How to get hired at Henrico County Division of Fire

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

Henrico Fire runs a yearly recruitment, usually open from early May to July 1, for its paid Recruit Academy, with no prior certification needed. Applicants take a remote written and video entrance exam and the CPAT, then a panel interview, before a conditional offer to the academy. Recruits graduate with Firefighter I/II and EMT-Basic certification.

Apply / get notifiedOfficial recruitment page

Minimum requirements

• At least 18 by the end of the application period src
• High school diploma or GED src
• Valid driver's license or ability to obtain one src
• Driving record: no more than 6 DMV demerit points in a year, no more than 2 moving violations in the past year, and no DUI in the past 12 months src
• Submit diploma/GED proof, DMV driving record and resume with application src

Certifications

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

Source: official page

Tests

• Henrico entrance exam (written): Remote, timed multiple-choice test plus 3 to 5 recorded video responses; must score above a cut-off src
• CPAT (physical): Pass/fail, 10:20 time limit; two practice attempts offered src
• Panel interview (oral): Top candidates only src

Hiring process

1. Apply online
2. Submit documents
3. Entrance exam (written + video)
4. Orientation/mentoring (optional)
5. CPAT
6. HR review
7. Panel interview
8. Conditional offer
9. Medical, drug test, background/fingerprints
10. Hire and Recruit Academy

Source: official page

Starting pay

Starting $64,038/yr plus benefits src

Academy

Paid Recruit Academy of about 9 months (36 weeks); graduates leave with FF1/FF2 and EMT-B 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 Virginia.