How to get hired at Cleveland Division of Fire
Cleveland hires entry-level firefighters through a civil service entrance exam. Candidates apply on the City's governmentjobs.com portal during a set filing period. The process includes a written exam, a physical agility test, and medical, background, and psychological screening, and Cleveland residents and veterans receive extra points. New hires are appointed as Cadet Firefighters, complete an 18-week paid academy covering EMT and firefighter training, and then a four-year apprenticeship.
Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page
Minimum requirements
- Age 18 at time of the test src
- Under age 40 at appointment to the Academy src
- Accredited high school diploma or GED src
- U.S. citizen src
- Valid Ohio driver's license src
- Score 70% or better to pass src
- Residency is not required, but Cleveland residents and honorably discharged veterans (DD-214) get extra points src
Certifications
- EMT: not required
- Firefighter I/II: not required (academy provided)
Source: official page
Tests
- City civil service entrance exam (written): Covers reading, math, factual recall, and reasoning src
- Physical agility test (physical): Simulated firefighting tasks with real equipment. Not named as CPAT. src
- Written psychological exams and evaluations (other) src
Hiring process
- Apply during the filing period
- Written exam
- Physical agility test
- Medical exam
- Criminal history and background check
- Psychological exams
- Appointment as Cadet Firefighter
- Academy (18 weeks)
- Four-year apprenticeship and probation
Source: official page
Academy
18-week academy covering initial EMT and firefighter training, followed by a four-year field apprenticeship 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 Ohio.