How to get hired at Anne Arundel County Fire Department

Written by a career firefighter · Updated 2026-11-04

Hiring statusNot currently hiring

The most recent posting accepted applications from June 7 to June 26, 2026, with written and oral exams on July 18-19, 2026, for academy classes in early and mid 2027. Fill out the Employment Interest Form for future openings. src

LocationMillersville, MD

Career firefighters817

Stations31

Anne Arundel County hires Entry Level Firefighter/EMT-Basic recruits through job announcements on the county website. Applications are accepted only during each posting's window. Candidates take a written exam and oral interview, then the CPAT, a background investigation, and an NFPA 1582 medical exam before a final offer. The full-time Fire Training Academy runs about 6 months, and recruits without EMT-B certification earn it during training.

Apply / get notified Official recruitment page

Minimum requirements

At least 18 by the academy start date src
High school diploma or GED src
At least 6 months of paid or unpaid work experience (volunteer and internship hours count) src
Valid non-commercial Class C driver's license or an out-of-state equivalent src
No prior fire service experience required src
Must pass the CPAT and a background investigation to stay eligible src
Must pass an NFPA 1582 medical exam and a controlled dangerous substance test src

Certifications

EMT: not required
Firefighter I/II: not required (academy provided)

Source: official page

Tests

Written exam (written): About 3 to 3.5 hours. Date, time, and location sent by email. src
Oral interview / oral assessment (oral): Scored by an interview panel src
CPAT (physical): Pass/fail on time. 3 attempts. A 12-week mentoring program is offered. CPAT certifications from other jurisdictions may be accepted. src

Hiring process

Apply to the job announcement
Written exam
Oral interview
CPAT
Background investigation
Medical exam and drug test (conditional offer)
Final offer
Fire Training Academy (about 6 months)
Probation (academy plus 12 months)

Source: official page

Academy

Paid, full-time academy, Monday to Friday, about 6 months, including EMT-Basic for recruits who aren't certified src

Checked 2026-11-05 against the department's official pages (linked). Hiring windows open and close quickly; always confirm on the official site before you apply. See every academy, EMT program and test site in Maryland.