based on schedule

  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Direct Deposit
  • Credit Union Membership
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Employee Advisory Committee
  • Other Leave Programs