Work For Us

We are looking for motivated people who want to become part of the Allen Fire Department team. If you are interested, it is important to be prepared for all of the steps in the hiring process.

The application process is managed by the City of Allen Human Resources Department. They will announce when applications will be accepted for a firefighter position. You can contact the Human Resources department to be placed on a notification list for the next opening. Application packets will only be sent when an opening exists. Once you receive the application packet it must be returned to the Human Resources Department within the time specified.

The AFD has the following minimum requirements for applicants:

 

*out of state applicants must provide written confirmation that they are eligible for reciprocity and have proof that they are in the process of obtaining these certifications from the State of Texas.

After a complete application has been returned to the HR department, applicants meeting all of the requirements will be invited to participate in a written test. The written test is pass/fail and may contain questions from the following areas:

This is an overview of the sections that are likely to appear on the test. The actual test will not be identical to the examples provided. This is merely an overview to assist in your preparation.

Once an applicant has successfully completed the written test, the next step is the physical ability test. The physical ability test includes job-specific tasks that applicants are required to complete within a specified time limit.

Physical Ability Test Instructions

The candidate is to be provided or provide his/her own protective clothing consisting of the following:

The candidate will be informed of the steps, failure points and time limits associated with the process:

Ladder Climb- The candidate, wearing the PPE described above, shall climb a 75’ aerial ladder, fully extended, at a 72 degree angle and return to the starting position on the pedestal. There is a five minute time maximum. Each rung must be touched in the assent and decent.

2 Minute Rest- following successful completion of the aerial ladder climb, the candidate will rest for a period of 2 minutes at the start line for the next step in the process.

Series events- The candidate will have 13 minutes to complete the series events.

Hose couple- the task must be completed properly before the candidate moves to the next step. If the candidate fails to properly complete the task, he/she must be told to complete the task before moving on. Time continues regardless of any need to correct a mistake.

Hose drag- the candidate drags the charged hose through the obstacles. If the candidate fails to properly complete the task, he/she must be told to complete the task before moving on. Time continues regardless of any need to correct a mistake.

Stair climb with hose pack- the candidate climbs the stairs while carrying the hose pack. If the candidate fails to properly complete the task, he/she must be told to complete the task before moving on. Time continues regardless of any need to correct a mistake. The hose must be carried, not dragged or tossed. If it is, the candidate must return to the point the improper action took place and continue. No step skipping.

Hose pull- the candidate must pull the hose up via the provided rope. The hand over hand method is to be used. The candidate is not allowed to pull the rope over the railing to utilize the railing like a pulley. The candidate may rest the rope on the railing if needed. If the candidate utilized the railing as a pulley, the advantage gained will be eliminated by stopping the candidate and requiring him/her to lower the hose to the position where the advantage began. The candidate will then begin to raise the hose again. The time continues throughout any advantage correction.

Stair decent- take hose pack down stairs. Must carry the pack as in “c.”

Kaiser Machine- utilizing the provided sledge, strike the weight with the sledge to move the weight the prescribed distance. The candidate’s hands must rise to their head level on the up-stroke.

Crawl- candidate crawls on their hands and knees the prescribed distance.

Dummy Drag- the candidate shall move the dummy the prescribed distance utilizing any carry they desire.

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Once an applicant has successfully completed the physical ability test they will be scheduled for an oral interview. The interview will be conducted by several members of the fire department and applicants are scored according to their responses to questions.

Oral interview scores will be utilized to rank candidates. The Fire Chief will conduct reference checks on the top candidate. The candidate will be scheduled for an interview with the Fire Chief. If selected to continue in the process, the candidate will be scheduled for a psychological exam, background investigation with polygraph, and a medical exam. If these are acceptable to the Fire Chief, the City of Allen Human Resources Department will conduct a criminal background and driving record check as well as coordinate the pre-employment drug screen.