Careers With the Fire Department

Overview

City of St. Louis firefighter, EMT and emergency dispatcher positions are considered civil service positions. The Personnel Department handles the application process.

Apply to Serve

About

Fire suppression is only one of a wide variety of duties performed by firefighters. In fact, approximately 75% of all fire department's responses are to emergency medical calls. Other typical assignments may include fire education, commercial building fire inspections, community outreach, training, and equipment maintenance. 

When fighting fires, work apparel and equipment weighing approximately 45 pounds are worn. A significant amount of time is spent inspecting, cleaning, and maintaining this equipment and training in its use. A firefighter is usually a member of a four member team that lives and works together in close quarters throughout a shift. 

Living at the fire house entails house keeping, cooking, and equipment maintenance. Teams may be diverse by gender and ethnicity and each member is heavily dependent on fellow members to successfully perform the duties of the position. 

Fire fighting is twenty-four hour work done in shifts that vary. Calls for assistance can and do come at any hour. A typical firefighter works a 24-hour shift with 24-hours off-duty in between shifts.

Additional Information