How to get hired at Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department

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

Birmingham Fire and Rescue hires firefighters through the Personnel Board of Jefferson County's merit system. Candidates apply through the Board's Jobs Quest fire recruiting site, which links to a Workday posting. Entry-level Firefighter applicants need to be 18 or older with a high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license, and no felony convictions. Training is paid and in-house for Firefighter, EMT, Advanced EMT, and Paramedic, and licensed paramedics can apply on a separate Fire Paramedic track.

Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page

Minimum requirements

• Age 18 or older src
• High school diploma or GED src
• No felony convictions src
• Valid driver's license src
• Fire Paramedic track only: must be a licensed paramedic src

Certifications

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

Source: official page

Tests

• Physical Ability Testing (physical): Jobs Quest links a physical ability testing resource but doesn't describe it. Not named as CPAT. src

Hiring process

1. Apply through Jobs Quest / Workday posting (Personnel Board of Jefferson County)
2. Physical ability testing
3. Paid in-house training (Firefighter and EMT)

Source: official page

Starting pay

Firefighter/EMT starting $60,486.40/yr. Firefighter/Paramedic starting $66,684.80/yr plus a $10,000 sign-on bonus. $5,000 sign-on bonus for Advanced EMTs. src

Academy

Paid, in-house training for Firefighter, EMT, Advanced EMT, and Paramedic. Length not stated. 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 Alabama.